Advective Time Research Articles

Correcting temporal sampling error in radar-rainfall: Effect of advection parameters and rain storm characteristics on the correction accuracy

Summary This study offers a method to correct for the radar temporal sampling error when determining radar-rainfall accumulations. The authors evaluate the correction effect with respect to multiple factors associated with storm advection, rainfall characteristics, and different rainfall accumulation time scales. The advection method presented in this study uses linear interpolation of static rain storm locations observed at two intermittent radar sampling times to correct for the missed rainfall accumulations. The advection correction is applied to the high space (0.5 km) and time (5-min) resolution radar-rainfall products provided by the Iowa Flood Center. We use the ground reference data from a high quality and high density rain gauge network distributed over the Turkey River basin in Iowa to evaluate the advection corrected rain fields. We base our evaluation on six rain events and examine the correction performance/improvement with respect to the advection discretization, spatial grid aggregation, rainfall basin coverage, and conditional average rainfall intensity. The results show that the 1-min advection discretization is sufficient to represent the observed distribution of storm velocities for the presented cases. Grid aggregation that is motivated by the need to expedite the computation may induce errors in estimating advection vectors. The authors found that while the advection correction tends to enhance the QPE accuracy for intense rain storms over small or isolated areas, it has little impact on the improvement of light rain estimation.

Reactive fluid flow in CO2 storage reservoirs: A 2‐D pore network model study

AbstractWater acidifies in the presence of CO2 and prompts mineral dissolution. A 2‐D pore network model scheme is developed to investigate reactive fluid flow in CO2 storage reservoirs during injection when advective transport prevails. Mineral dissolution satisfies kinetic rate laws and continues until thermodynamic equilibrium is reached. In advection‐dominant regimes, network simulation results show that species concentration, tube enlargement and flow rate can be summarized in terms of the dimensionless Damköhler number Da which is the ratio between advection time along a pore and the reaction time. Reservoirs will tend to experience localized enlargement near injection wells (before water drying) and compact dissolution in the far‐field. The Damköhler number couples with initial pore‐size variability to distort the relationship between mean tube diameter and either local or network‐average flow rates. Both the Damköhler number and pore‐size variability should be considered in field‐scale numerical simulators.

Influence of spatial and temporal flow variability on solute transport in catchments

AbstractThis study quantifies the separate and combined effects of spatial and temporal variability for waterborne solute transport through catchments. The questions addressed regard whether, when and why the different types of variability may dominate catchment‐scale transport. We utilize a versatile numerical solute transport code with a particle‐based Monte Carlo time‐domain random walk method to simulate waterborne transport through a generic catchment. Simulations are concretized and exemplified using data on spatiotemporal flow–transport variability from direct stream discharge observations and independently calculated advective solute travel time distributions for catchments within the water management district Northern Baltic Proper in Mid‐Eastern Sweden. A main conclusion is that the projections of catchment mass loading based on spatial variability alone are robust estimates of long‐term average solute transport development. This is especially true when annually aggregated mass load rather than finer temporal resolution of mass flux is considered. Temporal variability yields short‐term fluctuations around the long‐term average solute breakthrough development, and earlier or later arrival than the latter, depending on the timing and duration of solute input relative to the temporal flow variability. The exact temporal characteristics of future solute breakthrough are thus fundamentally uncertain, but their statistical expectation may be well quantified by accounting only for spatial variability. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Heat exchange processes and thermal dynamics of a glacier‐fed alpine stream

AbstractGlacier‐fed river thermal regimes vary markedly in space and time; however, knowledge is limited on the fundamental processes controlling alpine stream temperature dynamics. To address the research gap, this study quantified heat exchanges at the water surface and bed of the Taillon glacier‐fed stream, French Pyrénées. Hydro‐meteorological observations were recorded at 15‐min intervals across two summer melt seasons (2010 and 2011), and energy balance components were measured or estimated based on site‐specific data. Averaged over both seasons, net radiation was the largest heat source (~80% of total flux); sensible heat (~13%) and friction (~3%) were also sources, while heat exchange across the channel–streambed interface was negligible (<1%). Latent heat displayed distinct interannual variability and contributed 5% in 2010 compared with 0.03% in 2011. At the sub‐seasonal scale, latent heat shifted from source to sink, possibly linked to the retreating valley snowline that changed temperature and humidity gradients. These findings represent the first, multiyear study of the heat exchange processes operating in a glacier‐fed stream, providing fundamental process understanding; the research highlights the direct control antecedent (winter) conditions that have on energy exchange and stream temperature during summer months. In particular, the timing and volume of snowfall/snowmelt can drive thermal dynamics by the following: (1) altering the length of the stream network exposed to the atmosphere and (2) controlling the volume and timing of cold water advection downstream. Finally, this study highlights the need to develop long‐term hydro‐meteorological monitoring stations to improve the understanding of these highly dynamic, climatically sensitive systems. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Summertime circulation in the eastern Chukchi Sea

The transport of Pacific-origin water across the eastern Chukchi Sea during summer is studied using shipboard hydrographic and Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler data from multiple surveys. The study identifies two major transport pathways in this region. The well-known Alaskan Coastal Current (ACC) flows poleward along the Alaska coast, while a more recently discovered and slower current flows northward through the Central Channel between Herald and Hanna Shoals. The two currents separate past Point Hope and appear to merge again in Barrow Canyon via previously unresolved pathways flowing west to east across the Chukchi Sea. The collective flow that transports Pacific water from Bering Strait to Barrow Canyon is termed the Bering to Barrow Current System (BBCS). The coastal branch of the BBCS, which encompasses the ACC, is a weakly baroclinic flow with a maximum speed in excess of 80cm/s inside Barrow Canyon. The Central Channel branch of the BBCS is considerably weaker, with a maximum flow speed under 20cm/s. A portion of the Pacific water that flows towards Herald Canyon to the west may also contribute to the BBCS, the amount, but the amount is within the margin of error of our data. The difference in the advective time scales of the various branches allows water masses of different seasonal characteristics to be transported simultaneously by the BBCS. Summer water masses occupy most of the southern and central Chukchi Sea while winter water masses occupy Hanna Shoal and shelfbreak regions in the northern Chukchi Sea during summer. The total BBCS volume transport in summer is measured at four different locations in the eastern Chukchi Sea and found to be generally consistent. The overall mean transport is 0.86Sv, compared to the summer Bering Strait transport of 1.08Sv. This study suggests that the BBCS is the main transport pathway delivering Pacific water masses into the western Arctic Basin.

Spatial and temporal variation of seasonal synchrony in the deep-sea shrimp Aristeus antennatus in the Western Mediterranean

Resolving drivers of spatial synchrony in marine species is fundamental for the management and conservation of deep-sea ecosystems. Here we examine an 11-year data set of monthly catches per unit of effort (CPUE) of the red-shrimp Aristeus antennatus. These data comprise 16 locations of two population subunits in the Western Mediterranean, the Catalan coast and the Balearic archipelago. The analysis of their seasonal covariation and its space–time structure showed small-scale geographical segregation of locations linked with the seasonal fluctuations of CPUE. Results further revealed that seasonal synchrony dominates at short spatial scales (ca. 50km), while asynchrony prevails are broader spatial scales (ca. 200–300km). This spatial pattern, however, varied over the period examined, although it was specific for each population subunit suggesting contrasting drivers of seasonal synchrony. The Balearic Islands, a patchier population subunit, displayed a seasonal synchrony pattern mainly dependent on biological and oceanographic processes at local scales. By contrast, in the Catalan coast, the pattern appeared related with regional-scale climate, which triggers spatial differences in the phenology of primary producers and the timing of food advection to the seabed. These cascading processes depicted by our investigation shed light on underlying mechanisms shaping the temporal synchrony of broadly distributed deep-sea populations.

Vortex chain formation in regions of ion concentration polarization.

The local vortical flow generated inside an ion concentration polarization (ICP) region is evaluated experimentally. The ICP is induced by a patterned nanoporous self-assembling membrane integrated inside a single microchannel. A bottom-view image of the depletion region near the membrane revealed a primary vortex which results from the electric field amplification. A unique perspective of the flow is obtained by imaging the microchannel from its side. This visualization shows for the first time the formation of a chain of three vortices all rotating in the same direction in the depletion region. While observation of multiple vortices has been previously reported, it was in reference to counter rotating vortex pairs and not to the same direction of rotating vortex chain formation. A physical model is proposed which considers a two dimensionally varying concentration profile in the depletion region to account for the formation of multiple vortices rotating in the same direction. The fast rotating primary vortex changes the local concentration in regions adjacent to it, as the advection time scale is much higher than the diffusion time scale. Near the membrane, it moves the low concentration electrolyte from the bottom wall upwards into a higher concentration region. Away from the membrane, it moves the high concentration electrolyte from the middle of the channel downwards into a low concentration region. These local changes in the wall concentration result in a varying slip velocity capable of inducing a secondary vortex. Similarly, this secondary vortex can induce a tertiary one. A numerical simulation is performed using the proposed varying slip velocity model which showed excellent agreement with the experimental observations.

Seasonal variability of the warm Atlantic water layer in the vicinity of the Greenland shelf break

AbstractThe warmest water reaching the east and west coast of Greenland is found between 200 and 600 m. While important for melting Greenland's outlet glaciers, limited winter observations of this layer prohibit determination of its seasonality. To address this, temperature data from Argo profiling floats, a range of sources within the World Ocean Database, and unprecedented coverage from marine‐mammal borne sensors have been analyzed for the period 2002–2011. A significant seasonal range in temperature (~1‐2°C) is found in the warm layer, in contrast to most of the surrounding ocean. The phase of the seasonal cycle exhibits considerable spatial variability, with the warmest water found near the eastern and southwestern shelf break toward the end of the calendar year. High‐resolution ocean model trajectory analysis suggests the timing of the arrival of the year's warmest water is a function of advection time from the subduction site in the Irminger Basin.

Experimental investigation of the transient phase of the Lorentz force response to the time-dependent velocity at finite magnetic Reynolds number

The working principle of Lorentz force velocimetry (LFV) is based on a linear dependence between measured force and velocity. We consider a case when a violation of that linear law takes place in order to take this effect into account for LFV. The response of the Lorentz force to a time-dependent velocity of solid conducting rods is experimentally studied. Solid conductors were chosen due to the fact that at a limited length of imposed magnetic field the end effects of secondary field generation are identical both in liquid and solid conductors. Thus one can simulate clearly a distortion of the imposed magnetic field in the case of non-stationary fluid flows. The magnetic Reynolds number based on advection time was of the order of unity. It is demonstrated that magnetic field advection effects lead to a Lorentz force difference in low- and finite- cases. The induced magnetic field measurements and experimental estimation of the eddy current density are reported.

Cleaning of viscous drops on a flat inclined surface using gravity-driven film flows

We investigate the fluid mechanics of cleaning viscous drops attached to a flat inclined surface using thin gravity-driven film flows. We focus on the case where the drop cannot be detached either partially or completely from the surface by the mechanical forces exerted by the cleaning fluid on the drop surface. Instead a convective mass transfer establishes across the drop–film interface and the fluid in the drop dissolves into the cleaning film flow, which then transports it away. The characteristic time scale of dissolution is much longer than the advection time scale in the film flow. Thus, the shape and size of the drop can be considered as quasi-steady. To assess the impact of the shape and size of the drop on the velocity of the cleaning fluid, we have developed a novel experimental technique based on particle image velocimetry. We show the velocity distribution at the film surface in the situations both where the film is flowing over a smooth surface, and where it is perturbed by a solid obstacle representing a very viscous drop. We find that at intermediate Reynolds numbers the acceleration of the starting film is overestimated by a plane model using the lubrication approximation. In the perturbed case, the streamwise velocity is strongly affected by the presence of the obstacle. The upstream propagation of the disturbance is limited, but the disturbance extends downstream for distances larger than 10 obstacle diameters. Laterally, we observe small disturbances in both the streamwise and lateral velocities, owing to stationary capillary waves. The flow also exhibits a complex three-dimensional converging pattern immediately below the obstacle.

Unified global and regional wave model on a multi-resolution grid

Models for ocean surface wave forecasting in weather centres comprise global and regional systems in order to efficiently meet service demands. Regional models cannot run alone and have to use large area or global models to provide boundary wave spectra. The modern two-way nesting technique is to run the two models together with the regional model domain covered by both resolutions. An alternative method is to use a single multi-resolution grid that fits irregular coastlines and provides refined resolutions in selected regions. This paper presents a multi-resolution model based on a spherical multiple-cell (SMC) grid, which is designed to relax the CFL restriction of Eulerian advection time step at high latitudes by merging the conventional latitude-longitude grid cells. The implementation of the SMC grid in WAVEWATCH III is described, and a multi-resolution (6, 12 and 25 km) global SMC configuration is compared with a suite of nested grid ocean surface wave models, including 35-km global, 8-km European and 4-km UK regional models. Verification against buoy and platform wave observations indicates that the unified model is better than the 35-km global and very close in performance to the two regional models.

Single- and Dual-domain Models of Solute Transport in Alluvial Sediments: the Effects of Heterogeneity Structure and Spatial Scale

Fine-scale heterogeneity of alluvial aquifers controls solute transport in groundwater at the scales relevant for practical applications: the architecture of sedimentary structures might create preferential flow paths (PFPs) or hydraulic barriers, which affect the breakthrough curves (BTCs). Objective of this paper was the assessment of the relevance of single- and dual-domain models for different heterogeneity patterns and scale lengths in alluvial sediments. Three case studies have been analysed with a classical single-domain model (SDM) and with three dual-domain models (DDMs): a dual-porosity model (DPorM) and two dual-permeability models (DPerM), which differ for the presence or the absence of solute exchange between the two domains. The first case study includes numerical tracer tests in metre-scale blocks of alluvial sediments; the second is a laboratory experiment of tracer injection in a decimetre-scale column of homogeneous sand; the third is a field tracer test performed at hectometre scale at the Cape Cod site. The relevance of the solute exchange in the DDMs is analysed with the characteristic advection and exchange times and with the Peclet and Damkohler numbers. The SDM is satisfactory for alluvial sediments with unstructured heterogeneity. The uncoupled DPerM is shown to be a better approach than the DPorM in sediments with PFPs; in this case, the coupled DPerM does not improve significantly the results of the uncoupled DPerM. A minor difference between the results of the three DDMs is observed for sediments in which the non-Fickian behaviour is not clearly determined by the presence of PFPs.

Estimating ventilation time scales using overturning stream functions

A simple method for estimating ventilation time scales from overturning stream functions is proposed. The stream function may be computed using either geometric coordinates or a generalized vertical coordinate, such as potential density (salinity in our study). The method is tested with a three-dimensional circulation model describing an idealized semi-enclosed ocean basin ventilated through a narrow strait over a sill, and the result is compared to age estimates obtained from a passive numerical age tracer. The best result is obtained when using the stream function in salinity coordinates. In this case, the reservoir-averaged advection time obtained from the overturning stream function in salinity coordinates agrees rather well with the mean age of the age tracer, and the corresponding maximum ages agree very well.

Relation between mass balance aperture and hydraulic properties from field experiments in fractured rock in Sweden

Results from tracer tests are often used to infer connectivity and transport properties in bedrock. However, the amount of site-specific data from tracer tests is often very limited, while data from hydraulic tests are more abundant. It is therefore of great interest for predictive transport modeling to use hydraulic data to infer transport properties. In this study, data from cross-hole tracer tests carried out in crystalline bedrock in Sweden were compiled and analysed. The tests were performed within investigations made by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) between 1978 and 2009 at five different locations. An empirical relationship between mass balance aperture and transmissivity was found and quantified by using 74 observations. The empirical relationship deviates considerably from the cubic law aperture, as mass balance aperture is found to be at least one order of magnitude larger than cubic law aperture. Hence, usage of cubic law aperture, derived from hydraulic testing, for transport predictions is unsuitable, as the advective transport time will be considerably underestimated. Another result, from the data set studied, is that mass balance aperture appears to correlate better to apparent storativity than to transmissivity.

A MONITORING CAMPAIGN FOR LUHMAN 16AB. I. DETECTION OF RESOLVED NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPIC VARIABILITY

[abbreviated] We report resolved near-infrared spectroscopic monitoring of the nearby L dwarf/T dwarf binary WISE J104915.57-531906.1AB (Luhman 16AB), as part of a broader campaign to characterize the spectral energy distribution and temporal variability of this system. A continuous 45-minute sequence of low-resolution IRTF/SpeX data spanning 0.8-2.4 micron were obtained, concurrent with combined-light optical photometry with ESO/TRAPPIST. Our spectral observations confirm the flux reversal of this binary, and we detect a wavelength-dependent decline in the relative spectral fluxes of the two components coincident with a decline in the combined-light optical brightness of the system over the course of the observation. These data are successfully modeled as a combination of brightness and color variability in the T0.5 Luhman 16B, consistent cloud variations; and no significant variability in L7.5 Luhman 16A. We estimate a peak-to-peak amplitude of 13.5% at 1.25 micron over the full lightcurve. Using a two-spot brightness temperature model, we infer an average cloud covering fraction of ~30-55% for Luhman 16B, varying by 15-30% over a rotation period. A Rhines scale interpretation for the size of the variable features explains an apparent correlation between period and amplitude for three highly variable T dwarfs, and predicts relatively fast winds (1-3 km/s) for Luhman 16B consistent with lightcurve evolution on an advective time scale (1-3 rotation periods). Our observations support the model of a patchy disruption of the mineral cloud layer as a universal feature of the L dwarf/T dwarf transition.

Correlated signals and causal transport in ocean circulation

This article presents a framework for interpreting the time‐lagged correlation of oceanographic data in terms of physical transport mechanisms. Previous studies have inferred aspects of ocean circulation by correlating fluctuations in temperature and salinity measurements at distant stations. Typically, the time lag of greatest correlation is interpreted as an advective transit time and hence the advective speed of the current. In this article, we relate correlation functions directly to the underlying equations of fluid transport. This is accomplished by expressing the correlation functions in terms of the Green's function of the transport equation. Two types of correlation function are distinguished: field–forcing correlation and field–field correlation. Their unique relationships to the Green's function are illustrated in two idealized models of geophysical transport: a leaky pipe model and an advective–diffusive model. Both models show that the field–forcing correlation function converges to the Green's function as the characteristic (time‐ or length‐) scale of forcing autocorrelation decreases. The leaky pipe model provides an explanation for why advective speeds inferred from time‐lagged correlations are often less than the speed of the main current. The advective–diffusive model reveals a structural bias in the field–field correlation function when used to estimate transit times.

Modeling the moist‐convective atmosphere with a Quasi‐3‐D Multiscale Modeling Framework (Q3D MMF)

The Q3D MMF (Quasi‐Three‐Dimensional Multiscale Modeling Framework) is a new generation of MMF that replaces the conventional subgrid‐scale parameterizations in general circulation models (GCMs) with explicit simulations of cloud and associated processes by cloud‐resolving models (CRMs). In the Q3D MMF, 3‐D CRMs are applied to the channel domains that extend over GCM grid cells. To avoid “double counting” of the large‐scale effects, only the eddy effects simulated by the CRMs are implemented into the GCM as far as the transports are concerned, while the total effects are implemented for diabatic processes. The CRMs recognize the large‐scale horizontal inhomogeneity through the lateral boundary conditions obtained from the GCM through interpolation. To maintain compatibility between the GCM and CRMs, the averages of CRM variables over the GCM grid spacing are relaxed to the corresponding GCM variables with the advective time scale. To evaluate the Q3D MMF, a transition from a wave to strong vortices is simulated in an idealized horizontal domain. Comparison with a fully 3‐D benchmark simulation shows that the Q3D MMF successfully predicts the evolution of the vortices. It also captures important statistics such as the domain‐averaged surface precipitation rate, turbulent fluxes and subgrid‐scale (co)variances. From tests with 3‐D and 2‐D CRMs, respectively, it is concluded that the ability to recognize large‐scale inhomogeneities is primarily responsible for the successful performance of the Q3D MMF. It is also demonstrated that the use of two perpendicular sets of CRMs has positive impacts on the simulation.

Variability of factors driving spatial and temporal dispersion in river plume and Chattonella antiqua bloom in the Yatsushiro Sea, Japan

The dynamics of river plume in relation to harmful blooms of the raphidophycean flagellate, Chattonella antiqua in summer 2008–2010 in the Yatsushiro Sea, Japan were studied using a hydrodynamic model and monitoring data. In the southern area, the bloom formed in the waters stratified by a halocline caused by the southward expansion of riverine water from the Kuma River after the bloom initially forming in the northern area. The timing of the southward riverine water advection can be explained by the balance between the wind stress term and the pressure gradient term calculated from the horizontal density difference between the northern and southern areas. The wind stress and pressure gradient terms were evaluated using the sea surface temperature, salinity, wind speed and direction at two stations. Real time monitoring or continuous observations in these areas will enable nowcasts of bloom expansion when a bloom develops in the northern area.

Basin‐scale circulation and heat fluxes in ice‐covered lakes

A field and theoretical study of the mean circulation patterns, gravity currents, and heat fluxes in a mid‐latitude, ice‐covered lake is presented. Thermistor chains captured the lake‐wide pressure gradients and thermal regime, acoustic instruments measured bottom and interior velocities, and a sediment temperature probe measured sediment temperatures and heat fluxes. Typical Rossby numbers showed that the mean circulation was geostrophic, in the form of either an anti‐cyclonic or a cyclonic basin‐scale gyre. Each gyre reached a steady state after ∼ 10–15 d, circulating at a maximum velocity of ∼ 1 mm s−1. The gyres persisted throughout most of the winter and generally decayed with time. The cyclonic gyre was generated by the lateral temperature gradients created by sediment heat release. It was not possible to determine the driver of the anti‐cyclonic gyre. Because most ice‐covered lakes are controlled by the Earth's rotation, anti‐cyclonic and cyclonic circulation is postulated as being the most common mean interior flow pattern. The horizontal heat fluxes were of the same order as the vertical heat fluxes, which is consistent with the findings of previous research. The sediment heat flux decayed with time, stabilizing after ∼ 60 d. A scaling analysis of down‐sloping advection with dynamic, seasonal‐scale temperatures showed that a warmer lake and an increase in the length‐to‐depth geometric aspect ratio (both within a given lake) and an increase in lake size all increased advection time scales, and therefore circulation time scales, near the boundaries.

The Deep Ocean Buoyancy Budget and Its Temporal Variability

Abstract Despite slow rates of ocean mixing, observational and modeling studies suggest that buoyancy is redistributed to all depths of the ocean on surprisingly short interannual to decadal time scales. The mechanisms responsible for this redistribution remain poorly understood. This work uses an Earth system model to evaluate the global steady-state ocean buoyancy (and related steric sea level) budget, its interannual variability, and its transient response to a doubling of CO2 over 70 years, with a focus on the deep ocean. At steady state, the simple view of vertical advective–diffusive balance for the deep ocean holds at low to midlatitudes. At higher latitudes, the balance depends on a myriad of additional terms, namely mesoscale and submesoscale advection, convection and overflows from marginal seas, and terms related to the nonlinear equation of state. These high-latitude processes rapidly communicate anomalies in surface buoyancy forcing to the deep ocean locally; the deep, high-latitude changes then influence the large-scale advection of buoyancy to create transient deep buoyancy anomalies at lower latitudes. Following a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, the high-latitude buoyancy sinks are suppressed by a slowdown in convection and reduced dense water formation. This change is accompanied by a slowing of both upper and lower cells of the global meridional overturning circulation, reducing the supply of dense water to low latitudes beneath the pycnocline and the commensurate flow of light waters to high latitudes above the pycnocline. By this mechanism, changes in high-latitude buoyancy are communicated to the global deep ocean on relatively fast advective time scales.