Coastal Region Of Norway Research Articles

Systematic Metadata Analysis of Wind-Exposed Long-Span Bridges for Road Vehicle Safety Assessments

Abstract Long-span bridges are part of a vital road infrastructure for communities living in the coastal regions of Norway. New projects considering advanced bridge concepts will contribute to soli...

Characteristics and sources of gravity waves observed in noctilucent cloud over Norway

Abstract. Four years of noctilucent cloud (NLC) images from an automated digital camera in Trondheim and results from a ray-tracing model are used to extend the climatology of gravity waves to higher latitudes and to identify their sources during summertime. The climatology of the summertime gravity waves detected in NLC between 64 and 74° N is similar to that observed between 60 and 64° N by Pautet et al. (2011). The direction of propagation of gravity waves observed in the NLC north of 64° N is a continuation of the north and northeast propagation as observed in south of 64° N. However, a unique population of fast, short wavelength waves propagating towards the SW is observed in the NLC, which is consistent with transverse instabilities generated in situ by breaking gravity waves (Fritts and Alexander, 2003). The relative amplitude of the waves observed in the NLC Mie scatter have been combined with ray-tracing results to show that waves propagating from near the tropopause, rather than those resulting from secondary generation in the stratosphere or mesosphere, are more likely to be the sources of the prominent wave structures observed in the NLC. The coastal region of Norway along the latitude of 70° N is identified as the primary source region of the waves generated near the tropopause.

Propagation measurements on a line‐of‐sight over‐water radio link in Norway

Propagation measurements have been carried out on a 43 km long 13 GHz 128 QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) over-water path in the coastal regions of Norway. The measurements lasted for 18 months. The intention with the measurements on this in-service radio link was to compare results with models given by the (Recommendation International Telecommunication Union) Rec. ITU-R P. 530-15. The attenuation due to combined rain and wet snow was of special interest, since the radio link is situated in an area—Trondheimsfjorden—that has a significant amount of wet snow in winter. The radio link experienced outages due to multipath, rain and wet snow, where the latter were the predominant outage cause. The fading due to combined rain and wet snow resembled the shape of the model given in Rec. ITU-R P. 530-15, but the model underpredicts the amount of fading. In addition to outages (performance degradation and unavailability) and fading, various other parameters such as fading speed, enhancement, average fade duration, and number of fade events have been measured and compared to Rec. ITU-R P. 530-15. The radio link activity has also been compared to the weather conditions at the time for the most severe fading incidents.

Temporal pattern of questing tick Ixodes ricinus density at differing elevations in the coastal region of western Norway.

BackgroundClimate change can affect the activity and distribution of species, including pathogens and parasites. The densities and distribution range of the sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus) and it’s transmitted pathogens appears to be increasing. Thus, a better understanding of questing tick densities in relation to climate and weather conditions is urgently needed. The aim of this study was to test predictions regarding the temporal pattern of questing tick densities at two different elevations in Norway. We predict that questing tick densities will decrease with increasing elevations and increase with increasing temperatures, but predict that humidity levels will rarely affect ticks in this northern, coastal climate with high humidity.MethodsWe described the temporal pattern of questing tick densities at ~100 and ~400 m a.s.l. along twelve transects in the coastal region of Norway. We used the cloth lure method at 14-day intervals during the snow-free season to count ticks in two consecutive years in 20 m2 plots. We linked the temporal pattern of questing tick densities to local measurements of the prevailing weather.ResultsThe questing tick densities were much higher and the season was longer at ~100 compared to at ~400 m a.s.l. There was a prominent spring peak in both years and a smaller autumn peak in one year at ~100 m a.s.l.; but no marked peak at ~400 m a.s.l. Tick densities correlated positively with temperature, from low densities <5°C, then increasing and levelling off >15-17°C. We found no evidence for reduced questing densities during the driest conditions measured.ConclusionsTick questing densities differed even locally linked to elevation (on the same hillside, a few kilometers apart). The tick densities were strongly hampered by low temperatures that limited the duration of the questing seasons, whereas the humidity appeared not to be a limiting factor under the humid conditions at our study site. We expect rising global temperatures to increase tick densities and lead to a transition from a short questing season with low densities in the current cold and sub-optimal tick habitats, to longer questing seasons with overall higher densities and a marked spring peak.

Optimal transportation of logs and location of quay facilities in coastal regions of Norway

Transportation of timber in coastal regions of Norway is challenging. Transport by ship and availability of appropriate quay facilities are of major importance to increase the harvesting and use of wood, and to secure an efficient and flexible transportation system. An optimisation model is developed that finds the most efficient way to transport logs from supply to demand points and the associated quay locations by minimising total system costs. The influence of co-operation with other industries regarding investment and operation of quay structures is also investigated. We apply the model to a case including 258 municipalities along the Norwegian coast. We present both the model and results of the case study under different scenarios. The analysis shows that the major cost driver is truck transport, and that road quality is paramount, both for the total costs and for optimal location of quay facilities. The results of the scenario analysis also illustrate the trade-off between quay investment costs, number of quays, and truck transport. The model will be a key tool for both quay facility location planning and transportation planning in the Norwegian coastal forestry industry. The model is flexible and robust and can easily be adapted to new regulations and parameters.

In situ measurements of aerosol optical properties and number size distributions in a coastal region of Norway during the summer of 2008

Abstract. In situ measurements of aerosol optical properties and particle size distributions were made in the summer of 2008 at the ALOMAR station facility (69°16' N, 16°00' E), located in a rural site in the north of the island of Andøya (Vesterålen archipelago), approximately 300 km north of the Arctic Circle. The extended three-month campaign was part of the POLARCAT Project (Polar Study using Aircraft, Remote Sensing, Surface Measurements and Models, of Climate, Chemistry, Aerosols, and Transport) of the International Polar Year (IPY-2007-2008). Our goal was to characterize the aerosols of this sub-Arctic area, which are frequently transported to the Arctic region. Data from 13 June to 26 August 2008 were available and the statistical data for all instruments were calculated based on the hourly averages. The overall data coverage was approximately 72%. The hourly mean values of the light-scattering coefficient, σs, and the light-absorption coefficient, σa, at 550 nm were 5.41 Mm−1 (StD = 3.55 Mm−1) and 0.40 Mm−1 (StD = 0.27 Mm−1), respectively. The scattering/absorption Ångström exponents, αs,a, were used in a detailed analysis of the variations of the spectral shape of σs,a. While αs indicates the presence of two particle sizes corresponding to two types of aerosols, αa indicates only one type of absorbing aerosol particle. αa values greater than 1 were not observed. The single-scattering albedo, ω0, ranged from 0.62 to 0.99 (mean = 0.91, StD = 0.05), and the relationships between this parameter and the absorption/scattering coefficients and the Ångström exponents are presented. Any absorption value may lead to the lowest values of ω0, whereas only the lowest scattering values were observed in the lowest range of ω0. For a given absorption value, lower ω0 were observed for smaller αs. The submicrometer, micrometer and total concentrations of the particles presented hourly mean values of 1277 cm−3 (StD = 1563 cm−3), 1 cm−3 (StD = 1 cm−3) and 2463 cm−3 (StD = 4251 cm−3), respectively, and the modal correlations were also investigated. The optical and microphysical parameters, as well as their relationship with each other, are reported. σs correlated strongly with the number concentration of accumulation mode particles and more strongly with the micrometer fraction of particles, but weak correlations were observed for the Aitken and nucleation modes. The origins and pathways of the air masses were examined, and based on sector classification, a relationship between the air mass origin, the optical parameters and the size distributions was established. The low values of the optical and microphysical parameters indicate that the predominant regional aerosol is mostly clean and the shape of the size distribution is characterized by bimodal median size distributions. However, the relationships between the air mass origins and the parameters studied allow us to describe two characteristic situations: the one of the northern and western air masses, which were predominantly composed of marine aerosols and presented the lowest optical and microphysical values observed, indicating predominantly non-absorbent and coarser particles; and the one of the eastern and southern air masses, in which continental aerosols were predominant and exhibited higher values for all parameters, indicating the presence of smaller absorbent particles. The north-northeastern air masses presented the strongest Aitken mode, indicating more recently formed particles, and the southeastern air masses presented the strongest accumulation mode (however, the southeastern air masses were the least common, accounting for only 3% of occurrences).

Occurrence of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) in wild marine fish species in the coastal regions of Norway.

This study was aimed at determining the occurrence of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) in selected stocks of wild fish species in the coastal regions of Norway. Six cruises were undertaken covering areas which included the coastal regions of northern Norway, the Norwegian Sea, the Barents Sea, and the Skagerrak area down to the Danish border. Collected, pooled samples of internal organs (kidney, spleen and heart) from 8395 fish were examined for the presence of VHSV by inoculation on BF-2 cells. Identification of virus was performed by a standard ELISA procedure with monoclonal antibody IP5B11, which is specific for the VHSV nucleocapsid protein (N-protein). VHSV was isolated from blue whiting and Norway pout in Skagerrak. No positive samples were detected in the northern coastal regions of Norway, the Norwegian Sea, or the Barents Sea. The findings indicate a very low occurrence of VHSV in the coastal regions of Norway. Geographically, the only positive samples were obtained from fish collected in areas where VHSV has previously been found in different species of fish.

Earthquake Location Accuracies in Norway Based on a Comparison between Local and Regional Networks

aDetailedstudies of the low to intermediate seismicity in two coastal regions of Norway have been used in a comparison between earthquake locations from local high-precision networks on the one side and locations using a sparse regional array network on the other side. To this end, a reference set of 32 low-magnitude earthquakes have been located using two local temporary networks in northern and western Norway, with estimated epicenter accuracies better than 5 and 10 km, respectively. Comparisons are made between the local network solutions and the NORSAR Generalized Beamforming (GBF) system, which provides automatic phase association and location estimates using the Fennoscandian regional array network. The median automatic GBF location error is of the order of 20-30 km when four or more arrays detect the event, increasing to about 80-100 km when only two arrays are available, and the automatic GBF bulletin is essentially complete down to magnitude ML= 2.0. Most of the mislocation vectors of the NORSAR GBF solutions are oriented perpendicular to the Norwegian coast, and with a tendency to pull the location in a southeasternly direction. The GBF performance is clearly better, both in terms of accuracy and completeness, than the performance of the automatic bulletin of the Prototype International Data Center (PIDC) which uses data from essentially the same network. The analyst reviewed NORSAR and PIDC bulletins show, not unexpectedly, an improvement in location accuracy compared to the automatic solutions and appear to be of similar quality for the few common events, with an average mislocation of about 20 km. The NORSAR reviewed bulletin is more complete at low magnitudes compared to PIDC, and there appears to be a potential for significant improvements in the PIDC processing of small seismic events in this region.