Ocean Currents, Jet Streams, and Polar Bears

2021 ◽  
pp. 162-178
Author(s):  
Jorge Daniel Taillant

This chapter is divided into four sections, describing various impacts of glacier melt on different Earth ecosystems, including the effects of melting ice and water temperature on changes to ocean currents, on the global air Jet Stream, and on land surfaces, such as the popping up effect (the surface rebound effect) of the Earth once glaciers recede. It discusses the role of glacier meltwater for energy generation, as well as the impacts of the acceleration of glacier melt on flora and fauna, such as polar bears, salmon, and river bed and riparian biota.

1999 ◽  
Vol 276 (1) ◽  
pp. H63-H70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shereeni J. Veerasingham ◽  
Frans H. H. Leenen

To examine the role of the ventral anteroventral third ventricle (vAV3V) in the hypertension induced by chronic subcutaneous ouabain and intracerebroventricular hypertonic saline, neurons in this area were destroyed by microinjection of an excitotoxin, ibotenic acid. Sham-operated or lesioned Wistar rats were administered ouabain (50 μg/day) or placebo for 3 wk from subcutaneously implanted controlled release pellets or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or CSF containing 0.8 mol/l NaCl (5 μl/h) infused intracerebroventricularly for 2 wk. At the end of the experiment, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate at rest and in response to ganglionic blockade by intravenous hexamethonium (30 mg/kg) were assessed. In rats infused with hypertonic saline, responses to air jet stress were also assessed. Baseline MAP in sham-operated rats receiving intracerebroventricular hypertonic saline or subcutaneous ouabain was significantly higher than in control rats (115 ± 1 vs. 97 ± 3 and 121 ± 3 vs. 103 ± 3 mmHg, respectively). vAV3V lesions abolished the increase in MAP elicited by chronic infusion of hypertonic saline or administration of ouabain. Sham-operated rats treated with hypertonic saline or ouabain exhibited significantly enhanced decreases in MAP to hexamethonium, but lesioned rats did not. Rats infused with hypertonic saline demonstrated enhanced responses to air jet stress that were similar in sham-operated and lesioned rats. These results demonstrate that neurons in the vAV3V are essential for the hypertension induced by intracerebroventricular hypertonic saline and subcutaneous ouabain, possibly by increasing sympathetic tone. Cardiovascular responses to air jet stress appear not to be mediated by the vAV3V.


Author(s):  

When using the Far-Eastern Region as a study case the paper deals with the issues of political tensions between neighboring states (Russia and People’s Republic of China) caused by coinciding of state boundaries with rivers. Main forms of negative impact of channel processes that cause reconsideration (demarcation) of the boundary position have been described. The role of water work facilities that influence the river bed regime transformation and, consequently, fairway/state boundary position alteration is being assessed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 384-392
Author(s):  
Hai Nguyen Tien ◽  
Dang Vu Hai ◽  
Phuc La The ◽  
Ha Nguyen Thai

On the basis of morphological characteristics and erosion - accumulation of sediment, it is possible to divide the stretch of the Gianh River from Co Cang to Cua Gianh (about 54km in length) into 3 sections as follows: Meandering channel (from Co Cang to Tien Xuan Isles): the length of the channel is 27.69km and the width of the channel is 80-250m. The channel is in the form of a meandering, narrow riverbed, flow plays a dominant role, deposition activities develop strongly at the convex side, while erosion occurs strongly in the concave side (cut side); Braided channel (from Tien Xuan Isles to Quang Phu): the length of the channel is 17.06km and the width of the channel is 800-2,200m. The channel is straight, the river bed is large and the depth of the river bed is 2-11m. Sedimentation occurs mainly at the bottom of the channel and creates bar in the middle of the channel; Straight channel (from Quang Phu to Cua Gianh): the length of the channel is 9.23km and the width of the channel is 800-1,000m. The channel is straight and the depth of the river bed is 8-12.5m. In addition to the role of river flow, it is strongly influenced by marine dynamics. The erosion and accretion activities occur mainly in estuaries. The results above show trend of river development: i) Meandering channel is the most vulnerable to changes for morphology of channel by erosion and accretion of sediment and can create 1-2 horseshoe pools by the river change line; ii) Braided channel mainly changes in the bottom of channel by the formation of channel bar; iii) Straight channel mainly changes in the estuary (the mouth of the river can be moved, enlarged or narrowed).


2017 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-38
Author(s):  
Paweł Franczak

Abstract Mountain streams are subjected to the continuous reshaping of their river beds during floods, with the greatest changes occurring during extreme floods caused by sudden and heavy rainfall. River bed transformations during these flash floods are more severe in forested areas, where wooden logs carried by swollen streams are more likely to be deposited on the ground, which in turn leads to the greater accumulation of other transported material and debris. The study was conducted in the Rybny Potok catchment area (Babia Góra National Park). An extreme flash flood occurred on 15–16 May 2014 because of heavy rainfall, which, on 15 May amounted to 138 mm. The total amount of precipitation in the catchment area was 216.5 mm in three days. This resulted in sudden and full streams in spate, contributing to significant geomorphological transformations reaching all the way to the bottom of the river beds. During the flash flood, already established river beds and streams increased in size and many new river courses were formed.


Ocean Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1461-1482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta Sciascia ◽  
Maristella Berta ◽  
Daniel F. Carlson ◽  
Annalisa Griffa ◽  
Monica Panfili ◽  
...  

Abstract. Understanding the role of ocean currents in the recruitment of commercially and ecologically important fish is an important step toward developing sustainable resource management guidelines. To this end, we attempt to elucidate the role of surface ocean transport in supplying recruits of European sardine (Sardina pilchardus) to the Gulf of Manfredonia, a known recruitment area in the Adriatic Sea. Sardine early life history stages (ELHSs) were collected during two cruises to provide observational estimates of their age–size relationship and their passive pelagic larval duration (PPLD). We combine these PPLDs with observations of surface ocean currents to test two hypotheses: (1) ELHSs are transported from remote spawning areas (SAs) by ocean currents to the Gulf of Manfredonia; (2) sardines spawn locally and ELHSs are retained by eddies. A historical surface drifter database is used to test hypothesis 1. Hypothesis 2 is tested by estimating residence times in the Gulf of Manfredonia using surface drifters and virtual particles trajectories that were computed from high-resolution observations of surface currents measured by a high-frequency (HF) radar network. Transport to the Gulf of Manfredonia from remote SAs seems more likely than local spawning and retention given a mismatch between observed PPLDs of 30–50 days and relatively short (<10-day) average residence times. The number and strength of connections between the gulf and remote SAs exhibit a strong dependence on PPLD. For PPLDs of 20 days or less, the gulf is connected to SAs on the western Adriatic coast through transport in the Western Adriatic Current (WAC). SAs on the east coast are more important at longer PPLDs. SAs in the northern and central Adriatic exhibit weak connections at all PPLD ranges considered. These results agree with otolith microstructure analysis, suggesting that the arrival of larvae in the gulf is characterized by repeated pulses from remote SAs. This is the first attempt to describe the processes related to Lagrangian connection to, and retention in, the Gulf of Manfredonia that will be complemented in the future using validated numerical ocean models and biophysical models.


1977 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Hockey ◽  
Peter Hamilton

Five experiments using the “running memory span” (RMS) technique are reported, in which subjects attempt to recall a specified number of items from the end of long sequences of digits, presented at a rate of 2/s. In Experiments I–III critical lists are included in the series which are exactly equal in length to the specified recall series. Despite the RMS set, these critical lists exhibit (I) marked primacy effects, and (2) an impairment in recall of terminal items (a “rebound effect”), compared to the baseline RMS performance. The rebound effect occurs (Experiments IV and V) even when recall of earlier items is not required. These two phenomena are robust: they occur in different experiments in which, rehearsal patterns, report order, expectancies and retrieval load are controlled. The results suggest an origin for primacy which is of a perceptual (i.e. pre-storage) nature, and that selective rehearsal is not a necessary condition for the effect to occur. A possible role of habituation of the orienting response in this phenomenon is discussed.


2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Kulkarni ◽  
D. Sivakumar ◽  
C. Oommen ◽  
T. J. Tharakan

The study deals with the breakup behavior of swirling liquid sheets discharging from gas-centered swirl coaxial atomizers with attention focused toward the understanding of the role of central gas jet on the liquid sheet breakup. Cold flow experiments on the liquid sheet breakup were carried out by employing custom fabricated gas-centered swirl coaxial atomizers using water and air as experimental fluids. Photographic techniques were employed to capture the flow behavior of liquid sheets at different flow conditions. Quantitative variation on the breakup length of the liquid sheet and spray width were obtained from the measurements deduced from the images of liquid sheets. The sheet breakup process is significantly influenced by the central air jet. It is observed that low inertia liquid sheets are more vulnerable to the presence of the central air jet and develop shorter breakup lengths at smaller values of the air jet Reynolds number Reg. High inertia liquid sheets ignore the presence of the central air jet at smaller values of Reg and eventually develop shorter breakup lengths at higher values of Reg. The experimental evidences suggest that the central air jet causes corrugations on the liquid sheet surface, which may be promoting the production of thick liquid ligaments from the sheet surface. The level of surface corrugations on the liquid sheet increases with increasing Reg. Qualitative analysis of experimental observations reveals that the entrainment process of air established between the inner surface of the liquid sheet and the central air jet is the primary trigger for the sheet breakup.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document