Development of a Fully Convolutional Neural Network to Derive Surf-Zone Bathymetry from Close-Range Imagery of Waves in Duck, NC

Timely observations of nearshore water depths are important for a variety of coastal research and management topics, yet this information is expensive to collect using in situ survey methods. Remote methods to estimate bathymetry from imagery include using either ratios of multi-spectral reflectance bands or inversions from wave processes. Multi-spectral methods work best in waters with low turbidity, and wave-speed-based methods work best when wave breaking is minimal. In this work, we build on the wave-based inversion approaches, by exploring the use of a fully convolutional neural network (FCNN) to infer nearshore bathymetry from imagery of the sea surface and local wave statistics. We apply transfer learning to adapt a CNN originally trained on synthetic imagery generated from a Boussinesq numerical wave model to utilize tower-based imagery collected in Duck, North Carolina, at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Field Research Facility. We train the model on sea-surface imagery, wave conditions, and associated surveyed bathymetry using three years of observations, including times with significant wave breaking in the surf zone. This is the first time, to the authors’ knowledge, an FCNN has been successfully applied to infer bathymetry from surf-zone sea-surface imagery. Model results from a separate one-year test period generally show good agreement with survey-derived bathymetry (0.37 m root-mean-squared error, with a max depth of 6.7 m) under diverse wave conditions with wave heights up to 3.5 m. Bathymetry results quantify nearshore bathymetric evolution including bar migration and transitions between single- and double-barred morphologies. We observe that bathymetry estimates are most accurate when time-averaged input images feature visible wave breaking and/or individual images display wave crests. An investigation of activation maps, which show neuron activity on a layer-by-layer basis, suggests that the model is responsive to visible coherent wave structures in the input images.

Is summer becoming more uncomfortable at Indian cities?

The recent decades have witnessed significant increase in temperatures both on global and regional scale. Some specific locations in India like Orissa and Andhra Pradesh have experienced unusually heat wave conditions resulting in increase in heat stress associated illnesses and mortality. There is a general belief that cities have become more uncomfortable during summer, particularly in the recent years. The present study is an attempt to examine the trend in discomfort over the Indian cities measured by an index (Thermo-Hygrometric Index: THI). Results show that in general there is an increasing trend in the discomfort from the last 10 days of April to June over most of the Indian cities. Further, frequency and maximum length of continuous periods exceeding abnormal discomfort values over a number of stations are steadily increasing particularly during May and June.

Artificial heat waves induce species-specific plastic responses on reproduction of two spider mite predators

Climate change models predict that the frequency, intensity and duration of heat waves will increase in the next decades. Heat waves can have profound impact on the reproduction of biocontrol agents ranging from postponing oviposition to manipulating offspring quantity via egg number and quality via egg size. Such species-specific responses of biocontrol agents to heat stress may also affect their success in controlling the target pest. Here, we evaluated the predation and reproductive performance of the two spider mite predators Phytoseiulus persimilis and Neoseiulus womersleyi exposed to simulated mild, moderate and extreme heat wave conditions over three days. Irrespective of heat wave conditions, all N. womersleyi females survived, whereas 12% of the P. persimilis females died. Both species responded to heat stress via plastic modifications resulting in increased predation rates and smaller egg sizes. Significantly more P. persimilis females postponed oviposition during the experimental phase than N. womersleyi. The deposited egg number of Phytoseiulus persimilis was not affected by heat wave conditions. On the contrary, the reproductive output of N. womersleyi was a function of temperature, i.e., the higher the temperature, the higher the number of deposited eggs. These findings indicate that P. persimilis is more heat sensitive in relation to reproduction than N. womersleyi. However, further investigations of heat wave effects on other fitness-related traits and their consequences at population level are needed to find out whether N. womersleyi is an alternative or supplement to P. persimilis as spider mite control agent under heat waves.

Numerical Investigation of the Motion Characteristics of Cylindrical Floating Body in Waves Using the Volume of Fluid Method

In this paper, a numerical hydrodynamic performance assessment of a full scale cylindrical floating body with different damping devices is presented. The motion characteristics of the full scale cylindrical floating body are investigated in regular and irregular wave conditions with different wave heights and periods. A numerical wave tank based on the two-phase Volume of Fluid (VOF) model was established. Approaches to the computational domain and overset-grids were investigated and were found to be suitable. Grid convergence was undertaken for the simulations. The numerical wave tank was performed to analyse the motion characteristics of the cylindrical floating body with arbitrary devices under different wave conditions by using the VOF method with an overset-grid technique. The motion characteristics of the cylindrical floating body with different damping devices were numerically investigated to provide more information on the effect of damping devices on the hydrodynamic performance. The conclusions of this paper give guidance in the motion characteristics and the damping device prototype design to be adopted under the specified wave conditions.

Analysis of Urban Heat Island and Heat Waves Using Sentinel-3 Images: a Study of Andalusian Cities in Spain

At present, understanding the synergies between the Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI) phenomenon and extreme climatic events entailing high mortality, i.e., heat waves, is a great challenge that must be faced to improve the quality of life in urban zones. The implementation of new mitigation and resilience measures in cities would serve to lessen the effects of heat waves and the economic cost they entail. In this research, the Land Surface Temperature (LST) and the SUHI were determined through Sentinel-3A and 3B images of the eight capitals of Andalusia (southern Spain) during the months of July and August of years 2019 and 2020. The objective was to determine possible synergies or interaction between the LST and SUHI, as well as between SUHI and heat waves, in a region classified as highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. For each Andalusian city, the atmospheric variables of ambient temperature, solar radiation, wind speed and direction were obtained from stations of the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET); the data were quantified and classified both in periods of normal environmental conditions and during heat waves. By means of Data Panel statistical analysis, the multivariate relationships were derived, determining which ones statistically influence the SUHI during heat wave periods. The results indicate that the LST and the mean SUHI obtained are statistically interacted and intensify under heat wave conditions. The greatest increases in daytime temperatures were seen for Sentinel-3A in cities by the coast (LST = 3.90 °C, SUHI = 1.44 °C) and for Sentinel-3B in cities located inland (LST = 2.85 °C, SUHI = 0.52 °C). The existence of statistically significant positive relationships above 99% (p < 0.000) between the SUHI and solar radiation, and between the SUHI and the direction of the wind, intensified in periods of heat wave, could be verified. An increase in the urban area affected by the SUHI under heat wave conditions is reported. Graphical Abstract

Numerical Reproducibility of Wave Response for an Oscillating Wave Surge Converter Using Inverted Triangle Flap

Analyzing various wave interactions with oscillating wave surge converters (OWSC) is essential because they must be operated efficiently under a wide range of wave conditions and designed to extract optimal wave energy. In the conceptual design and development stage of OWSC, numerical analysis can be a good alternative as a design tool. This study performed a numerical analysis on the behavioral characteristics of the inverted triangle flap against the incident waves using open source CFD to examine the essential behavioral attributes of OWSC. Specifically, the behavioral characteristics of the structure were studied by calculating the free water surface displacement and the flap rotation angle near the inverted triangular flap according to the change of the period under the regular wave conditions. By comparing and examining the numerical analysis results with the hydraulic model experiments, the validity of the analysis performed and the applicability in analyzing the wave-structure interactions related to OWSC was verified. The numerical analysis result confirmed that the hydrodynamic behavior characteristic due to the interactions of the wave and the inverted triangle flap was well reproduced.

Headland Rip Modelling at a Natural Beach under High-Energy Wave Conditions

A XBeach surfbeat model is used to explore the dynamics of natural headland rip circulation under a broad range of incident wave conditions and tide level. The model was calibrated and extensively validated against measurements collected in the vicinity of a 500-m rocky headland. Modelled bulk hydrodynamic quantities were in good agreement with measurements for two wave events during which deflection rips were captured. In particular, the model was able to reproduce the tidal modulation and very-low-frequency fluctuations (≈1 h period) of the deflection rip during the 4-m wave event. For that event, the synoptic flow behaviour shows the large spatial coverage of the rip which extended 1600 m offshore at low tide, when the surf zone limit extends beyond the headland tip. These results emphasize a deflection mechanism different from conceptualised deflection mechanisms based on the boundary length to surf zone width ratio. Further simulations indicate that the adjacent embayment is responsible for the seaward extent of the rip under energetic wave conditions. The present study shows that the circulation patterns along natural rugged coastlines are strongly controlled by the natural variability of the coastal morphology, including headland shape and adjacent embayments, which has implications on headland bypassing expressions.