Bathymetric control of subpolar gyres and the overturning circulation in the Southern Ocean

The subpolar gyres of the Southern Ocean form an important dynamical link between the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and the coastline of Antarctica. Despite their key involvement in the production and export of bottom water and the poleward transport of oceanic heat, these gyres are rarely acknowledged in conceptual models of the Southern Ocean circulation, which tend to focus on the zonally-averaged overturning across the ACC. To isolate the effect of these gyres on the regional circulation, we carried out a set of numerical simulations with idealized representations of the Weddell Sea sector in the Southern Ocean. A key result is that the zonally-oriented submarine ridge along the northern periphery of the subpolar gyre plays a fundamental role in setting the stratification and circulation across the entire region. In addition to sharpening and strengthening the horizontal circulation of the gyre, the zonal ridge establishes a strong meridional density front that separates the weakly stratified subpolar gyre from the more stratified circumpolar flow. Critically, the formation of this front shifts the latitudinal outcrop position of certain deep isopycnals such that they experience different buoyancy forcing at the surface. Additionally, the zonal ridge modifies the mechanisms by which heat is transported poleward by the ocean, favoring heat transport by transient eddies while suppressing that by stationary eddies. This study highlights the need to characterize how bathymetry at the subpolar gyre-ACC boundary may constrain the transient response of the regional circulation to changes in surface forcing.

Can hospitals impact users’ experience? Application of an evaluation tool to enhance Design for All

Background Design for All (DfA) strategy addressing human diversity, social inclusion and equality, can have an impact on users' well-being in healthcare facilities. However, evaluation tools are needed to identify the extent to which DfA influences users' experience and service quality. This study explores the application of the Design for All A.U.D.I.T. (Assessment Usability Design & Inclusion Tool). Methods The tool's structure is based on a multicriteria framework that evaluate hospital areas through a rating system. The hierarchical framework includes three Categories of DfA outcomes (Physical-spatial quality; Sensorial-cognitive quality and Social quality) with related criteria, indicators and requirements. The tool has been applied in the evaluation of two private hospitals, one in Buffalo (US) and one in Milan (Italy). Results The analysis of findings addressed both spatial and DfA qualities. For spaces, Horizontal circulation had the best scores in both hospitals (76% Italy, 88% US). The Italian hospital Vertical circulation had the lowest score (46%), while in the Buffalo facility Outdoor spaces had the lowest scores. Regarding DfA qualities, the Italian hospital obtained the highest score in Environmental Factors (84%), due to a sustainable design approach, while Social Inclusion got the lowest score (54%). The Buffalo facility scored higher on Social Inclusion (87%) because it provides diverse services for users. Both the hospitals had problems with Wayfinding due to layout and signs, scoring low on this criterion (59% Italy, 39% US). Conclusions The analysis of the hospitals demonstrated that the tool can evaluate spaces and DfA outcomes along dimensions of health and well-being. The system can be used to identify critical aspects and suggest design strategies, defining priorities for interventions. Further research directions will consider applications in different hospitals to ensure the tool scalability and application to new building projects. Key messages The evaluation tool enhances Public Health by measuring hospital quality in terms of Design for All and user needs. The tool can be applied in the decision-making process during design and renovation of specific areas of hospitals to implement Inclusive Design.

Horizontal circulation across density surfaces contributes substantially to the long-term mean northern Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

The Greenland Sea is often viewed as the northern terminus of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. It has also been proposed that the shutdown of open-ocean deep convection in the Labrador or Greenland Seas would substantially weaken the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Here we analyze Robust Diagnostic Calculations conducted in a high-resolution global coupled climate model constrained by observed hydrographic climatology to provide a holistic picture of the long-term mean Atlantic Overturning Circulation at northern high latitudes. Our results suggest that the Arctic Ocean, not the Greenland Sea, is the northern terminus of the mean Atlantic Overturning Circulation; open-ocean deep convection, in either the Labrador or Greenland Seas, contributes minimally to the mean Atlantic Overturning Circulation, hence it would not necessarily be substantially weakened by a shutdown of open-ocean deep convection; horizontal circulation across sloping isopycnals contributes substantially (more than 40%) to the maximum mean northeastern subpolar Atlantic Overturning Circulation.

Towards Dynamic Vertical Urbanism

Nowadays a great number of new developments are claimed in the name of “vertical city”, yet few represent this important characteristic. This paper aims to propose a novel vertical city framework, or in other words, dynamic vertical urbanism, featuring constant vertical urban transformation by applying the state-of-the-art construction technologies. First, successful and unsuccessful precedents of building complexes which inspire this novel concept will be analyzed. In addition, building technologies that are crucial for the implementation of this framework will be introduced. As a result, this vertical city concept has the ability to integrate five basic elements of a city: vertical and horizontal circulation systems as its paths, a flexible building envelope as its edges, variable mix-used functional blocks as its districts, sky bridges and roof gardens as its nodes, and the complex itself as a landmark. More importantly, it can change its size, form and function with the help of construction automation technologies, open building principles, and process information modeling. it can also responsively evolve in accordance with social, economic, and environmental shifts in a self-sufficient manner, meanwhile avoiding the risk of being homogeneous with surrounding buildings. Finally, the complex will perform as a series of interconnected components which act together to form a living organism that provides various functions such as corporate, residential, commercial, academic, medical, legal, and infrastructural. In conclusion, this paper will provide researchers, architects and urban designers with a valuable example for the future vertical city developments and beyond.

Reframing the carbon cycle of the subpolar Southern Ocean

Global climate is critically sensitive to physical and biogeochemical dynamics in the subpolar Southern Ocean, since it is here that deep, carbon-rich layers of the world ocean outcrop and exchange carbon with the atmosphere. Here, we present evidence that the conventional framework for the subpolar Southern Ocean carbon cycle, which attributes a dominant role to the vertical overturning circulation and shelf-sea processes, fundamentally misrepresents the drivers of regional carbon uptake. Observations in the Weddell Gyre—a key representative region of the subpolar Southern Ocean—show that the rate of carbon uptake is set by an interplay between the Gyre’s horizontal circulation and the remineralization at mid-depths of organic carbon sourced from biological production in the central gyre. These results demonstrate that reframing the carbon cycle of the subpolar Southern Ocean is an essential step to better define its role in past and future climate change.

DESAIN SIGNAGE YANG EFEKTIF UNTUK MENGHASILKAN WAYFINDING DAN ORIENTASI RUANG PADA PUBLIC SPACE (Studi Kasus : Interior Mall Senayan City)

<p><strong>Abstract </strong></p><p>Indonesia Shopping Center Keywords: public space, mall, signage, wayfinding In general, public space is an open space that can accommodate places of<br />inter-human meeting to interact with each other. This study, will discuss one form of<br />public space, that is the mall or shopping center. According to Book<br />, a good mall in addition must have the arrangement of facilities,<br />vertical arrangement and horizontal circulation, but also has a graphic environment in the form of signage and wayfinding that support the interior of the mall itself. The presence of signage and wayfinding one of them as directions. Visitors arrive from different locations, travel to different destinations, and for different reasons. For that,<br />signage and wayfinding is needed to convince visitors to get to the destination. In addition to be informative, signage planning and wayfinding as decorative elements should be designed attractive through combination of colors and shapes so that looks beautiful as visually but still pay attention to international regulations, especially for<br />safety signs.</p><p> </p><p><br /><strong>Abstrak</strong><br />Public space adalah sebuah ruang dimana semua orang memiliki hak yang<br />sama untuk mengaksesnya atau mengadakan berbagai kepentingan dan<br />kegiatan public. Pada umumnya ruang public adalah ruang terbuka yang<br />mampu menampung kebutuhan akan tempat-tempat pertemuan antar<br />manusia untuk saling berinteraksi. Pada penelitian ini, akan dibahas<br />mengenai salah satu bentuk public space, yaitu mall atau shopping center. Menurut Buku Indonesia Shopping Center, mall yang baik selain harus memiliki penataan fasilitas, penataan vertical dan horizontal circulation, tetapi juga memiliki graphic environment dalam bentuk signage dan wayfinding yang mendukung interior dari mall itu sendiri. Keberadaan signage dan wayfinding salah satunya sebagai petunjuk arah. Pengunjung berdatangan dari lokasi yang berbeda, berpergian ke tujuan yang berbeda, dan dengan alasan yang berbeda. Untuk itu signage dan wayfinding diperlukan untuk meyakinkan pengunjung agar dapat sampai ke tempat tujuan. Selain harus informative, perencanaan signage dan wayfinding sebagai unsur dekoratif harus didesain menarik melalui permainan bentuk dan warna sehingga cantik secara visual<br />namun tetap memperhatikan peraturan internasional terutama safety sign.<br /><br /></p>