Showing papers by "Peter A. Jumars published in 2005"
TL;DR: The mechanics of uncemented soft sediments during bubble growth are not widely understood and no rheological model has found wide acceptance as discussed by the authors, but they offer definitive evidence on the mode of bubble formation in the form of X-ray computed tomographic images and comparison with theory.
Abstract: The mechanics of uncemented soft sediments during bubble growth are not widely understood and no rheological model has found wide acceptance. We offer definitive evidence on the mode of bubble formation in the form of X-ray computed tomographic images and comparison with theory. Natural and injected bubbles in muddy cohesive sediments are shown to be highly eccentric oblate spheroids (disks) that grow either by fracturing the sediment or by reopening preexisting fractures. In contrast, bubbles in soft sandy sediment tend to be spherical, suggesting that sand acts fluidly or plastically in response to growth stresses. We also present bubble-rise results from gelatin, a mechanically similar but transparent medium, that suggest that initial rise is also accomplished by fracture. Given that muddy sediments are elastic and yield by fracture, it becomes much easier to explain physically related phenomena such as seafloor pockmark formation, animal burrowing, and gas buildup during methane hydrate melting.
238 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that burrowers can progress through impeding, muddy, cohesive sediments by using a mechanically efficient, previously unsuspected mechanism — crack propagation — in which an alternating ‘anchor’ system of burrowing serves as a wedge to extend the crack-shaped burrow.
Abstract: Until now, the analysis of burrowing mechanics has neglected the mechanical properties of impeding, muddy, cohesive sediments, which behave like elastic solids. Here we show that burrowers can progress through such sediments by using a mechanically efficient, previously unsuspected mechanism--crack propagation--in which an alternating 'anchor' system of burrowing serves as a wedge to extend the crack-shaped burrow. The force required to propagate cracks through sediment in this way is relatively small: we find that the force exerted by the annelid worm Nereis virens in making and moving into such a burrow amounts to less than one-tenth of the force it needs to use against rigid aquarium walls.
150 citations
TL;DR: In this article, acoustic backscatter from an active sonar system (TAPS-6) over a range of six frequencies between 265 kHz and 3 MHz revealed characteristics of emergence and reentry events within 1 h of sunset and sunrise, respectively, at a site 10 m deep in the Damariscotta River estuary, Maine.
Abstract: Acoustic backscatter from an active sonar system (TAPS-6) over a range of six frequencies between 265 kHz and 3 MHz revealed characteristics of emergence and reentry events within 1 h of sunset and sunrise, respectively, at a site 10 m deep in the Damariscotta River estuary, Maine. Emergence traps indicated that the mysid shrimpNeomysis americana was the dominant migrator. Daily fluctuation in irradiance influenced the timing of dusk emergence. Local variability in irradiance apparently caused populations to emerge occasionally before sunset or to leave the surface after the beginning of nautical twilight near dawn. Emergence before sunset was marked by slower-than-average ascent, and departure from the surface after initiation of nautical twilight was marked by faster-than-average descent. This pattern would be expected for populations avoiding visual predators by concealment in dark water. Mean ascent (0.29 ± 0.03 cm s−1 [±1 SE]) and descent (−0.26 ± 0.02 cm s−1) velocities showed little difference in magnitude, suggesting that a similar mechanism controls both. Ascent initiation times for the first such event of the night were consistent with a cue based on relative rate of change in light intensity and inconsistent with either the progress of isolumes or with absolute rate of change in light intensity.
20 citations
TL;DR: In this article, acoustic backscatter from an active sonar system over a range of six frequencies between 265 kHz and 3 MHz in the tidally dominated Damariscotta River estuary, Maine, United States, revealed that the major emergence event of the night commenced on the first tidal deceleration after dark (3.5-4 h after local slack), irrespective of flow direction.
Abstract: Acoustic backscatter from an active sonar system over a range of six frequencies between 265 kHz and 3 MHz in the tidally dominated Damariscotta River estuary, Maine, United States, revealed that the major emergence event of the night commenced on the first tidal deceleration after dark (3.5-4 h after local slack), irrespective of flow direction. Emergence traps identified the mysid shrimp, Neomysis americana, as the dominant migrator. Water-column-integrated, acoustically estimated biovolume at our 10-m deep study location increased by a factor of about 6 during these large events, entirely dominating the holoplanktonic contribution and likely being a major component in benthic-pelagic coupling. Application of the same algorithm used to locate this nighttime emergence revealed a parallel but considerably smaller daytime emergence event near the same phase of the tide. Daytime trap samples failed to recover the organisms responsible, but transmissometry rejected the alternative hypothesis that we observed resuspension events. We suspect, but have yet only weak evidence, that animals emerging in daylight are copepods rather than mysids.
15 citations