Showing papers on "Swell published in 2009"

Semi-empirical dissipation source functions for ocean waves: Part I, definition, calibration and validation

Abstract: New parameterizations for the spectra dissipation of wind-generated waves are proposed. The rates of dissipation have no predetermined spectral shapes and are functions of the wave spectrum and wind speed and direction, in a way consistent with observation of wave breaking and swell dissipation properties. Namely, the swell dissipation is nonlinear and proportional to the swell steepness, and dissipation due to wave breaking is non-zero only when a non-dimensional spectrum exceeds the threshold at which waves are observed to start breaking. An additional source of short wave dissipation due to long wave breaking is introduced to represent the dissipation of short waves due to longer breaking waves. Several degrees of freedom are introduced in the wave breaking and the wind-wave generation term of Janssen (J. Phys. Oceanogr. 1991). These parameterizations are combined and calibrated with the Discrete Interaction Approximation of Hasselmann et al. (J. Phys. Oceangr. 1985) for the nonlinear interactions. Parameters are adjusted to reproduce observed shapes of directional wave spectra, and the variability of spectral moments with wind speed and wave height. The wave energy balance is verified in a wide range of conditions and scales, from gentle swells to major hurricanes, from the global ocean to coastal settings. Wave height, peak and mean periods, and spectral data are validated using in situ and remote sensing data. Some systematic defects are still present, but the parameterizations yield the best overall results to date. Perspectives for further improvement are also given.

Observation of swell dissipation across oceans

Abstract: Global observations of ocean swell, from satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar data, are used to estimate the dissipation of swell energy for a number of storms. Swells can be very persistent with energy e-folding scales exceeding 20,000 km. For increasing swell steepness this scale shrinks systematically, down to 2800 km for the steepest observed swells, revealing a significant loss of swell energy. This value corresponds to a normalized energy decay in time beta = 4.2 x 10(-6) s(-1). Many processes may be responsible for this dissipation. The increase of dissipation rate in dissipation with swell steepness is interpreted as a laminar to turbulent transition of the boundary layer, with a threshold Reynolds number of the order of 100,000. These observations of swell evolution open the way for more accurate wave forecasting models, and provide a constraint on swell-induced air-sea fluxes of momentum and energy. Citation: Ardhuin, F., B. Chapron, and F. Collard (2009), Observation of swell dissipation across oceans, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L06607, doi: 10.1029/2008GL037030.

Spectral Partitioning and Identification of Wind Sea and Swell

Abstract: In this paper, different partitioning techniques and methods to identify wind sea and swell are investigated, addressing both 1D and 2D schemes. Current partitioning techniques depend largely on arbitrary parameterizations to assess if wave systems are significant or spurious. This makes the implementation of automated procedures difficult, if not impossible, to calibrate. To avoid this limitation, for the 2D spectrum, the use of a digital filter is proposed to help the algorithm keep the important features of the spectrum and disregard the noise. For the 1D spectrum, a mechanism oriented to neglect the most likely spurious partitions was found sufficient for detecting relevant spectral features. Regarding the identification of wind sea and swell, it was found that customarily used methods sometimes largely differ from one another. Evidently, methods using 2D spectra and wind information are the most consistent. In reference to 1D identification methods, attention is given to two widely used meth...

Monitoring and analysis of ocean swell fields from space: New methods for routine observations

Abstract: [1] Satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) observations can provide a global view of ocean swell fields when using a specific ‘‘wave mode’’ sampling. A methodology is presented to routinely derive integral properties of the longer-wavelength (swell) portion of the wave spectrum from SAR level 2 products and both monitor and predict their evolution across ocean basins. SAR-derived estimates of swell height and energy-weighted peak period and direction are validated against buoy observations, and the peak directions are used to project the peak periods in one dimension along the corresponding great circle route, both forward and back in time, using the peak period group velocity. The resulting real-time data set of great circle–projected peak periods produces two-dimensional maps that can be used to monitor and predict the spatial extent and temporal evolution of individual ocean swell fields as they propagate from their source region to distant coastlines. The result is found to be consistent with the dispersive arrival of peak swell periods at a midocean buoy. The simple great circle propagation method cannot project the swell heights in space like the peak periods, because energy evolution along a great circle is a function of the source storm characteristics and the unknown swell dissipation rate. A more general geometric optics model is thus proposed for the far field of the storms. This model is applied here to determine the attenuation over long distances. For one of the largest recorded storms, observations of 15 s period swells are consistent with a constant dissipation rate that corresponds to a 3300 km e-folding scale for the energy. In this case, swell dissipation is a significant term in the wave energy balance at global scales.

Space Vector Method for Voltage Dips and Swells Analysis

Abstract: A new method for voltage dips and swells analysis is presented in this paper. This method is based on the space vector representation in the complex plane and the zero-sequence voltage. Indeed, in the case of nonfaulted system voltages, the space vector follows a circle in the complex plane with a radius equal to the nominal voltage. It follows the same shape for balanced dips, but with a smaller radius. For unbalanced dips, this shape becomes an ellipse with parameters depending on the phase(s) in drop, dip magnitude and phase angle shift. For swells the space vector shape is not modified, though the zero-sequence voltage presents significant changes in its phase and magnitude and can be used for swells analysis. The changes in the space vector and the zero-sequence voltage are used to determine the dip/swell time occurrence, to classify and finally characterize the measured power-quality disturbance. Algorithms are developed for each step of this automatic voltage dips and swells analysis (segmentation, classification, and characterization) and are validated on real measurement data.

An analysis of young ocean depth, gravity and global residual topography

Abstract: The variation of ocean depth with age in the absence of crustal thickening and dynamic support places valuable constraints on the thermal and rheological properties of the lithosphere and asthenosphere. We have attempted to estimate this variation using a global data set of shiptracks, with particular emphasis on young ocean floor. In this respect, this paper extends a previous study published in this journal by the same authors, which concentrated on the older parts of the ocean basins. We find that, prior to 80 Ma, subsidence patterns are reasonably consistent, with gradients of 325 ± 20 m Ma −1/2 and zero-age depths of 2600 ± 200 m. There is a strong inverse correlation between zero-age depth and the gradient of depth with the square root of age which is unrelated to local variations in dynamic support. Global depth-age trends to 160 Ma are not significantly different to those for the individual ocean basins. Within corridors of similar basement age, gravity–topography correlations are consistently 30 ± 5 mGal km−1. Simple isostatic theory and numerical modelling of mantle plumes suggests that, if the minimum depth of convection is defined by the base of the mechanical boundary layer, the admittance should be a function of plate age. The observation that it is not implies that the active convective upwelling beneath young lithosphere ceases at the same depth as it does beneath old oceanic plates. This result is consistent with geochemical modelling of melts near mid-ocean ridges. We have examined the relationship between residual topography and gravity worldwide, and have found that good spatial correlations are restricted to the Atlantic, North Pacific and youngest Indian ocean basins. By contrast, residual topography and gravity are poorly or negatively correlated in the South and young North Pacific Ocean and in the older Indian Ocean. Away from regions of thick crust and flexure, histograms of residual topography and gravity have symmetric distributions about zero. We then use this residual topography to estimate the volume and buoyancy flux of seven major plume swells. In Hawaii, the clear correlation between melt and swell volumes in discrete age corridors is evidence that the horizontal velocity of the hot plume material far downstream from the plume is similar to the plate spreading velocity and that the plume pulses over time. Finally, comparison with seismic tomographic models suggests that the long-wavelength (>2000 km) residual topographic and gravity anomalies have an origin deeper than 250 km. This result is consistent with observations that the admittance is approximately constant at wavelengths longer than 800 km.

Surf zone surface retention on a rip-channeled beach

Abstract: The retention of floating matter within the surf zone on a rip-channeled beach is examined with a combination of detailed field observations obtained during the Rip Current Experiment and a three-dimensional (3-D) wave and flow model. The acoustic Doppler current profiler–observed hourly vertical cross-shore velocity structure variability over a period of 3 days with normally incident swell is well reproduced by the computations, although the strong vertical attenuation of the subsurface rip current velocities at the most offshore location outside the surf zone in 4 m water depth is not well predicted. Corresponding mean alongshore velocities are less well predicted with errors on the order of 10 cm/s for the most offshore sensors. Model calculations of very low frequency motions (VLFs) with O(10) min timescales typically explain over 60% of the observed variability, both inside and outside of the surf zone. The model calculations also match the mean rip-current surface flow field inferred from GPS-equipped drifter trajectories. Seeding the surf zone with a large number of equally spaced virtual drifters, the computed instantaneous surface velocity fields are used to calculate the hourly drifter trajectories. Collecting the hourly drifter exits, good agreement with the observed surf zone retention is obtained provided that both Stokes drift and VLF motions are accounted for in the modeling of the computed drifter trajectories. Without Stokes drift, the estimated number of virtual drifter exits is O(80)%, almost an order of magnitude larger than the O(20)% of observed exits during the drifter deployments. Conversely, when excluding the VLF motions instead, the number of calculated drifter exits is less than 5%, thus significantly underestimating the number of observed exits.

Wave-Induced Wind in the Marine Boundary Layer

Abstract: Recent field observations and large-eddy simulations have shown that the impact of fast swell on the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) might be stronger than previously assumed. For low to moderate winds blowing in the same direction as the waves, swell propagates faster than the mean wind. The momentum flux above the sea surface will then have two major components: the turbulent shear stress, directed downward, and the swell-induced stress, directed upward. For sufficiently high wave age values, the wave-induced component becomes increasingly dominant, and the total momentum flux will be directed into the atmosphere. Recent field measurements have shown that this upward momentum transfer from the ocean into the atmosphere has a considerable impact on the surface layer flow dynamics and on the turbulence structure of the overall MABL. The vertical wind profile will no longer exhibit a logarithmic shape because an acceleration of the airflow near the surface will take place, generating a low-level wave-driven wind maximum (a wind jet). As waves propagate away from their generation area as swell, some of the wave momentum will be returned to the atmosphere in the form of wave-driven winds. A model that qualitatively reproduces the wave-following atmospheric flow and the wave-generated wind maximum, as seen from measurements, is proposed. The model assumes a stationary momentum and turbulent kinetic energy balance and uses the dampening of the waves at the surface to describe the momentum flux from the waves to the atmosphere. In this study, simultaneous observations of wind profiles, turbulent fluxes, and wave spectra during swell events are presented and compared with the model. In the absence of an established model for the linear damping ratio during swell conditions, the model is combined with observations to estimate the wave damping. For the cases in which the observations showed a pronounced swell signal and almost no wind waves, the agreement between observed and modeled wind profiles is remarkably good. The resulting attenuation length is found to be relatively short, which suggests that the estimated damping ratios are too large. The authors attribute this, at least partly, to processes not accounted for by the model, such as the existence of an atmospheric background wind. In the model, this extra momentum must be supplied by the waves in terms of a larger damping ratio.

Freakish sea state and swell‐windsea coupling: Numerical study of the Suwa‐Maru incident

Abstract: [1] On 23 June 2008, a fishing boat with 20 crewmembers onboard sank in reportedly moderate sea-state conditions in the Kuroshio Extension region east of Japan To determine the sea state at the time of the incident, we conducted a hindcast wave simulation, as realistically as possible, using an improved third-generation wave model driven by wind and current reanalysis products Our results indicated that at the time of the accident, the wave steepness increased and the spectral peakedness narrowed, creating a sea state favorable for freak wave occurrence due to quasi-resonance Detailed analyses of the spectral evolution revealed that nonlinear coupling of swell and windsea waves was the key to generating the narrow spectrum Under the influence of rising wind speed, the swell system grew exponentially at the expense of the windsea energy, and the bimodal crossing sea state transformed into a freakish unimodal sea

Effect of lime and fly ash on swell, consolidation and shear strength characteristics of expansive clays: a comparative study

Abstract: Expansive soils swell on absorbing water and shrink on evaporation thereof. Because of this alternate swelling and shrinkage, civil engineering structures founded in them are severely damaged. For counteracting the problems of expansive soils, different innovative techniques were suggested. Stabilization of expansive clays with various additives has also met with considerable success. This paper presents, by comparison, the effect of lime and fly ash on free swell index (FSI), swell potential, swelling pressure, coefficient of consolidation, compression index, secondary consolidation characteristics and shear strength. Lime content (weight of lime/weight of dry soil) was varied as 0%, 2%, 4% and 6% and fly ash content (weight of fly ash/weight of dry soil) as 0%, 10% and 20%. A fly ash content of 20% showed significant reduction in swell potential, swelling pressure, compression index and secondary consolidation characteristics and resulted in increase in maximum dry density and shear strength. Swell pote...

Observational Study of Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer Characteristics during Swell

Abstract: By combining simultaneous data from an instrumented Air–Sea Interaction Spar (ASIS) buoy and a 30-m tower, profiles of wind and turbulence characteristics have been obtained at several heights from about 1 to 30 m above the water surface during swell conditions. Five cases formed as averages over time periods ranging from 2.5 to 9.5 h, representing quasi-steady conditions, have been selected. They represent a range of typical wave age and include wind-following swell cases and cross-swell cases. For relatively large wave age, the wind profile exhibits a well-defined maximum in the height range 5–10 m; for more modest wave age, this maximum turns into a sharp “knee” in the wind profile. Below the maximum (or knee), the wind increases rapidly with height; above that point the wind is very nearly constant up to the highest measuring level on the tower, 30 m. Analysis of balloon data from one day with swell indicates that the layer with constant wind in fact extends to the top of the boundary layer, ...

The Atmospheric Boundary Layer during Swell: A Field Study and Interpretation of the Turbulent Kinetic Energy Budget for High Wave Ages

Abstract: Analysis of the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) budget for five slightly unstable cases with swell has been performed based on measurements of mechanical production, buoyancy production, turbulent transport, and dissipation at five levels over the sea, from 2.5 to 26 m. The time rate of change and advection of TKE were found to be small, so the TKE residual is interpreted as an estimate of the pressure transport term (Tp). In two cases with high wave age, the Tp term is a gain at all heights. For three cases with smaller wave age, Tp is a loss in the TKE budget below 5–10 m and a gain for greater heights, where the decrease is exponential, thus showing the combined effects of swell waves and a range of waves traveling slower than the wind. The TKE budget for a case with growing sea but similar wind speed and stability as some of the swell cases has Tp close to zero at all heights. It is shown that the observed characteristic wind profile with either a low-level maximum in the 5–10-m range or a distinct ‘‘knee’’ at that height is an effect of the Tp term.

Wind stress in the presence of swell under moderate to strong wind conditions

Abstract: Received 18 March 2009; revised 6 July 2009; accepted 2 September 2009; published 8 December 2009. [1] Wind stress is a key parameter for oceanic and atmospheric modeling, forecasting, and hydrodynamic studies. It is generally accepted that wind stress depends on the sea state. In particular, it has been shown that the presence of swell can modify both magnitude and direction of the wind stress. The presence of swell enhances momentum flux when swell propagates opposite to the wind direction and reduces it when it travels along the wind direction. However, those conclusions are mainly based on data acquired in low wind speed conditions and it is not clear to what extent an effect of swell persists at higher winds. Here simultaneous measurements of wind stress and waves, carried out in an area characterized by the occurrence of strong offshore winds with counter long-period swell, are presented and analyzed. The observations indicate that swell causes substantial changes to the wind stress at all observed wind conditions, including wind speeds as high as 20 ms � 1 . It is believed that in low wind conditions swell increases drag by directly interacting with the air flow, whereas at higher winds, swell reduces drag by modifying the wind-sea-associated roughness.

Prediction of extrudate swell in polymer melt extrusion using an Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) based finite element method

Abstract: Accurate prediction of extrudate (die) swell in polymer melt extrusion is important as this helps in appropriate die design for profile extrusion applications. Extrudate swell prediction has shown significant difficulties due to two key reasons. The first is the appropriate representation of the constitutive behavior of the polymer melt. The second is regarding the simulation of the free surface, which requires special techniques in the traditionally used Eulerian framework. In this paper we propose a method for simulation of extrudate swell using an Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) technique based finite element formulation. The ALE technique provides advantages of both Lagrangian and Eulerian frameworks by allowing the computational mesh to move in an arbitrary manner, independent of the material motion. In the present method, a fractional-step ALE technique is employed in which the Lagrangian phase of material motion and convection arising out of mesh motion are decoupled. In the first step, the relevant flow and constitutive equations are solved in Lagrangian framework. The simpler representation of polymer constitutive equations in a Lagrangian framework avoids the difficulties associated with convective terms thereby resulting in a robust numerical formulation besides allowing for natural evolution of the free surface with the flow. In the second step, mesh is moved in ALE mode and the associated convection of the variables due to relative motion of the mesh is performed using a Godunov type scheme. While the mesh is fixed in space in the die region, the nodal points of the mesh on the extrudate free surface are allowed to move normal to flow direction with special rules to facilitate the simulation of swell. A differential exponential Phan Thien Tanner (PTT) model is used to represent the constitutive behavior of the melt. Using this method we simulate extrudate swell in planar and axisymmetric extrusion with abrupt contraction ahead of the die exit. This geometry allows the extrudate to have significant memory for shorter die lengths and acts as a good test for swell predictions. We demonstrate that our predictions of extrudate swell match well with reported experimental and numerical simulations.

High voltage ride through with FACTS for DFIG based wind turbines

Abstract: In future grid codes wind farms will have to fulfill demanding fault ride through requirements. Among several grid faults the voltage swell is a critical event. Wind farms with doubly-fed induction generators will not be able to fulfill the new grid code requirements without additional fault mitigation equipment. In this publication the applicability of the Dynamic Voltage Restorer and the Static Synchronous Compensator to mitigate a three phase voltage swell without phase angle variation at a wind turbine is investigated and compared. The mitigation equipment adds the missing high voltage ride through capability to the wind energy system in order to become grid compliant. The function, control structure and design and the performance is presented and verified by simulations.

Analyse du comportement d’un sol argileux sous sollicitations hydriques cycliques

Abstract: Expansive soils swell and shrink regularly when subjected to moisture changes. Clayey soils are available worldwide and are a continual source of concern causing substantial damage to civil engineering structures. Cyclic expansion and shrinkage of clays and associated movements of foundations may result in cracking and fatigue to structures. In France, the damage caused by this phenomenon was estimated to be more than 3.3 billion euros in 2002 (Vincent in 3eme conference SIRNAT-Forum des journees pour la Prevention des Risques Naturels, Orleans, janv. 2003) and the Paris region is one of the most affected. The objective of this study is to investigate the swell–shrink behaviour of a natural clayey soil considered to be responsible for a lot of damage observed on buildings in the Paris region, and thus contributing to the characterisation and understanding of expansive clayey soils. The studied soil, Argile verte de Romainville, is a lagoonal-marine deposit and is part of the Paris Basin Tertiary (Oligocene) formations (Fig. 1). It is a clayey soil sampled in the eastern region of Paris. The mineralogical and geotechnical properties of the soil are presented in Table 1. The soil contains quartz (15–20%), carbonates (12–20%) and traces of mica and feldspars. X-ray diffraction showed that carbonates are essentially dolomite and the clay minerals are dominantly illite, kaolinite and a small amount of smectite (Fig. 2). A grain size analysis shows that the clay content (<2 μm) varies between 78 and 80%. The study of its microstructure by means of the scanning electron microscope indicates that the clayey soil has structural elements oriented in the direction of bedding. The structure of the sample generally consisted of dense and continuous clay matrices with very limited visible pore spaces (Fig. 3). At its natural water content (w = 25%), the soil shows mainly a unimodal pore size distribution with an average pore radius of 0.07 μm and a very limited porosity with radii larger than 10 μm (Fig. 4). To assess the effect of suction on the simultaneous changes in void ratio and degree of saturation under zero external stresses, drying–wetting tests are performed on the natural samples. The osmotic technique (Polyethylene glycol solutions) and various salt solutions are used to control the suction values ranging from 1 to 300 MPa. Once equilibrium is reached at the given suction, the samples are weighed and their volume is measured. A synthesis of the drying–wetting paths is given on Fig. 5. The swelling potential of the soil is evaluated using both indirect (or empirical methods Tables 2 and 3) and direct methods. Swell percentage and swell pressure of the soil are measured in a conventional oedometer apparatus according to ASTM (D 4546-85). The test specimens are 70 mm in diameter and the height varies between 12 and 24 mm. The swell percentage is measured under a nominal pressure of 0.7, 2.0 and 6.3 kPa. Swelling pressure of the soil is measured by the conventional consolidation test method (free swell and load, ASTM D 4546-85 method A) and by a constant volume method (ASTM D 4546-85 method C). The test parameters and results for each specimen are given in Tables 4 and 5, and on Fig. 7. Cyclic swell–shrink tests are carried out on similar samples taken from the same monolith. A scheme that permits the study of the clayey soil behaviour at the extreme states of wetting and drying is chosen. The test begins by wetting the samples at their natural moisture content and density. When swelling is stabilized, the water is removed from around the samples and they are dried in an oven maintained at 45°C until the vertical deformation (shrinkage) is stabilised and are then rewetted and so on. Some experiments are stopped at different swelling phases for microstructural study of the soil. The test parameters of the specimens are given in Table 9 and the results are shown in Figs. 9 and 10. The evolution of the microstructure during wetting and drying cycles is investigated using scanning electron microscope and mercury intrusion porosimetry. Observations are made only on soil specimens taken at the end of the swelling phase of the selected cycles. In order to preserve the microstructure, the specimens are cut in small pieces, frozen by liquid nitrogen and finally sublimated. The results of the drying–wetting path including the water retention curve are shown on Fig. 5. The results show that on the drying path (in the void ratio versus water content plane) the soil first follows nearly the saturation line and then, as the water content decreases, the void ratio tends towards a constant value. A shrinkage limit of w = 14.5 % and a corresponding suction value of 15 MPa is deduced from this path. An air entry value of 10 MPa is obtained from degree of saturation versus suction curve. The wetting path shows that the wetting–drying path is reversible for suction values higher than 60 MPa. The different indirect methods used to assess the swelling potential of the Argile verte de Romainville show a general agreement with respect to its swelling potential ranging from high to very high (Table 3). Examination of the free swell test results shows that the Argile verte de Romainville exhibits swell percentage in the range of 15–26% and that its degree of swelling depends on the initial conditions (water content, dry density) and the applied load (Table 4). The higher the water content and the applied load, the lower the swell percentage. A specimen taken parallel to the bedding plane shows similar values of swell percentage with a steep volume change versus time curve indicating an anisotropy of permeability. The two direct methods used to assess the swelling pressure of the Argile verte de Romainville give different values (Table 5). The values obtained by the constant volume method are relatively close and are about 700 kPa. Lower values varying between 360 and 540 kPa are obtained by the conventional consolidation test (free swell-consolidation). This indicates that besides the initial conditions, the swelling pressure is strongly dependent on the stress path followed. The results obtained from the wetting–drying cycle tests show that the magnitude of the first swell cycle is controlled by the initial water content, the maximum deformation occurring on the second cycle and the stabilization of swelling deformation from the third cycle (Figs. 9, 10). Furthermore, the experimental data indicate that upon repeated wetting and drying, the swelling rate of the soil becomes faster, which is explained by an increase in permeability of the soil due to the development of preferential flow paths (micro cracks) on drying. With an increasing number of cycles, a permanent increase in the volume of the samples is observed. This suggests that the swelling–shrinkage behaviour of expansive soils is not completely reversible. Mercury intrusion porosimetry analysis and SEM observations before and after different numbers of cyclic swelling indicate that the swelling–shrinkage cycles are accompanied by a continual reconstruction of the soil structure (Figs. 11, 12). The mercury intrusion porosimetry results show that with an increasing number of wetting–drying cycles the pore volume and the average diameter of the pores increase progressively (Fig. 11). Larger modifications are observed in the pores with radius in the range of 0.1–5 μm. SEM observations also show further destruction of large aggregates and disorientation of structural elements as the number of cycles increases (Fig. 12). After the fifth cycle, the soil original structure is totally lost and a disoriented homogeneous and loose structure with more homogeneous pore spaces is observed (Fig. 12d).

Analysis of the behaviour of a natural expansive soil under cyclic drying and wetting

Abstract: Expansive soils swell and shrink regularly when subjected to moisture changes. Clayey soils are available worldwide and are a continual source of concern causing substantial damage to civil engineering structures. Cyclic expansion and shrinkage of clays and associated movements of foundations may result in cracking and fatigue to structures. In France, the damage caused by this phenomenon was estimated to be more than 3.3 billion euros in 2002 (Vincent in 3eme conference SIRNAT-Forum des journees pour la Prevention des Risques Naturels, Orleans, janv. 2003) and the Paris region is one of the most affected. The objective of this study is to investigate the swell–shrink behaviour of a natural clayey soil considered to be responsible for a lot of damage observed on buildings in the Paris region, and thus contributing to the characterisation and understanding of expansive clayey soils. The studied soil, Argile verte de Romainville, is a lagoonal-marine deposit and is part of the Paris Basin Tertiary (Oligocene) formations (Fig. 1). It is a clayey soil sampled in the eastern region of Paris. The mineralogical and geotechnical properties of the soil are presented in Table 1. The soil contains quartz (15–20%), carbonates (12–20%) and traces of mica and feldspars. X-ray diffraction showed that carbonates are essentially dolomite and the clay minerals are dominantly illite, kaolinite and a small amount of smectite (Fig. 2). A grain size analysis shows that the clay content (<2 μm) varies between 78 and 80%. The study of its microstructure by means of the scanning electron microscope indicates that the clayey soil has structural elements oriented in the direction of bedding. The structure of the sample generally consisted of dense and continuous clay matrices with very limited visible pore spaces (Fig. 3). At its natural water content (w = 25%), the soil shows mainly a unimodal pore size distribution with an average pore radius of 0.07 μm and a very limited porosity with radii larger than 10 μm (Fig. 4). To assess the effect of suction on the simultaneous changes in void ratio and degree of saturation under zero external stresses, drying–wetting tests are performed on the natural samples. The osmotic technique (Polyethylene glycol solutions) and various salt solutions are used to control the suction values ranging from 1 to 300 MPa. Once equilibrium is reached at the given suction, the samples are weighed and their volume is measured. A synthesis of the drying–wetting paths is given on Fig. 5. The swelling potential of the soil is evaluated using both indirect (or empirical methods Tables 2 and 3) and direct methods. Swell percentage and swell pressure of the soil are measured in a conventional oedometer apparatus according to ASTM (D 4546-85). The test specimens are 70 mm in diameter and the height varies between 12 and 24 mm. The swell percentage is measured under a nominal pressure of 0.7, 2.0 and 6.3 kPa. Swelling pressure of the soil is measured by the conventional consolidation test method (free swell and load, ASTM D 4546-85 method A) and by a constant volume method (ASTM D 4546-85 method C). The test parameters and results for each specimen are given in Tables 4 and 5, and on Fig. 7. Cyclic swell–shrink tests are carried out on similar samples taken from the same monolith. A scheme that permits the study of the clayey soil behaviour at the extreme states of wetting and drying is chosen. The test begins by wetting the samples at their natural moisture content and density. When swelling is stabilized, the water is removed from around the samples and they are dried in an oven maintained at 45°C until the vertical deformation (shrinkage) is stabilised and are then rewetted and so on. Some experiments are stopped at different swelling phases for microstructural study of the soil. The test parameters of the specimens are given in Table 9 and the results are shown in Figs. 9 and 10. The evolution of the microstructure during wetting and drying cycles is investigated using scanning electron microscope and mercury intrusion porosimetry. Observations are made only on soil specimens taken at the end of the swelling phase of the selected cycles. In order to preserve the microstructure, the specimens are cut in small pieces, frozen by liquid nitrogen and finally sublimated. The results of the drying–wetting path including the water retention curve are shown on Fig. 5. The results show that on the drying path (in the void ratio versus water content plane) the soil first follows nearly the saturation line and then, as the water content decreases, the void ratio tends towards a constant value. A shrinkage limit of w = 14.5 % and a corresponding suction value of 15 MPa is deduced from this path. An air entry value of 10 MPa is obtained from degree of saturation versus suction curve. The wetting path shows that the wetting–drying path is reversible for suction values higher than 60 MPa. The different indirect methods used to assess the swelling potential of the Argile verte de Romainville show a general agreement with respect to its swelling potential ranging from high to very high (Table 3). Examination of the free swell test results shows that the Argile verte de Romainville exhibits swell percentage in the range of 15–26% and that its degree of swelling depends on the initial conditions (water content, dry density) and the applied load (Table 4). The higher the water content and the applied load, the lower the swell percentage. A specimen taken parallel to the bedding plane shows similar values of swell percentage with a steep volume change versus time curve indicating an anisotropy of permeability. The two direct methods used to assess the swelling pressure of the Argile verte de Romainville give different values (Table 5). The values obtained by the constant volume method are relatively close and are about 700 kPa. Lower values varying between 360 and 540 kPa are obtained by the conventional consolidation test (free swell-consolidation). This indicates that besides the initial conditions, the swelling pressure is strongly dependent on the stress path followed. The results obtained from the wetting–drying cycle tests show that the magnitude of the first swell cycle is controlled by the initial water content, the maximum deformation occurring on the second cycle and the stabilization of swelling deformation from the third cycle (Figs. 9, 10). Furthermore, the experimental data indicate that upon repeated wetting and drying, the swelling rate of the soil becomes faster, which is explained by an increase in permeability of the soil due to the development of preferential flow paths (micro cracks) on drying. With an increasing number of cycles, a permanent increase in the volume of the samples is observed. This suggests that the swelling–shrinkage behaviour of expansive soils is not completely reversible. Mercury intrusion porosimetry analysis and SEM observations before and after different numbers of cyclic swelling indicate that the swelling–shrinkage cycles are accompanied by a continual reconstruction of the soil structure (Figs. 11, 12). The mercury intrusion porosimetry results show that with an increasing number of wetting–drying cycles the pore volume and the average diameter of the pores increase progressively (Fig. 11). Larger modifications are observed in the pores with radius in the range of 0.1–5 μm. SEM observations also show further destruction of large aggregates and disorientation of structural elements as the number of cycles increases (Fig. 12). After the fifth cycle, the soil original structure is totally lost and a disoriented homogeneous and loose structure with more homogeneous pore spaces is observed (Fig. 12d).

Variability in spatial patterns of long nonlinear waves from fast ferries in Tallinn Bay

Abstract: . High-speed ferries are known to generate wakes with unusually long periods, and occasionally large amplitudes which may serve as a qualitatively new forcing factor in coastal regions that are not exposed to a sea swell. An intrinsic feature of such wakes is their large spatial variation. We analyze the variability of wake conditions for the coasts of Tallinn Bay, the Baltic Sea, a sea area with very intense fast ferry traffic. The modelled ship wave properties for several GPS-recorded ship tracks reasonably match the measured waves in terms of both wave heights and periods. It is shown that the spatial extent of the wake patterns is very sensitive to small variations in sailing conditions. This feature leads to large variations of ship wave loads at different coastal sections with several locations regularly receiving high ship wave energy. The runup of the largest ship wakes on the beach increases significantly with an increase in wave height whereas shorter (period

A threshold for wind‐wave growth

Abstract: [1] Measurements in a closed, recirculating wind-wave tank using variable wind speeds showed that wind waves in the gravity-capillary range exhibit a threshold in their growth. Surface wave height variance spectral densities in the wave number domain were measured for gravity-capillary waves using both radar backscatter and a wavelet transform technique applied to a laser probe. The measurements showed that when the wind speed was slowly ramped up, a threshold wind speed or friction velocity was required to produce waves. Turning the wind on suddenly showed that the wind stress did not grow as rapidly as the wind since the surface waves supporting the stress grew relatively slowly. Changing water temperature or current in the water caused a pronounced change in the wind speed threshold but not in the friction velocity threshold. Changes in fetch of as much as a factor of 2 had no discernible effect on the thresholds. The results imply that wind speed, being a condition imposed on the air-water interface, causes wave growth, while friction velocity, being a result of air-water interactions, is closely related to surface roughness, hence radar cross section, and changes during wave growth.

Flow and swell noise in marine seismic data

Abstract: Various weather-related mechanisms for noise generation during marine seismic acquisition were addressed from a fluid-dynamic perspective. This was done by analyzing a number of seismic lines recorded on modern streamers during nonoptimal weather conditions. In addition, we examined some of the complex fluid-mechanics processes associated with flow that surrounds seismic streamers. The main findings were that noise in the 0–2-Hz range is mostly the result of direct hydrostatic-pressure fluctuations on the streamer caused by wave motion. For normal swell noise above 2 Hz and for crossflow noise, a significant portion of the observed noise probably comes from dynamic fluctuations caused by the interaction between the streamer and fluid structures in its turbulent boundary layer. This explanation differs from most previous work, which has focused on streamer oscillations, bulge waves inside old fluid-filled seismic streamers, or strumming/tugging as the main source of weather-related noise. Although modern s...

Two-way one-dimensional high-resolution air-sea coupled modelling applied to Mediterranean heavy rain events

Abstract: South-eastern France is prone to heavy rain events during the autumn. For these extreme precipitation events, the Mediterranean Sea fuels the atmospheric boundary layer in heat and moisture and sometimes contributes to flooding, owing to the large swell and waves produced in these situations. The aim of this study is to examine how the severe atmospheric conditions over the sea associated with these events alter the ocean mixed layer, and what feedback the ocean contributes to the precipitation events. To address these questions, a high-resolution air–sea coupled system is developed between the atmospheric MESO-NH model and a one-dimensional ocean model. It is applied for short range (24 h) and high-resolution (2–3 km) simulations of three representative torrential rainfall events: 12–13 November 1999 (Aude case), 8–9 September 2002 (Gard case) and 3 December 2003 (Herault case). In those meteorological situations characterized by moderate to intense low-level winds, the Mediterranean Sea globally loses energy, to the benefit of the convective precipitating systems. The result is an overall decrease of the thermal content all along the simulation of the events. Significant cooling and deepening of the ocean mixed layer are found in the areas of intense low-level winds. A notable result of the study concerns the impact of the torrential rainfall on the ocean mixed layer. The most important disturbances of the ocean mixed layer are indeed found underneath the heavy precipitation. The salt content is decreased all along the ocean mixed layer depth, but more significantly in the first ten metres near the air–sea interface, with the formation of a salt barrier. By performing both two-way and one-way coupled simulations, it is found that the interactive coupling tends to moderate both the atmospheric and ocean responses compared with the one-way mode. The differences between the two-way and one-way coupled simulations are, however, found to be relatively small considering the atmospheric short-range forecast. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society

Estimation of swell index of fine grained soils using regression equations and artificial neural networks.

Abstract: The swell index which is the slope of the rebound curve of void ratio versus the logarithm of the effective pressure curve is used to estimate the consolidation settlement of overconsolidated fine grained soils. Because determination of swell index from oedometer tests takes a relatively long time, empirical equations involving index soil properties, are needed to estimate it for preliminary calculations and to control the validity of consolidation tests. Geotechnical engineering literature involves empirical equations for the estimation of compression and swell indexes. In this study the performance of widely used empirical equations were assessed using a database consisting of 42 test data. In addition to this, new empirical relationships with single and multiple dependent variables were developed with better estimation capability. An artificial neural network (ANN) which has two input variables, one hidden layer and eight hidden layer nodes was also developed to estimate swell index. It was concluded that the performance of the ANN is better than empirical equations. Key words: Swell index, clay soils, regression analyses, artificial neural networks.

Meteorological tsunamis in southern britain: an historical review*

Abstract: . Meteorological tsunamis, or meteo-tsunamis, are long-period waves that possess tsunami characteristics but are meteorological in origin, although they are not storm surges. In this article we investigate the coast of southern Britain-the English Channel, the Bristol Channel, and the Severn Estuary-for the occurrence of tsunami-like waves that, in the absence of associated seismic activity, we recognize as meteo-tsunamis. The passage of squall lines over the sea apparently generated three of these events, and two seem to have been far-traveled, long-period waves from mid-North Atlantic atmospheric low-pressure systems. The remaining three wave events appear to have been associated with storms that, among possible explanations, may have induced large-amplitude standing waves-such as seiches-or created long-period waves through the opposition of onshore gale-force winds and swells with high ebb tidal current velocities. This coastal hazard has resulted in damage and loss of life and should be considered in future coastal defense strategies and in beachuser risk assessments.