First considerations on post processing kinematic GNSS data during a geophysical oceanographic cruise

<p class="Abstract">Differential GNSS positioning on vessels is of considerable interest in various fields of application as navigation aids, precision positioning for geophysical surveys or sampling purposes especially when high resolution bathymetric surveys are conducted. However ship positioning must be considered a kinematic survey with all the associated problems. The possibility of using high-precision differential GNSS receivers in navigation is of increasing interest, also due to the very recent availability of low-cost differential receivers that may soon replace classic navigation ones based on the less accurate point positioning technique. The availability of greater plano-altimetric accuracy, however, requires an increasingly better understanding of planimetric and altimetric reference systems. In particular, the results allow preliminary considerations on the congruence between terrestrial reference systems (which the GNSS survey can easily refer to) and marine reference systems (connected to National Tidegauge Network). In spite of the fluctuations due to the physiological continuous variation of the ship's attitude, GNSS plot faithfully followed the trend of the tidal variations and highlighted the shifts between GNSS plot and the tide gauges due to the different materialization of the relative reference systems.</p><p class="Abstract"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>

On Tidal Modulation of the Evolution of Internal Solitary-Like Waves Passing Through a Critical Point

Internal solitary-like waves (ISWs) evolve considerably when passing through a critical point separating the deep water where ISWs are waves of depression and shallower water where they are waves of elevation. The location of the critical point is determined by the background current and stratification. In this study, we investigate the influence of tidal currents on the cross-shelf movement of the critical point and elucidate the underlying processes via fully nonlinear numerical simulations. Our simulations reveal phase-locked tidal variations of the critical point, which are mainly attributed to stratification fluctuations that are modulated by the combined effects of cross-shelf barotropic tidal currents and locally generated baroclinic tides. The barotropic tidal currents drive isopycnal displacements as they flow over the slope, and as this occurs baroclinic tides are generated, modulating the stratification and inducing sheared currents. This results in a cross-shelf movement of the critical point, which moves onshore (offshore) when the pycnocline is elevated (depressed) by the flood (ebb) tide. Our idealized numerical simulations for the study region in the South China Sea suggest that the cross-shelf movement of the critical point reaches to O(10) km within a tidal cycle. This distance depends on the strength of tidal currents, stratification, and bathymetry. Because of tidal currents, ISWs of depression may undergo a complex evolution even in a stratification with a shallow pycnocline. For the stratification with a deep pycnocline, the critical point may be at a location deep enough so that its tidal movement becomes insignificant.

The Intra-Tidal Characteristics of Tidal Front and Their Spring–Neap Tidal and Seasonal Variations in Bungo Channel, Japan

The intra-tidal variations of a tidal front in Bungo Channel, Japan and their dependence on the spring–neap tidal cycle and month were analyzed utilizing high-resolution (~2 km) hourly sea surface temperature (SST) data obtained from a Himawari-8 geostationary satellite from April 2016 to August 2020. A gradient-based front detection method was utilized to define the position and intensity of the front. Similar to previous ship-based studies, SST data were utilized to identify tidal fronts between a well-mixed strait and its surrounding stratified area. The hourly SST data confirmed the theoretical intra-tidal movement of the tidal front, which is mainly controlled by tidal current advection. Notably, the intensity of the front increases during the ebb current phase, which carries the front toward the stratified area, but decreases during the flood current phase that drives the front in the opposite direction. Due to a strong dependence on tidal currents, the intra-tidal variations appear in a fortnight cycle, and the fortnightly variations of the front are dependent on the month in which the background stratification and residual current changes occur. Additionally, tidal current convergence and divergence are posited to cause tidal front intensification and weakening.

Sedimentary signals of fluvial discharge variability under tide and wave influence: Miocene examples in NW Borneo

&lt;p&gt;The interaction of river and marine processes in the fluvial to marine transition zone (FMTZ) fundamentally impacts sedimentary dynamics and deposition. Heterolithics are important facies within ancient and modern FMTZs but the preserved signal of river flood, wave and tidal variations in heterolithics remains uncertain. This study integrates facies and ichnofacies characteristics of heterolithics in the Lambir Formation (Baram Delta Province, NW Borneo), with information of larger-scale stratigraphic architecture and modern analogue information, to interpret the preserved record of river flood deposits under the influence of tides and waves in an ancient FMTZ. Within the FMTZ of distributary channels, interpreted proximal&amp;#8211;distal sedimentological and stratigraphic trends suggest: (1) a proximal fluvial-dominated, tide-influenced subzone; (2) a distal fluvial- to wave-dominated subzone; and (3) a conspicuously absent tide-dominated subzone. During coupled storm and river floods, fluvial processes dominated the FMTZ along major and minor distributary channels and channel mouths, causing significant overprinting of preceding interflood deposits and deposition of thicker, sandier event beds. Intervening interflood deposits are muddier, with increased bioturbation, and may variably preserve sedimentary indicators of tide and wave processes. Despite interpreted fluvial&amp;#8211;tidal channel units and mangrove influence implying tidal processes, there is a paucity of unequivocal tidal indicators (e.g. cyclical heterolithic layering). This suggests that process preservation in the FMTZ preserved in the Lambir Formation primarily records episodic (flashy) river discharge, river flood and storm overprinting of tidal processes, and possible backwater dynamics.&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;

Transmission Coefficient Analysis of Notched Shape Floating Breakwater Using Volume of Fluid Method: A Numerical Study

As one of the coastal structures, breakwaters are built to protect the coastal area against waves. The current application of breakwaters is usually conventional breakwaters, such as the rubble mound type. Climate change, which causes tidal variations, sea level height, and unsuitable soil conditions that cause large structural loads, can be solved more economically by employing floating breakwater. In this study, numerical simulations will be conducted by exploring the optimum floating breakwater notched shapes from the Christensen experiment. The comparison of three proposed floating breakwater models, such as square notch (SQ), circular notch (CN), and triangular notch (VN), is compared with standard pontoon (RG) to optimize the transmission coefficient value is analyzed. Numerical simulations are conducted using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) based on the VOF method with Flow 3D Software. Compared to the experimental study, the RG model's validation shows a good result with an error rate of 8.5%. The comparative results of the floating breakwater models are found that the smaller the transmission coefficient value, the more optimal the model. The SQ structure has the smallest transmission coefficient of 0.6248. It can be summarized that the SQ model is the most optimal floating breakwater structure.