Efficacy of reduced order source terms for a coupled wave-circulation model in the Gulf of Mexico

A study is conducted that focuses on the trade-off between run time and accuracy of using reduced order source terms in a coupled wave-circulation model. In the study, ADCIRC+SWAN is used to model Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Ida. Water levels from the coupled model are compared to gauge data and significant wave height, peak period, and mean wave direction are compared to buoys. Results show potential for efficacy of reduced order source terms in order to eliminate computational cost while sacrificing minimal accuracy with respect to field measurements

WAVEx: Stabilized Finite Elements for Spectral Wind Wave Models Using FEniCSx

Several potential FEM discretizations of the Wave Action Balance Equation are discussed. The methods, which include streamline upwind Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG), least squares, and discontinuous Galerkin, are implemented using the open source finite element library FEniCSx for simplified 2-D cases. Open source finite element libraries, such as FEniCSx, typically only support geometries up to dimension of 3. The Wave Action Balance Equation is 4 dimensions in space so this presents difficulties. A method to use a FEM library, such as FEniCSx, to solve problems in domains with dimension larger than 4 using the product basis is discussed. A new spectral wind wave model, WAVEx, is formulated and implemented using the new finite element library FEniCSx. WAVEx is designed to allow for construction of multiple FEM discretizations with relatively small modifications in the Python code base. An example implementation is then demonstrated with WAVEx using continuous finite elements and SUPG stabilization in geographic/spectral space. For propagation in time, a generalized one step implicit finite difference method is used. When source terms are active, the second order operator splitting scheme known as Strang splitting is used. In the splitting scheme, propagation is solved using the aforementioned implicit method and the nonlinear source terms are treated explicitly using second order Runge-Kutta. Several test cases which are part of the Office for Naval Research Test Bed (ONR Test Bed) are demonstrated both with and without 3rd generation source terms and results are compared to analytic solutions, observations, and SWAN output

A novel countermeasure against the reaction time index of countermeasure use in the P300-based complex trial protocol for detection of concealed information

A P300 deception detection protocol was tested using simultaneous versus serial countermeasures and stimulus acknowledgment responses. Previously, P300 showed recognition and elevated reaction time identified countermeasure use. Probe-irrelevant P300 differences were significant in both countermeasure groups and control group. Detection rates were 11/12 for controls, 10/12 for serial countermeasure users, and 11/13 for simultaneous countermeasure users. Reaction time detected countermeasure use in serial responders, but not simultaneous responders. The simultaneous response reaction times were indistinguishable from controls

Neutral sphingomyelinase mediates the co-morbidity trias of alcohol abuse, major depression and bone defects

Mental disorders are highly comorbid and occur together with physical diseases, which are often considered to arise from separate pathogenic pathways. We observed in alcohol-dependent patients increased serum activity of neutral sphingomyelinase. A genetic association analysis in 456,693 volunteers found associations of haplotypes of SMPD3 coding for NSM-2 (NSM) with alcohol consumption, but also with affective state, and bone mineralisation. Functional analysis in mice showed that NSM controls alcohol consumption, affective behaviour, and their interaction by regulating hippocampal volume, cortical connectivity, and monoaminergic responses. Furthermore, NSM controlled bone–brain communication by enhancing osteocalcin signalling, which can independently supress alcohol consumption and reduce depressive behaviour. Altogether, we identified a single gene source for multiple pathways originating in the brain and bone, which interlink disorders of a mental–physical co-morbidity trias of alcohol abuse—depression/anxiety—bone disorder. Targeting NSM and osteocalcin signalling may, thus, provide a new systems approach in the treatment of a mental–physical co-morbidity trias

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure

Discontinuous Galerkin methods for spectral wave/circulation modeling

textWaves and circulation processes interact in daily wind and tide driven flows as well as in more extreme events such as hurricanes. Currents and water levels affect wave propagation and the location of wave-breaking zones, while wave forces induce setup and currents. Despite this interaction, waves and circulation processes are modeled separately using different approaches. Circulation processes are represented by the shallow water equations, which conserve mass and momentum. This approach for wind-generated waves is impractical for large geographic scales due to the fine resolution that would be required. Therefore, wind-waves are instead represented in a spectral sense, governed by the action balance equation, which propagates action density through both geographic and spectral space. Even though wind-waves and circulation are modeled separately, it is important to account for their interactions by coupling their respective models. In this dissertation we use discontinuous-Galerkin (DG) methods to couple spectral wave and circulation models to model wave-current interactions. We first develop, implement, verify and validate a DG spectral wave model, which allows for the implementation of unstructured meshes in geographic space and the utility of adaptive, higher-order approximations in both geographic and spectral space. We then couple the DG spectral wave model to an existing DG circulation model, which is run on the same geographic mesh and allows for higher order information to be passed between the two models. We verify and validate coupled wave/circulation model as well as analyzing the error of the coupled wave/circulation model.Computational Science, Engineering, and Mathematic

Western Pacific and Marginal Seas Tidal Model

Overview of the creation of a large domain model of the Western Pacific and the challenges it presents and the lessons learned from it's creation and development

Finite-Element barotropic model for the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans: Tidal model-data comparisons and sensitivities

In this study, a 9.6 million node large-scale unstructured grid finite-element forward barotropic model is developed and applied to understand the tidal dynamics and dissipation mechanisms of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans down to sub-kilometer scale at the coast. Tidal model-data comparisons are presented to assess the capabilities and limitations of our large-scale barotropic model. The average root-mean-square (RMS) discrepancies of tidal elevations at coastal tide gauges is 14 cm, which is similar to 3 cm smaller than those of a state-of-the- art global data assimilated barotropic tidal model. Sensitivities to lateral boundary conditions, bathymetry, and dissipative processes are explored to guide future endeavors related to large-scale barotropic modeling in the region and other regions throughout the world. Lateral boundary conditions are found to induce adverse resonant effects on the lunar semi-diurnal modes when poorly placed elevation specified boundary conditions are used. This problem is largely resolved by using an absorption-generation layer at the boundary. Parameterization of internal tide energy conversion is identified as the most important aspect to control deep water solutions, and help reduce the RMS discrepancies of the entire system. Two forms of this parameterization are presented and their spatial distributions of dissipation are compared. Bathymetry has a negligible effect on the tidal solutions in deep water, but local high resolution bathymetry results in significant reductions to the average RMS discrepancies on the continental shelf (26%) and at the coast (30%). Implementing a spatially varying bottom friction coefficient based on sediment types decreases the average RMS discrepancy at the coast by 9% predominantly due to its positive effects in the Yellow Sea. The model is shown to capture a large amount of the tidal physics and has the potential for application to a range of barotropic problems such as wind-driven surge and tidal processes