Influence of frontal cyclone evolution on the 2009 (Ekman) and 2010 (Franklin) Loop Current eddy detachment events

The anticyclonic Loop Current Eddy (LCE) shedding events are strongly associated with the evolution of Loop Current Frontal Eddies (LCFEs) over the eastern Gulf of Mexico (GoM). A numerical simulation, in tandem with in situ measurements and satellite data, was used to investigate the Loop Current (LC) evolution and the surrounding LCFE formation, structure, growth and migration during the Eddy Ekman and Eddy Franklin shedding events in the summers of 2009 and 2010, respectively. During both events, northern GoM LCFEs appeared vertically coherent to at least 1500 m in temperature observations. They propagated towards the base of the LC, where, together with the migration of Campeche Bank (southwest GoM shelf) eddies from south of the LC, contributed to its "necking-down". Growth of Campeche Bank LCFEs involved in Eddy Franklin was partially attributed to Campeche Bank waters following upwelling events. Slope processes associated with such upwelling included offshore exports of high positive potential vorticity that may trigger cyclone formation and growth. The advection and growth of LCFEs, originating from the northern and southern GoM, and their interaction with the LC over the LCE detachment area favor shedding conditions and may contribute to the final separation of the LCE

Progress in operational modeling in support of oil spill response

Following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident of a massive blow-out in the Gulf of Mexico, scientists from government, industry, and academia collaborated to advance oil spill modeling and share best practices in model algorithms, parameterizations, and application protocols. This synergy was greatly enhanced by research funded under the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI), a 10-year enterprise that allowed unprecedented collection of observations and data products, novel experiments, and international collaborations that focused on the Gulf of Mexico, but resulted in the generation of scientific findings and tools of broader value. Operational oil spill modeling greatly benefited from research during the GoMRI decade. This paper provides a comprehensive synthesis of the related scientific advances, remaining challenges, and future outlook. Two main modeling components are discussed: Ocean circulation and oil spill models, to provide details on all attributes that contribute to the success and limitations of the integrated oil spill forecasts. These forecasts are discussed in tandem with uncertainty factors and methods to mitigate them. The paper focuses on operational aspects of oil spill modeling and forecasting, including examples of international operational center practices, observational needs, communication protocols, and promising new methodologies

Riemannian metrics and Laplacians for generalized smooth distributions

We show that any generalized smooth distribution on a smooth manifold, possibly of non-constant rank, admits a Riemannian metric. Using such a metric, we attach a Laplace operator to any smooth distribution as such. When the underlying manifold is compact, we show that it is essentially self-adjoint. Viewing this Laplacian in the longitudinal pseudodifferential calculus of the smallest singular foliation which includes the distribution, we prove hypoellipticity. © 2021 World Scientific Publishing Company

On a Malware Targeting Private Telephony Networks during Cyber Conflict

Telecommunication networks have long ago entered the Critical Infrastructure domain. Apart from the public telephony network, there is a parallel private telephony network, consisting of Private Branch Exchanges (PBXs) that serve the communication needs of private or public entities. Their penetration in the market is substantial. As a result, thousands of PBX installations are present in every country serving many times more users in vital infrastructures (including health, safety, security, economy, energy). Therefore, attacking PBXs can have critical effects that disrupt society and can clearly be used in warlike situations. PBXs are an integral part of the critical infrastructure, along with the public telephony network. The contribution of this work focuses on the theoretical and practical capabilities of a malware able to target PBXs. Such an occurrence would have devastating effects on the communication confidentiality, integrity and availability

Influence of frontal cyclone evolution on the 2009 (Ekman) and 2010 (Franklin) Loop Current eddy detachment events

The anticyclonic Loop Current Eddy (LCE) shedding events are strongly associated with the evolution of Loop Current Frontal Eddies (LCFEs) over the eastern Gulf of Mexico (GoM). A numerical simulation, in tandem with in situ measurements and satellite data, was used to investigate the Loop Current (LC) evolution and the surrounding LCFE formation, structure, growth and migration during the Eddy Ekman and Eddy Franklin shedding events in the summers of 2009 and 2010, respectively. During both events, northern GoM LCFEs appeared vertically coherent to at least 1500 m in temperature observations. They propagated towards the base of the LC, where, together with the migration of Campeche Bank (southwest GoM shelf) eddies from south of the LC, contributed to its "necking-down". Growth of Campeche Bank LCFEs involved in Eddy Franklin was partially attributed to Campeche Bank waters following upwelling events. Slope processes associated with such upwelling included offshore exports of high positive potential vorticity that may trigger cyclone formation and growth. The advection and growth of LCFEs, originating from the northern and southern GoM, and their interaction with the LC over the LCE detachment area favor shedding conditions and may contribute to the final separation of the LCE

Influence of frontal cyclones evolution on the 2009 (Ekman) and 2010 (Franklin) Loop Current Eddy detachment events

The anticyclonic Loop Current Eddy (LCE) shedding events are strongly associated with the evolution of Loop Current Frontal Eddies (LCFEs) over the eastern Gulf of Mexico (GoM). A numerical simulation, in tandem with in situ measurements and satellite data, was used to investigate the Loop Current (LC) evolution and the surrounding LCFEs formation, structure, growth and migration during the Eddy Ekman and Eddy Franklin shedding events in the summers of 2009 and 2010, respectively. During both events, Northern GoM LCFEs appeared vertically coherent to at least 1500 m in temperature observations. They propagated towards the base of the LC where, together with the migration of Campeche Bank eddies from south of the LC, contributed to its "necking down". Growth of Campeche Bank LCFEs involved in Eddy Franklin was partially attributed to Campeche Bank waters following upwelling events. Slope processes associated with such upwelling include offshore exports of high positive vorticity that may trigger cyclone formation and growth. The advection and growth of LCFEs, originating from the northern and southern GoM, and their interaction with the LC over the LCE detachment area favor shedding conditions and may lead to the final separation of the LCE

Enabling risk assessment and analysis by event detection in dementia patients using a reconfigurable rule set

Chronic mental illnesses pose a great burden on the lives of citizens worldwide. In modern health-care, decentralization and enabling the self management of patients at home are crucial factors in improving the every-day lives of patients and the people close to them. People in general tend to dislike obtrusive monitoring on their daily activities, so how can we implement a platform that can provide clinicians with adequate and concise information on their patients health status and at the same time be unobtrusive and easy to use. Moreover, how can we make such an unobtrusive system capable of providing the doctor with highimpact warnings on the patient's health status only when it is needed, thus relieving him of unnecessary workload? In this paper, the authors present a reconfigurable Event Detection mechanism used in the ALADDIN platform for Risk Assessment and Analysis

In Situ Measurements of Circulation Features Influencing Cross-Shelf Transport Around Northwest Cuba

We analyzed circulation processes sampled in the Gulf of Mexico in May 2016 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ship Nancy Foster. This data set is one of the first in situ surveys in Cuban waters available to the international community. Along northwest Cuba, these data suggested coastal upwelling and revealed, for the first time, a ~50 km diameter Cuban ANticyclonic (CubAN) eddy and a ~25 km diameter cyclonic eddy, which together advected upwelled waters offshore. The CubAN eddy was associated with downwelling, and the cyclonic eddy with upwelling. At the western tip of Cuba, local currents were predominantly anticyclonic, presumably due to the proximity of the retracted Loop Current, with limited export of coastal waters. Conversely, additional data from two cruises when the Loop Current was extended showed cyclonic circulation within upwelling filaments extending far offshore. These processes are important, as they can potentially entrain marine organism larvae from local reefs into the Loop Current system and to other reef ecosystems of the region. They might also affect the transport of pollutants, as hydrocarbons in case of a spill in Cuban waters. The 2016 cruise took place after the shedding of a Loop Current Ring, which involved an unusually large (~250 km) cyclonic frontal eddy. The eddy signature was observed down to 1,200 m depth, deeper than the Loop Current. A surface drifter revealed a low relative vorticity (0.19 f) inside the eddy. Along its southern edge, filaments exported from the Campeche Bank were associated with high relative chlorophyll a at 3,060 m depth