70925 proudman 06-07 · 4 pol annual report 2006–07 science noisy satellites doris...

2006–07

AnnualReport

w w w. p o l . a c . u k

The Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (POL) is a researchcentre wholly owned by the Natural Environment ResearchCouncil (NERC). Its main areas of research are sea-level andallied science, the physics of the shelf and slope seas,marine observation and modelling systems, and datamanagement in POL-hosted data centres: the BritishOceanographic Data Centre (BODC) and the PermanentService for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL).

Printed by LT Print Group Ltd using vegetable-based inks on paper sourced from responsibly managed forests.

Cover: Recovery of sediment transport and boundary layer equipment (STABLE III) at the mouth of the Dee Estuary.Photo: Chris Balfour.

ISBN: 978-1-85531-237-1

Applies to pages 2–27

P O L A n n u a l R e p o r t 2 0 0 6 – 0 7 1

Director’s introduction 2

Science

On the level? 4

The ever-changing sea 6

Measuring up 8

In the mix 10

Shifting sands 12

The numbers game 14

An eye on the ocean 16

National and international facilities

The National Tidal and Sea Level Facility 18

British Oceanographic Data Centre 20

The Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level 23

Putting science to work

The Applications Team 24

Science and society 26

Finance 28

Commissions 29

Appendices

Publications list 30

Staff list 36

Glossary 37

Contents

2 P O L A n n u a l R e p o r t 2 0 0 6 – 0 7


Director’sintroduction

This report covers a period oftransition. Throughout the year POL,and six other UK marine laboratories,prepared, presented and receivedfunding for their Oceans 2025 scienceproposals. Oceans 2025 is a five-yearNERC marine strategic researchprogramme which started on 1 April2007. The funding that POL won forparticipation in Oceans 2025 allows usto build on our excellent research onthe physics of shelf and coastal seas,sea-level science and datamanagement. It also enables us to startsome exciting new projects. Oneinitiative applies our expertise in thestudy of sea level, circulation and tidesof the coastal and shelf seas of North-western Europe to similar problems inArctic shelf seas. Arguably, there is noother place on the planet that sodramatically signals global warmingthan the Arctic. Here there has been a

rapid year-on-year decline of the areacovered by summer sea ice over thelast decade. What will be the impacton global climate of an Arctic withalmost no summer sea ice?

I am pleased to report the twomarine national facilities hosted byPOL – the Permanent Service forMean Sea Level (PSMSL) and theBritish Oceanographic Data Centre(BODC) – received ringingendorsements from the Oceans 2025reviewers. As a result both will be ableto modestly expand their activities.For PSMSL, the range of sea-level-related data they manage will increase,as will the number of tide gauges,particularly in Africa. BODC will usetheir extra funding to manage thewide range of marine data collected bythe British Antarctic Survey and theSea Mammal Research Unit.

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Setting uppartnerships is akey to progress intackling the ‘bigscience’ questions inmarine science, becausethese questions are all, bytheir nature, interdisciplinary. Forexample, understanding the relativeimportance of the factors thatcontribute to sea-level change anddeveloping a model to predict sea levelat regional scales over decades to acentury is inherently amultidisciplinary problem. So too arethe problems related to the impact ofglobal warming on the sedimenttransport and ecosystems in shelf andcoastal seas – this report updates youon our progress here.NERC researchcentres are uniquely placed within theUK to support long-term monitoringof the environment. For the marineenvironment, long-term recordingprovides a basis for quantifying theimpact of climate change. POL is atthe forefront of this work. Withsupport from the NERC-RAPIDprogramme we are collaborating withthe Bedford Institute ofOceanography. Together, we aredeploying instrumented moorings at43°N on the western North Atlanticshelf and slope to record the

MeridionalOverturning

Circulation(MOC). The

RAPIDprogramme is

exploring the feasibility ofmeasuring the North Atlantic

MOC in real time, with a view togetting prompt warning if its strengthdecreases which may be in response toglobal warming. A reduction in theMOC is likely to cool the climate ofNorth-western Europe.

The POL Liverpool Bay CoastalObservatory (COBS) celebrates fiveyears of continuous operation in 2007,making it one of the longest-functioning operational oceanographysystems in Europe. A dedicatedwebsite displays near real-time dataand fine-resolution model predictionsof currents, waves and tides in theeastern Irish Sea. From this synthesisof information we can begin to learnhow global warming is affecting thiseconomically important region. COBSis an important source of data for theDepartment for Environment, Foodand Rural Affairs (Defra) MarineClimate Change Impact Partnership(MCCIP). Looking a year or twoahead, we expect COBS will provide awide range of data to the Marine

Monitoring Office (MMO) to beestablished by Defra. The MMO willoversee the licensing of UK coastaland shelf seas for a wide range of uses.These include offshore wind power,extraction of hydrocarbons andcreating designated protected marinehabitats. There is no doubt thatoperational oceanography systemssuch as COBS have come of age. Theyplay an ever-increasing role in suchdiverse areas as maritime search andrescue, pollution tracking, marineecosystem management, the design ofoffshore wind- and wave-powerdevices and naval operations.

As ever, I would like to thank you,our stakeholders and members of thepublic for your continued interest andsupport of our work. Over the lastyear, our Information andCommunications Group have takenon the major task of revamping ourwebsite, and a splendid job they havemade of it too. This website offers awindow into the wide range ofstrategic science undertaken at POL. Iwelcome your views about howeffectively the site conveys thisinformation, and indeed, yourfeedback about this report.

Andrew Willmott

1. We have excellence in four distinct areas:sea level science; numerical modelling ofocean margins; science, engineering, andtechnology for in situ ocean observation;marine data management.

2. Prof Andrew Willmott.

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Science

Noisy satellitesDORIS (Détermination d’Orbite etRadiopositionnement Intégrés parSatellite) is a French system ofsatellites and ground-based stationsbuilt in the early 1990s to trackaltimetry satellites. Since then, itsapplications have expanded to include,among others, precise positioning ofthese ground stations. To celebrate 15years of this system, and the recentcreation of the International DORISService, a special issue of the Journalof Geodesy on DORIS wascommissioned. Simon Williams, withPascal Willis at the InstitutGéographique National, took part inthis by analysing 12 years of DORISdata to try to understand the nature ofthe noise in the ground stationposition timeseries. They used sixalternative models in 12 differentcombinations as possible descriptionsof the noise. Simon and Pascal foundthe data set as a whole is bestdescribed as a combination of whitenoise plus flicker noise. The whitenoise depends on site latitude and thenumber of DORIS-equipped satellitesused. The latitude dependence islargest in the east component becauseof the near-polar orbit of the SPOT

(Earth Observation System) satellites.The amount of flicker noise is similarin all three components – [north-south, east-west (horizontal), andvertical (up-down)]. This suggeststhat, with DORIS, we can detectmovement of the ground to 1mm ayear after collecting 12 years of data.This accuracy in the verticalcomponent is similar to that achievedusing data from the more famousGlobal Positioning System (GPS).However, it takes DORIS twice aslong as GPS to reach 1mm-a-yearprecision in the horizontal direction.

Since 1933, the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level at POLhas collected and published sea-level data from aninternational network of tide gauges (page 23). From the1990s, POL and the Institute of Engineering Surveying andSpace Geodesy at the University of Nottingham have beenmeasuring changes in UK land levels. We use this informationto predict the effects of climate change on sea levels.

On the LEVEL?Changes in global and regional sea and land levels

Science

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1. South Atlantic DORIS stations at Ascension, St Helena, Tristan de Cunha, and Rothera.Courtesy of the International DORIS Service.


Volcanoes cool the atmosphere

Monitoring tsunamis

4. A schematic illustrationshowing how data aretransmitted to tsunamiand sea-level centresusing Inmarsat’sBroadband Global AreaNetwork (BGAN).Photographs show: aradar tide gauge, andJeff Pugh connecting theLiverpool radar tidegauge to an InmarsatBGAN transmitter. Theglobe image (CourtesyWorld Wind/NASA EarthObservatory) shows theexisting Indian OceanTsunami Warning Systemstations.

2. Activity at Cleveland Volcano, AleutianIslands, Alaska, 26 May 2006. Courtesy ofthe Image Science & Analysis Laboratory,NASA Johnson Space Center. ISS013-E-24184.JPG (http://eol.nasa.gov).

3. How the sea level changes before andafter a volcanic eruption occurring in year20 of the model run.

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Peter Foden, Simon Holgate and JeffPugh have developed a system thatsends real-time data from tide gaugesalmost anywhere in the world. It willform part of the Indian OceanTsunami Monitoring System of theIntergovernmental OceanographicCommission. This is, in part, a

response to the devastating Sumatratsunami on 26 December 2004. Thesystem links sea-level sensors to a tinyLinux-based computer. This relaysone-minute samples of tide gauge-dataover Inmarsat’s Broadband GlobalArea Network every five minutes. Asecure private link means a delay of

only a couple of seconds betweensending and receiving data. Inaddition, the system enables POL tocommunicate with the tide gaugesover the internet, allowing remoteupgrading and fault-finding – thussaving on costly field visits.

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Miguel Maqueda and SvetlanaJevrejeva created a very simple modelof the atmosphere and the upperocean to study the response of sealevel to atmospheric cooling caused bya large volcanic eruption. Aerosolsemitted during a volcanic eruptionpartly reflect sunlight, thus causingsurface cooling. This cooling has twoimportant effects on sea level. First, as

the upper ocean cools its densityincreases, thus tending to lower sealevels. Second, as the air becomescolder it retains less water vapour. Theexcess water is released onto the ocean,thus tending to raise sea levels.Whether the overall effect of avolcanic eruption will be to increase ordecrease sea level will depend onwhich of these two effects dominates.

In the modelling study, Miguel andSvetlana showed that sea level is likelyto rise in equatorial and tropicalregions, while it is likely to fall at mid-latitudes.



Science To design effective coastal defences, or identify places likelyto flood, we need to predict areas at risk from occasional butunusually high sea levels. Engineers often design coastaldefences to withstand extreme sea levels that occur onlyonce every hundred years on average, when the surge causedby a major storm coincides with a large spring tide. We arefinding out which areas of the UK could be most at risk in thefuture.

The ever-changingSea-level variability and extremes

Storm surges are the response of thesea surface to strong winds and lowatmospheric pressure. They can raisesea level by 2–3m over an area ofhundreds of square kilometres. Stormsurges are an important factor incoastal flooding, and POL scientistsdeveloped the computer models whichare used operationally for coastal floodwarning. These models run four timesa day on supercomputers at the UKMet Office,producingpredictions upto two daysahead. JaneWilliams hasproduced anew version ofthe surgemodel, calledCS3X. Thisextends furthersouth and westthan previousmodels andenables a betterresponse toweatherconditionswest of Ireland.The newmodel also has

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SEA

Science

1 Improving flood warningbetter tidal performance.

The same computer models can beused to investigate the behaviour ofsea level in response to winds in afuture climate. Chris Wilson andKevin Horsburgh are working withscientists at the Hadley Centre forClimate Prediction and Research toestimate extreme sea levels around theUK coastline at the end of thecentury.


Following the Sumatra-Andamanearthquake of 26 December 2004,POL contributed to a Defra-fundedtsunami risk assessment, whichconcluded there is low risk to the UKand northern Europe. Further work byChris Wilson and Kevin Horsburghshows what happens when tsunamismove over wide continental shelves(like the one surrounding northernEurope). Here, seabed features such ascanyons and seamounts can interactwith the waves and form complexintensified patterns. The results arelocally variable wave heights aroundaffected coastlines.

Chris and Kevin examined sixpossible scenarios of tsunamisemanating from the Azores-GibraltarFault Zone. This was the source of theearthquake and resulting tsunami that

Where will tsunamis hit?

If at first you don’t succeed . . .

destroyed thecity of Lisbon on1 November1755. Theyfound that smallchanges in theinitial conditionscan cause thepath of theresultanttsunami to split,withsignificantlydifferentimpacts. Theirresearch showsthat wide continental shelves act like asuit of armour. They protect theneighbouring coastline by reflectingand spreading much of the tsunamienergy before it is intensified locally.

This workhighlights theuncertaintiesthat must beovercomewhen tryingto modeltsunamiimpacts inother parts ofthe worldwhere the riskis greater.

Computer predictions of sea level arenot perfect. Uncertainties are inherentbecause of inaccuracies in the forecastwind strength and the supposed waterdepth, and the real world is far morecomplicated than our mathematicalassumptions. Forecasters and managersexpect some error in predictions, butcan control this by understanding thesize of such errors and thecircumstances in which they occur.One way to quantify the range ofuncertainty is to perform severaldifferent versions of a simulation – aso-called ensemble forecast. Workingwith partners in the Met Office, JaneWilliams, Kevin Horsburgh and ChrisWilson have helped develop a set of24 similar simulations to help predictsurges. The spread of the results fromthe simulations indicates howsuccessful the forecast might be. The

figure above simultaneously shows theaverage surge height and the variationsin the 24 simulations. The surgesimulation system has run

experimentally over the autumn andwinter of 2006 and will becomeoperational after full validation inwinter 2007–08.

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1. Storm at New Brighton, Wirral. Courtesy ofWirral Globe.

2. Cotidal chart from the CS3X numericalmodel.

3. Predicted elevations in the Celtic Sea. Theseresult from a hypothetical tsunamioriginating off the west coast of Portugalcaused by an earthquake of magnitude 8.7 –the same as the 1755 Lisbon tsunami. Thefigure shows the results five hours after theevent.

4. Maximum wave height around the Cornishcoast resulting from the same tsunami asfigure 2.

5. Average surge height in metres (whitecontours) and spread of ensemblepredictions (colours) from the 24 simulations.



Science It is difficult to find out about the ocean beneath its surface,where satellites cannot see and sampling is only occasionallypossible. POL scientists, led by Chris Hughes, are usingcontinuous measurements from carefully chosen sites toimprove our understanding of the deep. POL technologists, ledby Peter Foden, are using novel instruments to make thesemeasurements, and designing new equipment to meetevolving needs.

Continuous ocean measurement methods

The world’s largest ocean current, theAntarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC),flows to the east around Antarctica. Itconnects the major ocean basins, andacts as a barrier, partially insulatingAntarctica from climate change.Recording the strength of this current isimportant as a measure of climatevariability in the Southern Hemisphere.Tide gauges record sea-level signals atthree bases on the Antarctic Peninsula(Rothera, Vernadsky and RadaCovadonga). Philip Woodworth andcolleagues are studying these signalswhich, when corrected for the direct

influence of atmospheric pressure, give agood measure of the strength of theACC. Developments in instrumenttechnology and data transmission willsoon allow near real-time datatransmission from the Rothera andVernadsky tide gauges. This will make itpossible, during the International PolarYear 2007–08, to attain a near real-timemeasure of changes in the strength ofthe ACC and get the earliest possiblewarning of changes in this majorcomponent of the southern hemisphereclimate system.

Antarctica – earlywarning of climate change

Measuring UP

Science

1. RRS Discovery; RapidLander – instrument recovery, and ready for deployment with tripod ballastframe.

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Some studies, based on oceanmeasurements at 26°N, suggest theGulf Stream and the deeper cold returncurrent – collectively known as theNorth Atlantic Meridional OverturningCirculation (MOC) – have slowed inrecent years. But is this just a localvariation, or is it representative of allthe North Atlantic? Chris Hughes isleading a project which hopes toanswer these questions.

Miguel Maqueda, Rory Bingham,Peter Foden, Steve Mack and Jeff Pughhave recently recovered the first datafrom instruments along theUS/Canadian continental slope. Theinstruments are part of the WestAtlantic Variability Experiment(WAVE) array extending up tolatitudes of 43°N. Miguel and his teamrecovered two years of data from eachof eight ocean-bottom pressurerecorders. Preliminary analyses show ahigh degree of correlation among theWAVE measurements. The team alsofound a significant but lowercorrelation with measurements from a

complementary array at 26°N. Thesefindings support model studies whichsuggest that, to monitor the MOC, weneed measurements at positions on theocean’s western boundary north andsouth of the point where the Gulf

Stream leaves the continental slope(about 39°N).

Funding for this project comes fromthe NERC RAPID programme formonitoring and identifying causes ofrapid climate change.

Is the Gulf Stream slowing?

When sea level goes up or down, doesit do so over the whole world? ChrisHughes, with Mike Meredith from theBritish Antarctic Survey, has beenstudying this. Looking at short-termchanges (shorter than a year, butlonger than ten days) the answer isusually ‘no’. Out in the open ocean,effects of eddies (the equivalent ofstorms in the ocean) or meanderingcurrents dominate these rapid changes.Nearer to shore, sea level is morestrongly affected by the local winds.However, at the boundary between theshallow shelf seas and the deeperocean, Chris and Mike found a quitedifferent behaviour. Satellite sea-levelmeasurements show that, in manyregions of the world, sea-level changesare coherent over distances ofthousands of kilometres along theshelf slope. This reflects a limit on theinfluence of deep ocean processes onsea level at the coast.

The sea-level connection

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4. The region in which sea-level variations correlate significantly with the average of sea level alongthe section marked with black spots. The shelf slope region is shown by the 1,000m and 3,000mdepth contours (black lines).

2 Variations in the strength of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. From the top: a model simulation;wind stress over the Southern Ocean; sea level at the south side of Drake Passage (from anoffshore bottom pressure recorder) and from the Vernadsky and Rothera tide gauges.

3. Timeseries of temperature from a WAVE array mooring. Measurements are at the seabed (red) andthen at 100m intervals towards the surface.

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Science We are finding out how shallow continental-shelf seasrespond to effects of climate and human activity such aspollution and increased nutrients. We are researching howthe open ocean affects shelf seas and how shelf seasexchange water and its contents with the ocean.

In the MIXWater movement in shelf seas

Science

The edge of the continental shelf iswhere the shallows of the shelf seaplunge to the abyssal depths of theocean. The sudden change in waterdepth causes internal waves to formalong the thermocline. These waves mixnutrients from deeper water towards thesurface. Plankton grow here because ofthis nutrient supply; the plankton thenprovide food for fish; and this leads tomuch fishing-boat activity at the shelfedge. Jonathan Sharples, with colleaguesfrom the Universities of Bangor,Southampton and Essex, undertook aresearch cruise at the shelf edge of theCeltic Sea to study this mixing. Theyfound that plankton depend on changesin mixing over the fortnightly springand neap tides. Strong mixing duringspring tides supplies nutrients to thesurface water. Weaker mixing at neaptides allows the plankton to absorb thenutrients and grow in the sunlight nearthe sea surface. This fortnightly pulsingof plankton growth is important in our

understanding of the biologicalproductivity of shelf-edge regions andthe fish that they support.

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Life on the edge

P O L A n n u a l R e p o r t 2 0 0 6 – 0 7 1 1

2. Model results showing how two seabedbumps cause internal waves. The sharperseabed bump produces more internalwaves on the isotherms (coloured lines).

3. Sea surface temperature measured bysatellite in September 2005. The arrowshows the path of the North AtlanticWater. The circle is the position at whichthe data was collected from the researchship.

4. The region in which sea-level variationscorrelate significantly with the average ofsea level along the section marked withblack spots. The shelf slope region isshown by the 1,000m and 3,000m depthcontours (black lines).

Internal waves travel along thethermocline that separates the warmsurface ocean from the deeper water.They are important because they mixheat, nutrients, and plankton betweenthe deep water and the surface layer.Short, high-frequency waves are muchbetter at mixing than longer, low-frequency waves. Jiuxing Xing andAlan Davies have been using a high-resolution numerical model to studyhow these internal waves are producedas tidal currents flow over differentshapes of sills and banks on the seabed.They found that steep banks producemore short internal waves justdownstream of the bank. This is likelyto be important for localised mixing.They are now using the model to studyhow and where mixing takes place overbanks such as those found in the Celtic

Modelling mixing over seabed bumps

Sea. Their results will be used to planexperiments for a major research cruisein summer 2008.

The Faroe-Shetland Channel is animportant passageway for the exchangeof water between the North Atlanticand Arctic Oceans. A permanentthermocline dominates the temperaturein the Channel. It separates warmNorth Atlantic water, flowingnorthward against the continentalslope, from deeper waters flowingsouthward from the Arctic Ocean and

Measuring ocean mixingNorwegian Sea.Turbulent mixingthrough thethermocline altersthe temperatureand saltiness ofthese waters, whichcan then affectocean circulation.When turbulenceoccurs, small eddiesraise parcels ofdense water so theylie above less densewater. Higher-density watersitting on top oflower-density water

creates instability. One method ofcalculating the rate of mixing is tomeasure the size of these densityinstabilities; the larger the instability thegreater the rate of mixing. Rob Hall hasbeen analysing 25 vertical temperatureand salinity profiles collected in theChannel from the research ship F. S.Poseidon during September 2005. Hefound that in the thermocline, the rate

of mixing was over ten times greaterthan the background mixing in theopen ocean. This strong mixing may bedriven by internal waves created ascurrents flow over the continental slopeor over the nearby Wyville-ThompsonRidge (a seabed feature).

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1 Top: a satellite image of sea-surface chlorophyll (showing density of phytoplankton), taken duringthe 2005 research cruise. A clear band of chlorophyll lies along the shelf edge (black lines). Bottom: a vertical slice of the chlorophyll measured from the research ship while sailing along thecourse marked by the white line in the satellite image.

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Science



Increasingly, for economic, environmental and aestheticreasons, managers and engineers are choosing to let ourcoastlines evolve naturally. To do this effectively, we have tobe able to predict future changes to the coastline.

Shifting SANDSProtecting our coastline

Predicting sediment movement around our coasts

A series of breakwaters runs parallel tothe shore off the beach at Sea Palling inEast Anglia. They are a coastal defencethat protects the local beach. They helpto prevent coastal floods like thedevastating east-coast floods of 1953that killed 307 people – seven from SeaPalling. Judith Wolf and Peter Thorneled a team in a broad-based study of thearea, using some of the most up-to-datetypes of instrument for recordingsediment movement. During three fieldcampaigns totalling 18 weeks theycollected a comprehensive data set. Thisincludes X-band radar to map the wavefield and seabed changes; wave

Science

measurements from seabed landers andmeasurements of current flow, sedimenttransport and seabed ripples. We arenow using these datasets to help usunderstand and predict how shore-parallel breakwaters perform and howthey protect our coastline.

This is part of a study, funded by theEngineering and Physical SciencesResearch Council (EPSRC) and led byDr Shunqi Pan of the University ofPlymouth, which also includescollaboration with University of EastAnglia. For more information see:http://pcwww.liv.ac.uk/civilCRG/leacoast2/. See also page 21.

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In a recent study measuring sediments,Pete Thorne worked with US scientistsYogi Agrawal, Sequoia Scientific Incand David Cacchione, Coastal andMarine Environments. By combininglight and sound they measuredsediments moving just above theseabed off the California coast at SantaCruz. Using a laser they recordedsuspended sediment concentrations.At the same time they also measuredsuspended sediment with an acoustictechnique using sound. Theycompared the optical and acousticalmeasurements. The results (seepublications list, page 33) show thatcombining these two technologiesproduces overlapping andcomplementary sets of data, so

increasing our confidence in themeasurements and extending therange of observations we can make.

Sediments in estuariesThe coastal and sediment team, headedby Alex Souza, now has a basicunderstanding of suspended sedimentprocesses in the Dee Estuary. Thesuspended sediments in the estuary are aresult of a fine balance betweenadvection, sediment aggregation, andresuspension. The fresh water that comesfrom the River Dee has a lowconcentration of sediments. Thesediments that are present are in largeaggregates. At POL’s mooring location,sediment is most highly concentrated atthe time the fresh water arrives,suggesting that strong convection occursin the fresh-water front, allowing thesediment to cover the entire watercolumn. The process occurs four times aday because of resuspension by thestrongest tidal rrents (flood and ebb –each twice daily).

Sounding outsedimentmovementSeven days a week, 24 hours aday, tides and currents carrysediments around the world’scoastlines, continuouslychanging the boundary betweenland and sea. At POL we usesound to study this process ofsediment transport, probing thefundamental mechanisms ofsediment movement. To usesound for these studies we mustunderstand how it interacts withsuspensions of marinesediments. Pete Thorne, withRamazan Meral fromKahramanmaras Sütçü ImamUniversity, Turkey, has worked onthis. They have collected andanalysed all the published data –from the past 40 years – onscattering of sound by sandysediments. They aim to establishuniversal rules for the acousticscattering properties of thesesediments. These expressionsshould help everyone usingacoustics to study sedimenttransport processes and so tobetter interpret backscatter datacollected over sandy beds.

1. Aerial photograph of the breakwaters atSea Palling, East Anglia.

2. David Cacchione prepares the opticalinstruments at Santa Cruz, California.

3. Deployment of optical instruments at SantaCruz.

4. Distribution of sediment concentration andsalinity through the water column in theDee Estuary. The top and bottom panelsshow fine and coarse sediment distribution.Blue is low concentration and red is high.The middle panel shows salinity: fresherwater is blue, and saltier, red.

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Sound and light

Science



Computer modelling is a core activity in developing modelsfor use in coastal seas and neighbouring oceans, and forincreasingly multi-disciplinary use. POLCOMS (ProudmanOceanographic Laboratory Coastal-Ocean Modelling System)continues to be the framework under which we developthese models. New advances keep this system at theforefront of European modelling.

NUMBERS gameAdvanced numerical modelling

1. UK west coast mean autumn circulation from the POLCOMS High Resolution Continental ShelfModel.

2. POLCOMS covers the entire north-west European continental shelf and the open ocean as faras Iceland.

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Science

The

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Norway

Computer models such as thePOL Coastal-Ocean ModellingSystem (POLCOMS)incorporate much of ourunderstanding of the physics ofthe sea. POLCOMS takes theconditions in the sea at oneinstant and the externalfactors that affect it, such asair temperature and winds,and steps them forward ashort time to show how thesea conditions aredeveloping. Theconditions may includecurrents, tides,temperature andsalinity. As the modelrepeats this process webuild up a picture of the changingstate of the seas, which may rangefrom days (showing the tides), to years(showing heating and cooling with theseasons), to decades (showing climate

Step by step

change). Alongside physical propertieswe also study biological and chemicalproperties, including suspended mudand sand.


In a continuing effort to betterunderstand storm surges around theUK, Eric Jones applied the TELEMACmodel to the seas west of Great Britain.This model can focus down to finescales using an unstructured grid madeof varying sizes of triangles, rather thanthe regular rectangular grid commonlyused. Eric simulated several events,from simple tides to wind effects to fullrealistic surges – such as in LiverpoolBay in 1977. He examined the resultscompared with existing rectangulargrid simulations and otherunstructured grid models. They showthe advantages of this unstructured gridin providing fine near-coastal detail.

As a new development, Eric extendedthe unstructured grid – at fineresolution of about 120m – to includethe River Mersey up to its tidal limit.He performed the first fully realisticsurge simulation for the UK west coastto include surge motion within a river.With the unstructured grid, externalboundary conditions of tide and surge

To study recent climate change,Graham Tattersall used POLCOMSdata to examine temperature andsalinity changes in the north-westEuropean shelf seas from 1960 to1999. By using long timeseriesobservations and databases ofmeasurements, he built up a picture ofhow our seas are changing. The modelresults show an average warming of0.1ºC over a decade in UK coastalwaters with a more pronouncedincrease of up to 0.5ºC a decade inthe southern North Sea [figure 4]. Themodel comparison [figure 5] showshow well POLCOMS performs

against measurements from theInternational Council for theExploration of the Sea (ICES). Greenareas show that POLCOMSreproduces the observed temperatureto within 0.5ºC. The model performsless well in the central North Seawhere its estimates are too warm; inthe north-eastern Atlantic they are toocold. We are now using POLCOMSto find out if (i) the measured changesare because of a change in thetemperature and salinity of theAtlantic Ocean or if (ii) changes in airtemperature, wind, cloud cover,rainfall and river flow are responsible.

are applied near the shelf edge, ratherthan at the river mouth. The resultsshow that an accurate representation ofthe seabed – as given by anunstructured grid – is important forthe correct simulation of a storm surge.

3. River Mersey unstructured grid modelsurge heights (in metres), for the LiverpoolBay storm surge of 11–12 November 1977.

4. POLCOMS average surface temperaturechange in ºC a decade over the last 40years.

5. Difference between POLCOMS modelledand ICES recorded surface temperaturechange.

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Up-river surge modelling

Our changing seas

3Swirling

seasThe POLCOMS High ResolutionContinental Shelf Model is themodel with the finest resolutionso far to simulate the circulation,temperature and salinity of thenorth European continental shelf.It has the resolution (about onenautical mile) to include small-scale density-driven features,and coverage to include large-scale circulation across the shelf.Using HPCx’s national computerfacility, Jason Holt ran the modelto simulate the seasonal cycle of2001. With a series ofexperiments he separated themodel currents into componentsdriven by winds, by changes indensity and by the North Atlantic(including tides). It was thoughtthe winds dominated the long-term circulation for most of theyear. However, the results showhow important the densitycirculation is for a much greaterpart of the year and over a widerarea than expected. The reason?The density currents are small,but, like the net tidal transport,they always act in the samedirection. The winds, on the otherhand, drive stronger currents butare much more variable indirection. These results areimportant for our understandingof how nutrients, pollutants, anddissolved carbon are carried inthe shelf seas; theirconsequences for the approachto managing the marineenvironment as an ecosystem;and the role of shelf seas in thecarbon cycle.

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Science



Our Coastal Observatory – in the Liverpool Bay area of theIrish Sea – is set up to investigate the environment of atypical coastal sea. We are developing and testing ourcombined new system that gathers, forecasts and displaysmeasurements in real time.

An eye on theOCEANThe Coastal Observatory

The Liverpool BayCoastal Observatoryconsists ofmeasurements,numerical modellingand a web display.The mainmeasurementelements are:readings taken at themooring sites atregular intervals;instrumented ferry;shore-based high-frequency radar forsurface currents,waves and winds;and spatial surveys ofwater columnproperties nine timesa year. Most of thedata are collected innear real-time anddisplayed on thewebsite. Measurements, now fundedto at least March 2012, began inAugust 2002. A modest expansion isplanned over the next few years – athird mooring site in the western Irish

Science

enquiries to [email protected] or visit: http://coastobs.pol.ac.uk

Sea, an underwater glider and moreinstrumented ferries.

This year we present thedistributions of temperature, salinityand average currents in Liverpool Bay.

1. Water depths (below mean tide level) in Liverpool Bay, and the 34 stations (crosses) wheretemperature and salinity are measured.

2. Average near-bed salinity, August 2002–March 2007.

3. Amplitude of the seasonal cycle for depth-averaged temperature (ºC), August 2002–March 2007.

4. Mean currents at six heights above the seabed. Site A, 7 August 2002–14 April 2007, at the MerseyBar; and site B, 5 April 2005–14 February 2007, to the west.

Collecting measurements1


The maximum recorded current in thewater column is 1.2ms-1 (1.2 metres asecond) and at the surface is 1.9ms-1.Tidal currents predominate and aremainly east-west (to and fro). Currentsassociated with storms are muchweaker. However, over several days orlonger the even weaker average currentsare relevant to the overall movement ofwater or objects.

Sites A and B [fig 4] record consistentpatterns and similar magnitudes monthin month out. These showapproximately southward andshoreward water movement near thebed and northward movement near the

We have been measuring temperatureand salinity throughout the watercolumn in Liverpool Bay on a five-nautical mile grid of 34 stations [fig 1]from the RV Prince Madog. So far, wehave made 42 sets of measurements atintervals of four to eight weeks, fromAugust 2002 to March 2007. The datareturn (83%) is high for continualmeasurements made throughout theyear. The sole cause of missing data isbad weather. Average values, seasonalcycle and variable amounts ofstratification are estimated from themeasurements. Both the averagesalinity near to the seabed [fig 2], andthe range of the temperature variationover the year [fig 3], correlatesignificantly with the water depth.Seasonal cycles dominate thetemperature record, accounting for95–98% of the total variance. These

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cycles are less significant for the salinityrecord and more variable spatially, witha maximum range variation of 1.2, andaccounts for 0–57% of the variance atany site. The maximum recorded watertemperature was 20.7ºC and theminimum 4.9ºC.

The annual mean air temperature inthe north-west of England for 2002–06was 1.1–1.4ºC warmer than theaverage for 1961–90. This is mirroredby the sea surface temperature at theMersey Bar – near the mouth of theMersey – being 1.1ºC warmercompared with the mean for 1935–61.Rainfall for the period 2002–06 wasaverage. Similarly, the sea-surfacesalinity at the Mersey Bar is average.The salinity here correlates best withriver flows averaged over the previousweek to fortnight.

Different kinds of currentssurface. At the Mersey Bar (A) thisseparation is well defined. At thewesterly site (B) the change in directionwith height above the bed is moregradual. The average near-bed currentat the Mersey Bar site is 0.04ms-1. Thissuggests that if the speed and directionwere the same everywhere – a hugeassumption – water near the bed wouldtake an average of about ten days tomove from the Mersey Bar site to thenorth Wirral shore. The surface currentmeasured by radar shows a reasonablyuniform north-north-eastwardmovement, slightly stronger than at thetwo moored sites [fig 5].

Measuringcurrents

We are measuring currents at twosites in Liverpool Bay from threemetres above the bed to two metresbelow the surface, in one-metreslices [fig 4].The first site, started in August 2002,has a data return of 90% (losseswere because of cable failures). Thesecond, started in April 2005, has100% data return. A reliabletelemetry link now operates fromthe second site. This relays currentmeasurements using an underwateracoustic modem and Orbcommsatellite link displaying them in nearreal-time on the website. In additionwe are measuring surface currentsin a grid of 103 four-km square cells,using a shore-based high-frequency(HF) radar system with sites atFormby Point and Llanddulas [fig 5].These measurements started inAugust 2005, display in near real-time on the website and have anaverage data return of 90%.

5. Average surface currents in Liverpool Bay,1 August 2005–28 March 2007. The radarsites are shown with a red star.

Seasonal cycle

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measuring vertical landmovement.

The accuracy and stabilityof our measurements areessential for scientificresearch into long-termchanges in mean sea levelresulting from globalwarming. We supply tidalpredictions, and extreme sea-level estimates, to severalagencies and local authoritiesfor coastal defence and floodwarning purposes.

We assess and develop newtechnologies for sea-levelmeasurement and datatransmission. Often, sea-leveldata delivery is by satellitecommunication. Here ourengineers have made majoradvances in the telemetry ofoceanographic data. Our webpages provide real-timedisplays of UK sea levels, and

measurements from the South Atlanticand Gibraltar. We also keep a nationalarchive of quality controlled tide-gaugeand model data.

NTSLF manages tide-gauge networksthat record sea level for the UK, SouthAtlantic, British Overseas Territories,and a gauge at Gibraltar. We alsomanage a geodetic network for



National andinternational

facilities

1. Stena Line Seacat ferry approaches the tide gauge at Holyhead; specialist contractors replacepipework at Hinkley Point; tide-gauge hut at Vernadsky; and radar tide gauge at Port Stanley.

2. The UK tide-gauge network. UK image courtesy World Wind/NASA Earth Observatory.

The National Tidal and Sea Level Facility (NTSLF) is the UKcentre of excellence for all scientific matters relating to tides,sea-level monitoring, storm surges and coastal floodforecasting.

TheNational TidalandSea Level Facility

Activities of the NTSLF1

www.pol.ac.uk/ntslf

2


Tide Gauge Inspectorate staff – DaveSmith, Les Bradley and DarrynGaudie – continued their programmeof refurbishment, maintenance andrepair. Visiting all 44 sites of theNational Tide Gauge Network, they

UK tide-gauge network

Sampling for tsunamis

The Southern Ocean is an importantpart of the global ocean circulation,and sea level around the Antarctic is ofparticular significance to estimates offuture sea-level rise. Strategic NTSLFsites in this region represent the UK’scontribution to the Global Sea Level

Observing System – a majorinternational research initiative. DuringDecember 2006, Geoff Hargreaves andSteve Mack, from POL’s OceanEngineering and Technology Group,carried out a series of upgrades to theSouth Atlantic gauges, including:

• a replacement satellitecommunications unit at PortStanley

• servicing the tide-gauge system atRothera

• servicing the tide-gauge system andupgrading software at Vernadsky.

The British Antarctic Survey surveyedKing Edward Point, South Georgia, inpreparation for a new POL tide-gaugeinstallation planned for December2007.

completed geodeticlevelling at 14. AtHinkley Point,maintenance includedremoving, cleaningand replacing theunderwater measuringsystem attached to thenuclear power station’swater intake tower.Complete

refurbishment at Leith includedreplacing the wooden tide-gaugebuilding with a fibre-reinforced plasticone. A new system, consisting of twofull-tide and one mid-tide sensor,replaces the float gauge chart recorder.

At Newport, collapsing fenderingdestroyed the measuring system. Atemporary system – installed in thetide-gauge stilling well – ran duringthe design and making of areplacement. The replacement is nowup and running.

We are continuing to develop a datacollection system to link with allexisting network sensors and the newradar sensor. Improvements to sitecommunications are progressing, usinga mobile phone network andbroadband.

Following the Sumatra-Andamanearthquake of 26 December 2004 andthe resultant tsunami, POL helped theDepartment for Environment, Foodand Rural Affairs (Defra) in a risk-assessment study. Onerecommendation was a two-yearresearch programme into tsunamidetection and monitoring equipment.Les Bradley, of POL’s Tide GaugeInspectorate, has developed the newinstrument. Installed at Holyhead byPOL’s diving team – Les, Ray Cramerand John Mackinnon – it is nowbeing tested. The rapid-samplingpressure-measuring system providesten readings a second – enough to see

any tsunami wave. Data relays to theinternet in real time using a mobilephone network. Installation atLerwick will be later this year; atNewlyn and Cromer in 2008. These

four sites will point the way for afeasible tsunami warning system. Therapid sampling will also improve theway coastal warning systems recordswell waves and storm surges.

South Atlantic network

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5. Vernadsky Base. The tide-gauge hut is atthe bottom centre of the picture.

3. Hinkley Point water intake tower andnuclear power station.

4. Rapid sampling signal from Holyheadshowing the passage of a Seacat ferry.

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facilities

The British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) is a nationalfacility for storing and distributing data concerning the marineenvironment. We are part of the IntergovernmentalOceanographic Commission’s network of data centres. Thecentre provides a resource for science, education and industry,as well as for the wider public.

The UK Government andDevolved Administrationscommit themselves to havingclean, safe, healthy, biologicallydiverse and productive seas. Toassess the state of the seas,more than 80 marine stationsare monitored annually.Measuring contaminants inwaters, sediments and biotahelps assess their distributionand fate in the environment.Measuring biological effectsshows the response oforganisms to contaminants,while benthicmicroinvertebrate samples givean overall indication ofenvironmental health.

Working with the Clean andSafe Seas Evidence Group aspart of the UK MarineMonitoring and Assessment Strategy,BODC manage the database – knownas MERMAN – that contains themonitoring data. These data are widelyavailable, are transferred yearly to theInternational Council for theExploration of the Sea, and are used for

Cleanand safe seas

TheBritishOceanographicData Centre

www.bodc.ac.uk

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national and international assessmentsof the health of our seas. For furtherinformation seewww.bodc.ac.uk/projects/uk/mermanandwww.defra.gov.uk/environment/water/marine/uk/science/merman.htm.

1. A section of the Eastern Atlantic Ocean from the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans(GEBCO) Digital Atlas (www.bodc.ac.uk/projects/international/gebco/).

Making information and knowledgeavailable to the marine community is akey element of BODC’s role. We havepioneered a proactive approach tomanaging complex multi-disciplinaryoceanographic data. Rather than juststoring information, our staff collect,calibrate, compile and check thequality of data, from major researchprogrammes to individual samplingstations. Much of the data has beenpaid for by public funds. BODC storesthe information securely and promotesits continued use.In 2006–07, BODC:• handled 79,861 enquiries• received 591 sets of data from 60

organisations in 23 countries• published the National Tidal


Working for the marine communityand Sea Level Facility annualreport for 2005(www.pol.ac.uk/ntslf/reports.html)

• published the DISCO projectCD-ROM. DISCO was amultidisciplinary study of thebiogeochemical cycling ofdimethyl sulphide within acoccolithophorid bloom in thenorthern North Sea duringsummer 1999

• launched a new web serviceproviding access to all data oncurrents (6,102 series from 55organisations) held in ourNational Oceanographic

Database (NODB)(www.bodc.ac.uk/data/online_request/current_meters)

• provided a new facility to enableonline requests to more than50,000 data series held in theNODB (www.bodc.ac.uk/data/online_request/nodb)

• launched the NERC DataGridvocabulary web service explainingstandard terminology foroceanographic metadata(www.bodc.ac.uk/products/web_services/vocab/index.html).

We answered enquiries fromorganisations and private individualsengaged in leading-edge science,students working on research projects

in universities and schools, offshoreindustry impact studies, and wealthcreation, as well as requests forinformation to help central and localgovernment meet statutoryresponsibilities.

Coastal communities are atincreasing risk from the effectof climate change. Extensivecoastal engineering protectskey parts of eastern England.Management plans requireunderstanding of how theseman-made structures shape theseabed and shoreline.

LEACOAST2, funded bythe Engineering and PhysicalSciences Research Council,focuses on Sea Palling,Norfolk, home to the UK’slargest scheme of artificialoffshore reefs (see page 12).BODC provide the datamanagement support that ensures datacan be safely stored for long-term use.We are directly involved with projectscientists; helping with the working

5. Stations around the UK coastline whichare sampled annually to assess the stateof the seas. Courtesy of Defra.

3. A section of the National OceanographicDatabase interactive map showing dataseries availability.

4. Instrument recovery at Sea Palling,Norfolk – part of the LEACOAST2 project.

Our changing coast

BODC supports Oceans 2025,a new research programmefunded by the NaturalEnvironment Research Council(www.oceans2025.org). Theprogramme addresses, at anational scale, the challenges ofa changing marineenvironment. This coordinatedapproach from seven marinecentres, with cooperation andinput from other governmentagencies and departments, willimprove our knowledge of howthe seas behave, how they arechanging, and what that mightmean for our oceans and forsociety.

Marine data are expensive tocollect – careful stewardship isneeded to get the benefits ofthat investment forenvironmental science andevidence-based policy in achanging world. The Oceans2025 programme also supportsour remit to provide high-quality oceanographic datamanagement services nationallyand internationally.

up, calibration and quality control ofthe data; compiling the datadocumentation; and assembling theproject database for use within andbeyond the project.

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facilitiesAs a national facility, BODC hosts eight websites, in keeping with our goal ofpromoting the wider use of data and information for the national benefit:

The Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS) – aninternational programme providing a high-quality global andregional sea-level network for application to climate,oceanographic and coastal sea level research. See www.gloss-sealevel.org.

A transatlantic oceanographic section at 36°N – helping tounderstand recent major changes in the temperature of theAtlantic. See www.bodc.ac.uk/36n.

The SOLAS Project Integration – bringing together results fromthe international Surface Ocean – Lower Atmosphere Study(SOLAS) and producing data products, largely to makequantitative estimates of air-sea fluxes of gases and particles. See www.bodc.ac.uk/solas_integration.

The RAPID Meridional Overturning Circulation monitoringarray – providing access to real-time data from instrumentsdeployed to measure the Atlantic Meridional OverturningCirculation. See page nine and www.bodc.ac.uk/rapidmoc/.

The Marine Environmental Data Action Group (MEDAG) –providing access to marine data and information on behalf ofthe Inter-Agency Committee on Marine Science andTechnology (IACMST). See www.oceannet.org/medag.

The Marine Data and Information Partnership (MDIP) – a UKpartnership of public and private sector organisations workingto provide harmonised stewardship and access to marine dataand information. See www.oceannet.org/mdip/.

The UK Global Ocean Observing System (UKGOOS) – whosemain focus is operational oceanography and forecasting. See www.oceannet.org/goosag.

The Ocean Margin EXchange (OMEX) project – a formerEuropean research project studying and quantifying theexchange processes of carbon and associated elements betweenthe continental shelf of western Europe and the open AtlanticOcean. See www.bodc.ac.uk/omex/.

Planning aheadPOGO – the Partnership forObservation of the Global Oceans –are leading an initiative to provide theinternational community withinformation on forthcoming oceanresearch cruises for ships over 60mlong. See www.pogo-oceancruises.org/.

In line with our role as a nationaldata centre, we are hosting thedatabase. This complements ourcatalogue of UK research vesselactivities, containing 8,015 entriesfrom 677 individual ships, datingfrom 1948 to the present-day.

See www.bodc.ac.uk/data/information_and_inventories/cruise_inventory.

This supplements internationalactivities such as SeaDataNet(www.seadatanet.org), a pan-Europeanproject to provide an infrastructure fordistributing marine information,including information on researchcruises.

National support

ThePermanent Service forMean Sea Level


PSMSL has funding – approved aspart of the NERC Oceans2025programme – for 2007–12. Thefunding is based on the proposal ofcombining, as far as possible, themean sea level (MSL) and higherfrequency delayed mode sea-level data-banking activities] at POL andBODC. This will deliver major

benefits in complementary areas ofwork, such as the difficult issue oforganising metadata. The newarrangements start in April 2007.

Meanwhile PSMSL received almost2,000 station-years of MSL data in2006, reflecting improved levels ofcommunication with data suppliers.

www.pol.ac.uk/psmsl

2

Workshops and reports

PSMSL co-organised a majorWorld Climate ResearchProgramme Workshop in Paris inJune. The workshop –Understanding Sea-Level Rise andVariability – will have itspresentations published as a book.We also edited a special volume ofthe Philosophical Transactions ofthe Royal Society. Published in2006, it is based on presentationsfrom a UK Sea-Level Sciencemeeting at the Royal Society in2004. The Intergovernmental Panelon Climate Change 4th AssessmentReport, published in early 2007, hasmajor contributions from PSMSL.

African gaugesPSMSL has made a commitment tothe IntergovernmentalOceanographic Commission (IOC)on the design, purchase andtesting of new tide gauges forAfrica and the NW Indian Ocean.This includes providing associatedsoftware packages and training.This year new gauges wereinstalled in Mauritania, Ghana,Djibouti and Karachi, and plans forseveral others in 2007. Local teamsand IOC consultants workedclosely with PSMSL and POL staffon the installation.

1. Global sea-level trends. The upper curve isthe calculated sea-level time-series; thelower curve shows the ‘non-linear trends’in the series (the rate of sea-levelchange). Grey bands show uncertaintyranges.

2. African and POL sea-level specialists inOstende.

Sea-level trends

International training

Svetlana Jevrejeva and Simon Holgatefrom PSMSL, with Aslak Grinstedand John Moore from the Universityof Finland, made an important studyof global sea-level variations. Theycombined 1,023 individual tide-gaugerecords from around the world using a

novel ‘virtual station’ method. Thisuses short and medium-length records(tens of years) as well as the few longones (around a century). Theiranalysis shows a high rate of globalsea-level rise (2.5mm a year) occurredin 1920–45. This compares with therate of rise in the 1990s, as seen latelyin tide-gauge and in altimeter data.Data are available from the PSMSLAuthor Archive atwww.pol.ac.uk/psmsl/author_archive/jevrejeva_etal_gsl/.

In November 2006, PSMSL organiseda two-week training course for 20 sea-level specialists from Africa. This tookplace at the IOC facility in Ostende,Belgium. In 2006, we also providedshort training courses at POL. Thesewere for a technical specialist fromPakistan and two IOC consultants.

PSMSL organisation and data

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Puttingscienceto work

Our Applications Team are at the front line for dealing with allenquiries to POL, from large commercial companies through tomembers of the public. A wide range of products and serviceswill help you get the most from our science.

The ApplicationsTeam

Questions and answers

Tracking seals

We have a large regular customer basefrom many areas of the private andpublic sectors. We also serve the wholeof POL by dealing with most generalenquiries. These include those directedto the National Tidal and Sea LevelFacility. We have received some veryunusual questions, a few of which arelisted below:• Is there a correlation between the

time of earthquakes and the timeof full and new moon?

• Can you provide me with tidalpredictions for the Jurassic andCretaceous period?

• If the air becomes so polluted as tonot be able to sustain life, wouldhumans ever be able to live in anunderwater environment?

• I have a tide table for 1975 …when is the next year that the tidesare the same so I know not to go

www.pol.ac.uk/appl

1out and buy another oneunnecessarily?

• The Moon is moving further awayfrom Earth each year.How far would themoon need tomove to effect apermanentchange in thetides?

• What is the smallestbody of water thatcould show tidal behaviour – coulda large lake show tides?

• How much will the close passingof Mars next month affect thetides?

We replied to all of these questionsbut the answers are too long toinclude here. For answers to morefrequently asked questions seewww.pol.ac.uk/q_and_a/.

The Natural Environment ResearchCouncil’s Sea Mammal ResearchUnit (SMRU) has made majoradvances in marine mammal datatelemetry. They tagged andsuccessfully tracked a group of sealswhose movements appear to beinfluenced by the tide. To help himfind out if this is so, we providedtidal data to Bernie McConnel atSMRU.

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1. The Applications Team has a largecustomer base.

2. Journeys made by an individual greyseal over a period of 171 days betweenMay and November 2005.

3. Moon image, courtesy WorldWind/NASA Earth Observatory.


StatisticsIn 2006–07 the Applications Team:● answered over 4,000 enquiries● issued 31 licences for offshore

data● continued to support over 350

users of our software

Collaboration

POLPRED for Windows is a user-friendly program with a powerful, yetsimple-to-use graphical Windowsinterface. POLPRED allows the userto calculate offshore tidal levels andcurrents, and view them in a widevariety of formats such as timeseriesgraphs, contour and vector maps, andscatter plots.

Many offshore contractors usePOLPRED for planning and foroperational activities. It is a cost-effective way to plan offshore workand anticipate potential problemsarising from tidal movement.

Sitting behindthe POLPREDfront-end is ahydrodynamicscomputationengine and oneor more of POL’soffshore models.These range fromthe 35km NorthEast Atlanticmodel through tohigh resolutionmodels of theEastern Irish Seaand EnglishChannel. Ournewest CS20model isinvaluable formarineoperationsneeding accuratenear-shorecurrents.POLPRED’sfeatures include:

• numerical listings of timeseries andstatistics

• timeseries plots of tidal levels andcurrents

• maps showing tidal levels, currentsand statistics

• an option to incorporate users’own data layers (such as oil and gasconcession areas, locations of rigs)

• scatter plots and frequencydistributions

• current ellipses• multiple particle tracking with

diffusion• tidal diamond output in places

offshore • comparison with observed data

from the British OceanographicData Centre

• a new ‘Set & Go’ function. Thisallows the use of POLPRED in‘batch-mode’, reducing the timeneeded to make large numbers oftimeseries calculations.

For users wanting more traditionaltide tables, our POLTIPS•3 coastaltidal prediction software is popular.POLTIPS•3 is one of the leading tidalprediction packages available. It hascustom tide-table formatting, tidestatistics, equal interval predictionsand tide graphs for 600 UK locations.

Software developers are also able tomake use of our modelling skills byincorporating our HydrodynamicsDLL directly into their software –giving them access to our expertisewithout having to understand themaths behind it.

Most of our work is funded by theprivate sector through requests forconsultancy or added-value dataproducts. We also work in closecollaboration with some othergroups. We are ‘associate members’of the National Tidal and Sea LevelFacility. We work closely with themon issues relating to the harmonicanalysis and mean sea-level analysisof UK National Tide GaugeNetwork data. We have expertise in

developing software and producingadded-value products. This hasallowed us to contribute to theNational Centre for OceanForecasting, of which POL is amember institute. We have produceda Risk Assessments CD for POL’sOcean Engineering and TechnologyGroup and produced POL’s QualityAssurance document. This outlinesPOL’s commitment to qualitycontrol within its research activities.

A ‘window’ on the tides




1. Coastal Observatory delegates at POL and on the beach near Formby, coastal erosion and a redsquirrel at Formby.

2. Eleanor Howlett with Betty Williams MP. Photo: Frank Dumbleton/SET for Britain.

Eleanor Howlett, John Kennyand Graham Tattersallpresented posters at the NinthGreat British Research andR&D Show, held at the Housesof Parliament in March. Thisannual event is a showcase forBritain’s top 250 early-careerengineers, scientists andtechnologists. It gives them theopportunity to present theirwork in Parliament and discusstheir research with MPs.Eleanor’s poster, ‘Fresh Water inLiverpool Bay’, and Graham’s ‘ArcticShelf Seas: Are we getting the fullpicture?’ were well received. And so wasJohn’s ‘Armchair Oceanography’. Allthree posters created much discussion.

The reception, arranged by Dr EricWharton of SET for BRITAIN, washosted by Dr Brian Iddon MP – a long-standing member of the Commons’Science and Technology Committee.

House of Commons reception

Coastal Observatory workshop

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Scienceand Society

John Howarth and Roger Proctor heldthe first of a series of threeinternational workshops on CoastalObservatories in October. The three-

day workshop enabled the exchange ofideas and experiences between coastalobservatories worldwide. Speakerscame from Canada, Cyprus, Greece,Japan, Spain, the US and the UK. Fora breath of fresh air, John and Rogertook our international visitors up thecoast to Formby Point, one of our HFradar sites. Here they were able to seebeach erosion and build up, and redsquirrels at the National Trust naturereserve.


Our scienceexplainedBecause of our expertise in sealevel, shelf and coastal seas,marine observation andmodelling, we are often asked totake part in radio and TVprogrammes.

Philip Woodworth took part infilming for the BBC Coast series.The programme about tides,storm surges and coastal erosionalong the north Norfolk coast ofthe UK mentioned in particularthe 1953 storm surge that resultedin heavy loss of life. He took partin a BBC Radio 5 Live debate onhow climate and sea level mightchange in the next 1,000 yearsand Swiss Radio interviewed himabout sea-level change.

Kevin Horsburgh contributed tothe television docu-drama‘Perfect Disaster: Mega Flood’,shown on Channel 5, and also onthe Discovery Channel. He tookpart in a BBC News discussion ofthe Bristol Channel floods of 1607.Phil Knight and Kevin took part ina live, hour-long interview onRadio Merseyside on globalwarming and coastal flooding.

Chris Hughes appeared live onlocal BBC TV News discussingthe possibility of a bottle driftingfrom the UK to Australia in sixmonths.

Peter Thorne, with Alan Daviesfrom the University of Wales,Bangor, appeared on BBC Radio4’s ‘Material World’ in a livediscussion on forecastingevolving coastlines.

We advised on and have givenbriefings for articles in nationaland local newspapers andmagazines.

We had a successful exhibit atthe Blue Planet Aquarium ‘OceanAwareness Weekend’ atEllesmere Port, Wirral. Eight ofour scientists and technologiststook turns staffing our stand. Theyanswered questions from over200 visitors and handed out morethan 300 information packs.

We are pleased to have recruited manynew staff at POL. Ben Moate hasjoined our coastal processes researchteam, and James Leake, DominikMichel and Lee Siddons have joinedmodelling research. Luca Chiaveriniand Andrew Kennedy work in ourlibrary, Greg Jones works ininformation technology, and EmilyJennings has joined administration.

BODC welcome new data and ITspecialist staff: Jenny Andrew, ZoeAston, Elizabeth Hawker, PaulMcGarrigle, Louise Ryan, and BelindaVause.

We were very pleasedto welcome BrianIddon MP to POL inOctober. During hisvisit we presented ourresearch andinternational expertise,and Brian was able tomeet staff and tourour facilities.

New faces

Visiting MP

Schools success

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3. Ben Moate, Dominik Michel and AndrewKennedy.

4. Zöe Aston, Jennifer Andrew, PaulMcGarrigle and Louise Ryan.

Jonathan Sharples and Simon Holgateorganised and ran a Royal SocietyPartnership grant-funded project –Tides, Sea Level and Climate Change– with Childwall School in Liverpool.After teaching 30 year-nine pupils atthe school, they then supervised theclass in making sea-level measurementsover one tidal cycle in LiverpoolDocks. Hosting the class at POL,Jonathan and Simon then helpedanalyse their data and compare themto POL’s tide gauges and Liverpool’slong sea-level record. As a result, thewhole class achieved the BA BronzeCrest award – regarded as equivalentto a grade C at GCSE. JonathanSharples is Childwall School’s scienceexpert.

Paul Bell took part in West KirbyGrammar School’s ‘Wider HorizonsDay’, supervising and advising on

student presentations. Paul and PollyHadziabdic attended the school’s‘Science and Engineering CareersForum’ for sixth-formers. They areboth science ambassadors at theschool.

Belinda Vause, Louise Ryan andPaul Bell took part in the ScienceWeek GBETSET event – Girls &Boys Entering Tomorrow’s Science,Engineering and Technology – atLiverpool Football Club. Mentoringsmall groups of pupils for a day, theyhelped solve a series of scientific andengineering problems.

Eleanor O’Rourke took part inCaldy Grange Grammar School’shigher education and careersconvention. Eleanor answeredquestions about careers in science,from years 10 and 11 and sixth-formers.

5. Brian Iddon MP (centre, front) withAndrew Willmott (left), John Huthnance(right) and staff from our researchprogrammes and national and internationalfacilities.

Finance




Where we get our fundingFrom NERC (£k)


Where we spend our fundingScience including the British Oceanograhic POL Applications Infrastructure Total

NTSLF and PSMSL Data Centre Team

Staff 2450 1374 121 984 4929Recurrent expenditure 878 94 6 1176 2154 Capital expenditure 252 0 0 30 282 Indirect costs 1511 613 66 -2190 0 Total 5091 2081 193 0 7365

Much of our work is commissioned by other organizations. Here, we list all the commissioned workwe undertake within our main science themes.

Commission projects Changes in global and regional sea and land levelsPermanent Service for Mean Sea Level FAGS, IOC, UNESCO and NERCUK tide-gauge network Environment AgencyAbsolute Gravity, GPS & MSL DefraAbsolute Fixing of Tide Gauge Benchmarks DefraSea level variability and extremesClimate and Sea Level Change in the Indian sub-continent DFIDTransfer EUThreat posed by tsunami-type events for north-west Europe NERC/Met Office/DefraEuro Real Time Tsunami Warning DefraEPSRC Floods EUAdvanced Global Barotropic Ocean Model NERCThames Estuary 2100 for a Phase 2 review of storm surge scenarios Environment AgencySurge Modelling Ensemble Pilot Study PrivateIncreased Frequency Sea Level Monitoring For Tsunami Environment Agency

Continuous ocean measurement methodsAttribution of ocean climate change signals in the Atlantic NERCWestern Atlantic Variability Experiment (WAVE) NERC (RAPID)Shelf and coastal ocean processesGeophysical Oceanography - a new tool to understand the thermalstructure of dynamic oceans University of Durham/EUTurbulence and plankton NERCCoFEE NERCHYDRALAB III EU

Measuring how sediments move around our coastsLarger-scale Morphodynamic Impacts of SegmentedShore-Parallel Breakwaters on Coast and Beaches University of Liverpool/EPSRCMine burial prediction ONR ProjectEstuarine Morphology Defra ProjectTracers NERC Project

Advanced numerical modellingPre-operational model development Met OfficeMarine Environment and Security for the European Area EU/NERCProcesses controlling dense water formation on Arctic continental shelves NERC (RAPID)Global Coastal-Ocean Modelling NERC ProjectPalaeo-tide and wave modelling Private sectorCentre for observation of Air-Sea Interactions & fluXes NERC ProjectMarine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Initiative in QUEST NERCGravity improvement of continental slope and shelf sea ocean circulation modelling ESACostal Flood Forecasting: Demonstration of Improved Forecast Modeling of Nearshore Sea Level,Nearshore Waves and Coastal Flooding. Environment Agency/Private SectorTapping the Tidal Potential of the Eastern Irish Sea. University of Liverpool/NWDALoch Torridon Fisheries Research ServicesOlympics 2008 Royal Yacht ClubGRIDSTIX NERC

Progress to operational oceanographyFerrybox - modelling based on ship-borne monitoring instrumentation EU/NERCInternational Network of Coastal Observing Systems NERCPredictive Irish Sea Models EU/NERCOptimal Design of Observational Networks EU/NERC Coastal Shelf-Sea OP OBS and Forecasting System NERCImproved Drift Forecasting In Coastal Waters NERC

Commissioned research



Andreu-Burillo, I., J. T. Holt, R. Proctor, J. D. Annan, I. D. James and D. Prandle(2007). ‘Assimilation of sea surface temperature in the coastal ocean modellingsystem.’ Journal of Marine Systems, 65(1-4): 27-40.

Andrew, J. A. M., H. Leach and P. L. Woodworth (2006). ‘The relationships betweentropical Atlantic sea level variability and major climate indices.’ Ocean Dynamics,56(5-6): 452-463.

Barnier, B., Y. Du Penhoat, L.-L. Fu, R. Morrow, J. Verron and P. L. Woodworth (2006).‘Editorial.’ Ocean Dynamics, 56(5-6): 377-378.

Berntsen, J., J. Xing and G. Alendal (2006). ‘Assessment of non-hydrostatic oceanmodels using laboratory scale problems.’ Continental Shelf Research, 26(12-13):1433-1447.

Bingham, R. J. and K. Haines (2006). ‘Mean dynamic topography: intercomparisonsand errors.’ Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, A, 364(1841):903-916.

Bingham, R. J. and C. W. Hughes (2006). ‘Observing seasonal bottom pressurevariability in the North Pacific with GRACE.’ Geophysical Research Letters, 33(8):Art. No. L08607.

Bradley, J., S. Griffin, M. Thiele, M. D. Richardson and P. D. Thorne (In Press). ‘Anacoustic-instrumented mine for studying subsequent burial.’ IEEE Journal ofOceanic Engineering, (Special issue ‘Mine burial prediction’).

Publications list2006–07ISI®-listed publicationsISI®: Institute for Scientific Information www.isinet.com/isi/


Carling, P. A., A. Radecki-Pawlick, J. J. Williams, B. Rumble, L. Meshkova, P. S. Belland R. Breakspear (2006). ‘The morphodynamics and internal structure of intertidalfine-gravel dunes: Hills Flats, Severn Estuary, UK. ‘ Sedimentary Geology, 183(3-4):159-179.

Cooper, W. S., C. L. Hinton, N. Ashton, A. Saulter, C. Morgan, R. Proctor, C. Bell andQ. Huggett (2006). ‘An introduction to the UK marine renewable atlas.’ Proceedingsof the Institution of Civil Engineers - Maritime Engineering, 159(1): 1-8.

Dewar, W. K., R. J. Bingham, R. L. Iverson, D. P. Nowacek, L. C. St. Laurent and P. H.Wiebe (2006). ‘Does the marine biosphere mix the ocean?’ Journal of MarineResearch, 64(4): 541-561.

Esteves, L. S., J. J. Williams and S. R. Dillenburg (2006). ‘Seasonal and interannualinfluences on the patterns of shoreline changes in Rio Grande do Sul, southernBrazil.’ Journal of Coastal Research, 22(5): 1076-1093.

Greenstreet, S. P. R., E. Armstrong, H. Mosegaard, H. Jensen, I. M. Gibb, H. Fraser,B. E. Scott, G. J. Holland and J. Sharples (2006). ‘Variation in the abundance ofsandeels Ammodytes marinus off southeast Scotland: an evaluation of area-closurefisheries management and stock abundance assessment methods.’ ICES Journal ofMarine Science, 63(8): 1530-1550.

Griesel, A. and M. A. M. Maqueda (2006). ‘The relation of meridional pressuregradients to North Atlantic deep water volume transport in an ocean generalcirculation model.’ Climate Dynamics, 26(7-8): 781-799.

Hill, A. E. and A. J. Souza (2006). ‘Tidal dynamics in channels: 2. complex channelnetworks.’ Journal of Geophysical Research, 111(C11): C11021.

Hofmann, M. and M. A. M. Maqueda (2006). ‘Performance of a second-ordermoments advection scheme in an Ocean General Circulation Model.’ Journal ofGeophysical Research, 111(C5): Art. No. C05006.

Holt, J. T. and I. D. James (2006). ‘An assessment of the fine-scale eddies in a high-resolution model of the shelf seas west of Great Britain.’ Ocean Modelling, 13(3-4):271-291.

Hughes, C. W., V. N. Stepanov, L.-L. Fu, B. Barnier and G. W. Hargreaves (2007).‘Three forms of variability in Argentine Basin ocean bottom pressure.’ Journal ofGeophysical Research, 112(C01011).

Jackson, L., C. W. Hughes and R. G. Williams (2006). ‘Topographic control of basinand channel flows: the role of bottom pressure torques and friction.’ Journal ofPhysical Oceanography, 36(9): 1786-1805.



Jevrejeva, S., A. Grinsted, S. P. Moores and S. J. Holgate (2006). ‘Nonlinear trendsand multiyear cycles in sea level records ‘ Journal of Geophysical Research,111(C9): Art. No. C09012.

Jones, J. E. and A. M. Davies (2006). ‘Application of a finite element model(TELEMAC) to computing the wind induced response of the Irish Sea.’ ContinentalShelf Research, 26(12-13): 1519-1541.

Kobayashi, S., J. H. Simpson, T. Fujiwara and K. J. Horsburgh (2006). ‘Tidal stirringand its impact on water column stability and property distributions in a semi-enclosed shelf sea (Seto Inland Sea, Japan).’ Continental Shelf Research, 26(11):1295-1306.

Lane, A. and D. Prandle (2006). ‘Random-walk particle modelling for estimatingbathymetric evolution of an estuary’. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, 68(1-2):175-187.

Lewis, K., J. I. Allen, A. J. Richardson and J. T. Holt (2006). ‘Error quantification of ahigh resolution coupled hydrodynamic-ecosystem coastal-ocean model: Part3,validation with Continuous Plankton Recorder data.’ Journal of Marine Systems,63(3-4): 209-224.

Maqueda, M. A. M. and G. Holloway (2006). ‘Second-order moment advectionscheme applied to Arctic Ocean simulation.’ Ocean Modelling, 14(3-4): 197-221.

Mitchell, N. C. and J. M. Huthnance (2007). ‘Comparing the smooth, parabolicshapes of interfluves in continental slopes to predictions of diffusion transportmodels.’ Marine Geology, 236(3-4): 189-208.

Molines, J.-M., B. Barnier, J. Verron and P. L. Woodworth (2006). ‘In memoriam. [DrChristian Le Provost].’ Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, A,364: 785-786.

Moore, J., A. Grinsted and S. Jevrejeva (2006). ‘Is there evidence for sunspotforcing of climate at multi-year and decadal periods?’ Geophysical ResearchLetters, 33(17): Art. No. L17705.

Moore, C. M., D. J. Suggett, A. E. Hickman, Y.-N. Kim, J. F. Tweddle, J. Sharples, R. J.Geider and P. M. Holligan (2006). ‘Phytoplankton photoacclimation andphotoadaptation in response to environmental gradients in a shelf sea.’ Limnologyand Oceanography, 51(2): 936-949.

Owen, G. W. A., A. J. Willmott and I. D. Abrahams (2006). ‘Scattering of barotropicRossby waves by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.’ Journal of GeophysicalResearch, 111: C12024.


Prandle, D. (2006). ‘Dynamical controls on estuarine bathymetry: assessmentagainst UK database.’ Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, 68(1-2): 282-288.

Prandle, D., A. Lane and A. Manning (2006). ‘New typologies for estuarinemorphology.’ Geomorphology, 81(3-4): 309-315

Rietbroek, R., P. LeGrand, B. Wouters, J.-M. Lemoine, G. Ramillien and C. W. Hughes(2006). ‘Comparison of in situ bottom pressure data with GRACE gravimetry in theCrozet-Kerguelen region ‘ Geophysical Research Letters, 33(21): No. L21601.

Salles, P. and A. J. Souza (2006). ‘Editorial to the second PECS 2004 special issue ofOcean Dynamics.’ Ocean Dynamics, 56(3-4): 151-152.

Sharples, J., O. N. Ross, B. E. Scott, S. P. R. Greenstreet and H. Fraser (2006). ‘Inter-annual variability in the timing of stratification and the spring bloom in the North-western North Sea.’ Continental Shelf Research, 26(6): 733-751.

Siddorn, J. R., J. I. Allen, J. C. Blackford, F. J. Gilbert, J. T. Holt, M. W. Holt, J. P.Osborne, R. Proctor and D. K. Mills (2007). ‘Modelling the hydrodynamics andecosystem of the North-West European continental shelf for operationaloceanography.’ Journal of Marine Systems, 65(1-4): 417-429.

Souza, A. J. and A. E. Hill (2006). ‘Tidal dynamics in channels: single channels.’Journal of Geophysical Research, 111(C9): C09037.

Stepanov, V. N. and C. W. Hughes (2006). ‘Propagation of signals in basin-scaleocean bottom pressure from a barotropic model.’ Journal of Geophysical Research,111(C12): Art. No. C12002.

Thorne, P. D., Y. C. Agrawal and D. A. Cacchione (In press). ‘A comparison of near-bed acoustic backscatter and laser diffraction measurements of suspendedsediments.’ IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, (Special issue ‘Mine burialprediction’).

Uehara, K., J. D. Scourse, K. J. Horsburgh, K. Lambeck and A. P. Purcell (2006). ‘Tidalevolution of the northwest European shelf seas from the Last Glacial Maximum tothe present.’ Journal of Geophysical Research, 111(C9): Art. No. C09025.

Walkington, I. A. and A. J. Willmott (2006). ‘A coupled coastal polynya-atmopshericboundary layer model.’ Journal of Physical Oceanography, 36(5): 897-913.

Williams, J. J., P. A. Carling and P. S. Bell (2006). ‘Dynamics of intertidal graveldunes.’ Journal of Geophysical Research, 111(C6): C06035.

Williams, S. D. P. and P. Willis (2006). ‘Error analysis of weekly station coordinates inthe DORIS network.’ Journal of Geodesy, 80(8-11): 525-539.



Wolf, J. and D. K. Woolf (2006). ‘Waves and climate change in the north-eastAtlantic.’ Geophysical Research Letters, 33(6): Art. No. L06604.

Woodworth, P. L., C. W. Hughes, D. L. Blackman, V. N. Stepanov, S. J. Holgate, P. R.Foden, J. Pugh, S. Mack, G. W. Hargreaves, M. Meredith, G. Milinevsky and J. J. F.Contreras (2006). ‘Antarctic peninsula sea levels: a real time system for monitoringDrake Passage transport.’ Antarctic Science, 18(3): 429-436.

Woodworth, P. L. (2006). ‘The meteorological data of William Hutchinson and aLiverpool air pressure time series spanning 1768-1999.’ International Journal ofClimatology, 26(12): 1713-1726.

Wyatt, L. R., J. J. Green, A. Middleditch, M. D. Moorhead, M. J. Howarth, M. Holtand S. Keogh (2006). ‘Operational wave, current, and wind measurements with thePisces HF Radar.’ IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 31(4): 819-834.

Xing, J. and A. M. Davies (2006). ‘Influence of stratification and topography uponinternal wave spectra in the region of sills.’ Geophysical Research Letters, 33(23):Art. No. L23606.

Xing, J. and A. M. Davies (2006). ‘Internal wave trapping and mixing in a cold waterdome ‘ Journal of Geophysical Research, 111(C7): Art. No. C07002.

Xing, J. and A. M. Davies (2006). ‘Processes influencing tidal mixing in the region ofsills.’ Geophysical Research Letters, 33(4): Art. No. L04603.

Young, E. F. and J. T. Holt (2007). ‘Prediction and analysis of long-term variability oftemperature and salinity in the Irish Sea ‘ Journal of Geophysical Research, 112(C1):Art. No. C01008.

Other refereed publications

Baker, T. F. and H. T. Hsu (2006). ‘ETS-3: Earth and ocean tides: theory, analysis.Proceedings of the 15th International Symposium on Earth Tides, held in Ottawa,Canada, 2-6 August 2004 ‘ Journal of Geodynamics, 41(1-3): 100-132.

Church, J., S. Wilson, P. L. Woodworth and T. Aarup (2007). ‘Understanding sea levelrise and variability.’ Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 88(4): p.43.

Daunt, F., S. Wanless, G. Peters, S. Benvenuti, J. Sharples, D. Grimillet and B. E.Scott (2006). ‘Impacts of oceanography on the foraging dynamics of seabirds in theNorth Sea ‘. 177-190 in, Top predators in marine ecosystems: their role in monitoringand management. Camphuysen, C. J., S. Wanless and I. Boyd, Eds. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.


Horsburgh, K. J. and M. Horritt (2006). ‘The Bristol Channel floods of 1607 -reconstruction and analysis.’ Weather, 61(10): 272-277.

Joseph, A., J. T. Odametey, E. K. Nkebi, A. Pereira, R. G. Prabhudesail, P. Mehra, A.B. Rabinovich, V. Kumar, S. Prabhu-Desai and P. L. Woodworth (2006). ‘The 26December 2004 Sumatra Tsunami recorded on the coast of West Africa.’ AfricanJournal of Marine Science, 28(3-4): 705-712.

Scott, B. E., J. Sharples, S. Wanless, O. N. Ross, M. Frederiksen and F. Daunt (2006).‘The use of biologically meaningful oceanographic indices to separate the effects ofclimate and fisheries on seabird breeding success’. 46-62 in, Top predators inmarine ecosystems: their role in monitoring and management. Camphuysen, C. J., S.Wanless and I. Boyd, Eds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Souza, A. J., J. T. Holt and R. Proctor (2007). ‘Modelling SPM on the NW Europeanshelf seas’. 147-158 in, Coastal and shelf sediment transport. Balson, P. S. and M. B.Collins, Eds. London: Geological Society, Special Publication 247.


Prof Andrew Willmott

Prof John Huthnance Deputy Director (50%)Mrs Sian CoughlinMrs Linda Ravera

Sea Level ResearchProf Philip Woodworth (Head) and DirectorPermanent Service for Mean Sea Level

Prof Trevor BakerDr Rory BinghamMr David BlackmanDr Kevin HorsburghDr Chris HughesDr Miguel Morales-MaquedaDr Vladimir StepanovMrs Jane WilliamsDr Simon WilliamsDr Chris Wilson

Permanent Service for Mean Sea LevelMrs Kathy GordonDr Simon HolgateDr Svetlana Jevrejeva

Coastal Processes ResearchProf John Huthnance (Head)

Dr Paul BellDr Kyle BetteridgeMr John HowarthMr Philip KnightMr Andrew LaneMr Ben MoateMrs Rose PlayerDr Jonathan SharplesProf Peter Thorne

Modelling ResearchDr Roger Proctor (Head)

Dr Isabel Andreu-BurilloProf Alan DaviesDr Philip HallDr Jason HoltDr Ian JamesDr Eric JonesMr James LeakeMr Dominik MichelDr Sylvain MichelDr Pedro Osuna-Canedo †Dr Clare PostlethwaiteMr Lee SiddonsDr Alejandro SouzaMr Duncan StirlingDr Graham TattersallDr Sarah WakelinDr Judith WolfDr Jiuxing Xing

Ocean Engineering & TechnologyMr John Humphery (Head)

Dr Chris BalfourMr Mike BurkeMr Joseph CollinsDr Richard CookeMr Ray EdunMr Peter FodenMr Geoff HargreavesMr Dave JonesMr Emlyn JonesMr John KennyDr Stephen MackMr Danny McLaughlinMr Jeff PughDr Michael Smithson

Tide Gauge InspectorateMr Dave Smith (Head)

Mr Les BradleyMr Darryn Gaudie

Applications TeamMr Colin Bell (Head)

Mrs Lisa EastwoodMr Kevin FergusonMs Jill Moore

Information and CommunicationsMs Julia Martin (Head) †

Ms Nadina McShaneMr Luca ChiaveriniMiss Janet CliffordMr Craig CorbettMr Andrew KennedyMiss Sarah Lewis-Newton †Mrs Veronica ScottMr Robert Smith

Information TechnologyDr Colin Stephens (Head)

Miss Jane BlackMr Dave CableMr Greg JonesMrs Margaret MahonMr David PlantMrs Julie Tunstall

AdministrationMr John Murray (Head)

Mrs Cathy BurkeMr David ButlerMrs Pamela FergusonMrs Jingbo HeMr Peter HuntMs Emily JenningsMr Derek JohnsonMrs Mary LinnaneMr John MackinnonMrs Linda ParryMr Paul ReddyMrs Jean SmithMr Philip Worrall

MSc Students UniversityMr Martin Poulton StaffordshireMr Abdul Siddiqui Staffordshire

PhD Students Miss Leslie Aveytua Alcazar(Mexican Science Council) Baja CaliforniaMr Gualtiero Badin † Liverpool Miss Alice Galbraith (NERC/CASE) SheffieldMr Raul Gonzalez (Mexican Science Council) LiverpoolMr Rob Hall (NERC) LiverpoolMr James Hawe (University Studentship) LiverpoolMiss Angela Hibbert (University Studentship) LiverpoolMiss Eleanor Howlett (NERC) University of Wales BangorMiss Kerry Marten (CASE – NERC) University of Wales BangorMiss Rowena Moore (Industrial CASE – Airbus) LiverpoolMr Rory O’Hara Murray (University Studentship) LiverpoolMiss Eleanor O'Rourke(NERC Tied) LiverpoolMr William Thurston (CASE – POL) LeedsMr Do Trong Binh (Vietnam University) LiverpoolMr William Thurston (CASE/NERC) LeedsMiss Jennifer Waters (CASE/NERC) SheffieldHao-Cheng Yu † (Twaiwan NSYS University) Twaiwan NSYS University

Miss Jenny AndrewMiss Zöe AstonMiss Elizabeth BradshawDr Claudia Castellani Dr Mark CharlesworthDr Julie CollinsMiss Stephanie ContardoDr Raymond CramerDr Richard DownerDr Stephen EmsleyDr Gaynor EvansDr Sean GaffneyDr Alex Gardiner †Ms Polly HadziabdicDr Elizabeth HawkerMr Malcom HearnMr Mark HebdenMr Michael Hughes †Miss Corallie HuntDr Frances KellieMr Venkatasiva KondapalliDr Adam LeadbetterMr Stephen LochDr Roy LowryMr Quyen To LuongMrs Elizabeth MacleodMrs Mairi Marshall †Dr Robin McCandlissDr Rebecca McCreadie †Mr Paul McGarrigleDr Gwenaelle MoncoifféMiss Mary MowatMr Richard O’Brien †Dr Lesley RickardsMiss Louise RyanMs Kay ThorneMr Neil Upton †Dr Belinda VauseMrs Karen VickersMiss Pauline WeatherallMr Geoffrey Williams

Dr Dave Cotton – Marine Data and Information Partnership Manager –hosted by BODC

MSc Students UniversityMiss Lise Quesnel StaffordshireMr Amit Chandra † Staffordshire

Staff lists

Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory staff1 April 2006–31 March 2007

DirectorateDirector

DirectorDr Juan Brown

British Oceanographic Data Center staff1 April 2006–31 March 2007

† Retired or left during 2006–07


GlossaryAdvectionThe horizontal transfer of heat or otherproperties.

AerosolsClouds of solid or liquid particles in a gas.

AggregrationWhen particles in a fluid collide andbecome attached to each other.

AltimetryMeasuring altitudes, or heights.

AmplitudeThe maximum displacement in a periodicwave.

BackscatterThe deflection of waves or particles fromtheir original direction.

BenthicRelating to the seabed.

BiotaAll the plant and animal life of a particularregion.

CoccolithophoridSingle-celled algae made from calciumcarbonate.

ConvectionThe movement of currents within fluids.

CorrelationA mathematical way of showing howsimilar two things are.

Cotidal chartA tidal chart with lines joining placeswhere the tide has the same phase; forexample, where high waters occur at thesame time.

Current ellipseA graphical way of representing a tidalcurrent at the same place over a completetidal cycle.

Dimethyl sulphideIn the ocean, a chemical released fromalgae.

DLLA Dynamic Link Library is a set of functionsthat can be executed, or data that can beused by a Windows application.

EcosystemA system formed by the interaction of acommunity of organisms with each otherand their physical environment.

EPSRCEngineering and Physical SciencesResearch Council.

Flicker noiseA random noise signal with energyproportional to the frequency.

Float gauge chart recorderA gauge that uses a float on the water’ssurface to record the tides.

Fresh-water frontThe front of an advancing mass of freshwater.

GeodesyThe study of the shape of the earth and thedetermination of the exact position ofgeographical points.

Harmonic analysesA way of getting data from observationsthat are then used to predict the tides.

Higher frequency delayed mode sea-level data bankingData collected hourly or more frequently,stored, and then sent annually to PSMSL.

HPCxThe largest-ever consortium supporting UKacademic research using high performancecomputers.

HydrodynamicsThe study of the behaviour of fluids.

IsothermA line connecting points having the sametemperature at a given time.

LatitudeAn imaginary circle around the Earthrunning parallel to the equator.

MetadataInformation about data.

MicroinvertebrateExtremely small animal lacking a backboneor spinal column.

Mid-latitudesThe area from the tropical regions towardsthe polar regions.

Neap tidesA period during the month when the tidalrange is at its least.

PhytoplanktonSmall primitive chlorophyll-containingaquatic organisms.

Quarter-diurnal periodicityHappening four times a day.

ResuspensionA renewed suspension of sedimentparticles after they have settled on theseabed.

SalinityThe saltiness of a solution, in particularsea-water.

Seabed landerAn instrumented frame that sits on theseabed.

Spring tidesA period during the month when the tidalrange is at its greatest.

StratificationThe division of a body of water (oratmosphere or rocks) into layers withdifferent values of, for example,temperature or salinity.

TelemetryTransmission of data from remote sourcesby satellite or other means.

ThermoclineA layer in a body of water with atemperature gradient separating surfacewater from cooler lower water.

Tidal diamondA tidal diamond is a way of showing thetidal current speed and direction over atidal cycle.

TimeseriesA series of measurements taken over aperiod of time.

Underwater gliderA unmanned underwater vehicle thatmeasures water properties while using itsfall and rise through the water column togenerate forward motion.

Water columnA vertical column of water from the seasurface to the seabed.

White noise.A random noise signal with equal energy atall frequencies.

X-band radarSimilar to a ship’s radar.

Joseph Proudman Building, 6 Brownlow Street, Liverpool L3 5DA, UKTel: +44 (0)151 795 4800 Fax: +44 (0)151 795 4801 www.pol.ac.uk

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