Clustering of Floating Tracer Due to Mesoscale Vortex and Submesoscale Fields

Abstract Floating tracer clustering is studied in oceanic flows that combine both a field of coherent mesoscale vortices, as simulated by a regional, comprehensive, eddy‐resolving general circulation model, and kinematic random submesoscale velocity fields. Both fields have rotational and divergent...

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Main Authors: Dmitry V. Stepanov, Eugene A. Ryzhov, Alexei A. Zagumennov, Pavel Berloff, Konstantin V. Koshel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-02-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL086504
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author Dmitry V. Stepanov
Eugene A. Ryzhov
Alexei A. Zagumennov
Pavel Berloff
Konstantin V. Koshel
author_facet Dmitry V. Stepanov
Eugene A. Ryzhov
Alexei A. Zagumennov
Pavel Berloff
Konstantin V. Koshel
author_sort Dmitry V. Stepanov
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Floating tracer clustering is studied in oceanic flows that combine both a field of coherent mesoscale vortices, as simulated by a regional, comprehensive, eddy‐resolving general circulation model, and kinematic random submesoscale velocity fields. Both fields have rotational and divergent velocity components, and depending on their relative contributions, as well as on the local characteristics of the mesoscale vortices, we identified different clustering scenarios. We found that the mesoscale vortices do not prevent clustering but significantly modify its rate and spatial pattern. We also demonstrated that even weak surface‐velocity divergence has to be taken into account to avoid significant errors in model predictions of the floating tracer patterns. Our approach combining dynamically constrained and random velocity fields, and the applied diagnostic methods, are proposed as standard tools for analyses and predictions of floating tracer distributions, in both observational data and general circulation models.
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institution OA Journals
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publishDate 2020-02-01
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record_format Article
series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-da4d7ab3410047d5a8cb2ae1b0fe6e712025-08-20T01:50:15ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072020-02-01473n/an/a10.1029/2019GL086504Clustering of Floating Tracer Due to Mesoscale Vortex and Submesoscale FieldsDmitry V. Stepanov0Eugene A. Ryzhov1Alexei A. Zagumennov2Pavel Berloff3Konstantin V. Koshel4V.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute of FEB RAS Vladivostok RussiaV.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute of FEB RAS Vladivostok RussiaInstitute of Automation and Control Processes FEB RAS Vladivostok RussiaDepartment of Mathematics Imperial College London London UKV.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute of FEB RAS Vladivostok RussiaAbstract Floating tracer clustering is studied in oceanic flows that combine both a field of coherent mesoscale vortices, as simulated by a regional, comprehensive, eddy‐resolving general circulation model, and kinematic random submesoscale velocity fields. Both fields have rotational and divergent velocity components, and depending on their relative contributions, as well as on the local characteristics of the mesoscale vortices, we identified different clustering scenarios. We found that the mesoscale vortices do not prevent clustering but significantly modify its rate and spatial pattern. We also demonstrated that even weak surface‐velocity divergence has to be taken into account to avoid significant errors in model predictions of the floating tracer patterns. Our approach combining dynamically constrained and random velocity fields, and the applied diagnostic methods, are proposed as standard tools for analyses and predictions of floating tracer distributions, in both observational data and general circulation models.https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL086504tracer clusteringmesoscale eddiessubmesoscaledivergencerandom velocity field
spellingShingle Dmitry V. Stepanov
Eugene A. Ryzhov
Alexei A. Zagumennov
Pavel Berloff
Konstantin V. Koshel
Clustering of Floating Tracer Due to Mesoscale Vortex and Submesoscale Fields
Geophysical Research Letters
tracer clustering
mesoscale eddies
submesoscale
divergence
random velocity field
title Clustering of Floating Tracer Due to Mesoscale Vortex and Submesoscale Fields
title_full Clustering of Floating Tracer Due to Mesoscale Vortex and Submesoscale Fields
title_fullStr Clustering of Floating Tracer Due to Mesoscale Vortex and Submesoscale Fields
title_full_unstemmed Clustering of Floating Tracer Due to Mesoscale Vortex and Submesoscale Fields
title_short Clustering of Floating Tracer Due to Mesoscale Vortex and Submesoscale Fields
title_sort clustering of floating tracer due to mesoscale vortex and submesoscale fields
topic tracer clustering
mesoscale eddies
submesoscale
divergence
random velocity field
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL086504
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