The Lagrangian description of aperiodic flows: applications in geophysical flows

• Author: Carolina Mendoza, Universidad Polictecnica de Madrid.


• Names of other authors: Ana M. Mancho (ICMAT) .


• Oral or poster: poster.


• Downloadable abstract: click here.


• Abstract:
  We use several recently developed Lagrangian tools for describing transport in general aperiodic flows. In our approach the first step is based in a Lagrangian descriptor (the so called M function, introduced in Refs. [1,2]). It measures the length of particle trajectories on the ocean surface over a given interval of time. We describe its output over satellite altimetry data on the Kuroshio current. The technique is combined with the direct computation of manifolds of Distinguished Hyperbolic trajectories and a very detailed description of transport is achieved across an eddy and a jet on the Kuroshio current [3,4].
  
  A second velocity data set is examined with the M function tool. The data is obtained from the HYCOM project on the Gulf of Mexico during the time of the oil-spill. We have identified underlying Lagrangian structures and dynamics.
  
  We acknowledge to CESGA for support with the supercomputer FINIS TERRAE, and support through the grants: UPM-AL12-PAC-09, Becas de Movilidad de Caja Madrid 2011, MTM2011-26696 and ILINK-0145. We acknowledge the hospitality of the university of Delaware and the assistance of Bruce Lipphardt and Helga Huntley in accessing data sets of the Gulf of Mexico.
  
  
  References
  
  [1] J. A. J. Madrid, A.M. Mancho. Distinguished trajectories in time dependent vector fields. Chaos 19 (2009), 013111-1-013111-18.
  
  [2] C. Mendoza, A.M. Mancho. The hidden geometry of ocean flows. Physical Review Letters 105 (2010), 3, 038501-1-038501-4.
  
  [3] C. Mendoza, A.M. Mancho, Marie-H\'elene Rio. The turnstile mechanism across the Kuroshio current: analysis of dynamics in altimeter velocity fields. Nonlinear Proc. Geoph 17 (2010), 2, 103-111.
  
  [4] C. Mendoza, A.M. Mancho. The Lagrangian description of aperiodic flows: a case study of the Kuroshio Current. arXiv:1006.3496 (2010).