Modeling Material Transport and Mixing in the Mid-latitude Ocean Circulation

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Berloff0091836Transport and mixing in the ocean will be studied using a sequence of models. Initially, a quasi-geostrophic model will be used to produce 'true' velocity fields. The resultant turbulent velocities will be used to transport Lagrangian particles throughout the domain. The results will be compared to modeled dispersion using a sequence of Markov models (orders 0, 1, 2, and 3). These allow for diffusive, ballistic, sub and super diffusive behavior. These studies will also be used to understand the phenomenological behavior of the models. Results of the stochastic models will be compared with observed float characteristics from different regions of the ocean. More realistic, primitive equation models will also be investigated. Effects of low-frequency variability in flow structure, wind-forcing variability, eddy-induced flows, three-dimensional flows, and sources will be investigated. Two other questions of interest are the impact of rough topography and the impact of non-Gaussian forcing in the Markovian models. Incorporation of stochastic terms in the Eulerian partial differential equations, to simulate the role of the Markov models, is contemplated towards the end of the project.