Event Description:
Cheryl Harrison, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder CO
Coherent structures in the ocean: identification and applications
Following the visualization of the ocean surface by satellites in the 1970’s, progress has been made in understanding both the dynamics and biogeochemical/ecosystem effects of mesoscale ocean eddies. However, the role of these eddies in the global carbon cycle and how they impact ecosystem dynamics is highly uncertain, and the subject of much current observational and modeling effort. Here I report on recent advances in identifying eddies and their associated transport structures from applied dynamical systems theory, the so called Lagrangian coherent structure (LCS) approach. Applications of this methodology using observations and models of the California Current system, as well as the implications for ecosystem effects of coastal transport will be highlighted. New work exploring the role of mesoscale turbulence in structuring carbon export globally will be presented. |
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