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Insights into stirring and mixing in Monterey Bay from evolving circular blobs
B.L. Lipphardt, A.D. Kirwan, C.E. Grosch, J.D. Paduan
University of Delaware
brucel@udel.edu(Abstract received 05/16/2005 for session B)
ABSTRACT
Archives of objectively mapped Monterey Bay surface currents from HF radar are used to evolve simulated particles. Blobs of particles that are initially circular allow the evolving local horizontal divergence and circulation to be studied using line integrals around the blob boundary. Changes in the blob area and perimeter mark transitions from stirring to mixing, and, ultimately, to diffusion. Example blobs in Monterey Bay during summer demonstrate surprisingly long (twenty days or more) residence times in the bay, and the rich structure that develops during transition events over these long time periods.
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2005 LAPCOD Meeting, Lerici, Italy, June 13-17, 2005