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Spin diagnostics and eddy census from Lagrangian data sets: preliminary results
M. Veneziani, A. Griffa, and R. Lumpkin
University of Miami
cveneziani@rsmas.miami.edu(Abstract received 05/10/2005 for session C)
ABSTRACT
The presence of mesoscale coherent vortices and eddies in the ocean is thought to alter the transport characteristics of passive tracers, especially in highly energetic regions and in proximity of strong western boundary currents. An important step towards the assessment of the contribution of mesoscale vortices over extensive oceanic regions can be achieved by studying the eddies' overall distribution at the surface as well as in the subsurface and deep ocean. A new methodology is suggested here to identify coherent vortices through a spin parameter estimated from Lagrangian data sets. Lagrangian data coverage has dramatically improved during the last two decades over most of the world oceans, thus providing a very good sampling of large oceanic regions. The spin parameter can be easily estimated from the Lagrangian trajectories, and it represents a good proxy for the relative vorticity of the coherent vortex in which the particles are embedded. We present preliminary results of spin statistics obtained from the historical Lagrangian data sets of the surface and subsurface floats in the North Atlantic Ocean.
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2005 LAPCOD Meeting, Lerici, Italy, June 13-17, 2005