WHOI PO

Lagrangian tools for the analysis of oceanic andatmospheric flows

Lagrangian tools provide a powerful approach for analyzingoceanic and atmospheric flows. These tools enable us to predict pollutantdispersion, track their sources, capture unresolved physical processes, revealtransport pathways and barriers between flow regimes with distinct dynamicalfates and more. This versatility makes Lagrangian methods applicable across avast range of scales, from turbulent to planetary, in both atmospheric andoceanic contexts.

In this talk, we will present three applications where weemployed a Lagrangian approach to study transport and mixing processesassociated with atmospheric features like the Stratospheric Polar Vortex andsubtropical jets, as well as oceanic water mass circulation. Aided byLagrangian tools, we can identify coherent structures that govern fluiddeformation, simplify complex fluid dynamics, and characterize parcel evolutionand transport pathways in diverse regions.