Effects of swell on transport and dispersion of oil plumes within the ocean mixed layer

Chen, Bicheng; Yang, Di; Meneveau, Charles; Chamecki, Marcelo

doi:10.1002/2015jc011380

Cited by 21 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…McWilliams and Sullivan () separate the local and nonlocal components by assuming a KPP representation for the nonlocal flux and then adjusting the value of C γ in equation to maximize the smoothness in the profile of K ( z ). Chen et al () used simulations of oil plumes with large horizontal gradients in concentration to separate local and nonlocal contributions to the total flux. The spatial structure of the concentration field allows for a range of mean vertical gradients and fluxes, assumed to be caused by the same eddy diffusivity, allowing for the determination of a spatially averaged nonlocal flux contributions.…”

Section: Applications Of Les To Materials Transport In the Omlmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The relationship between floatability and transport direction was first noted by Yang et al () in the context of surface application of dispersants to oil plumes and later quantified in terms of Db by Yang et al (). Chen et al () documented the effects of swell on transport direction of oil droplets, and Chen et al () also noted the large changes in mean transport speed of oil plumes associated with floatability. Laxague et al () performed detailed measurements of mean velocity shear near the surface of the ocean and highlighted the potential effect on transport speed for particles with different floatability.…”

Section: Applications Of Les To Materials Transport In the Omlmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Material Transport in the Ocean Mixed Layer: Recent Developments Enabled by Large Eddy Simulations

Chamecki

Chor

Yang

et al. 2019

Reviews of Geophysics

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Material transport in the ocean mixed layer (OML) is an important component of natural processes such as gas and nutrient exchanges. It is also important in the context of pollution (oil droplets, microplastics, etc.). Observational studies of small-scale three-dimensional turbulence in the OML are difficult, especially if one aims at a systematic coverage of relevant parameters and their effects, under controlled conditions. Numerical studies are also challenging due to the large-scale separation between the physical processes dominating transport in the horizontal and vertical directions. Despite this difficulty, the application of large eddy simulation (LES) to study OML turbulence and, more specifically, its effects on material transport has resulted in major advances in the field in recent years. In this paper we review the use of LES to study material transport within the OML and then summarize and synthesize the advances it has enabled in the past decade or so. In the first part we describe the LES technique and the most common approaches when applying it in OML material transport investigations. In the second part we review recent results on material transport obtained using LES and comment on implications. Plain Language SummaryThe transport of materials in the ocean is a topic that has been attracting much interest in the last decades. Much of the importance of this topic lies in the fact that many of the materials considered impact ecosystem health and/or ocean-related industries. As examples we have pollutants (such as plastic and oil spills) and other natural substances like nutrients and phytoplankton. We focus on the upper part of the ocean, which is heavily impacted by the interaction with the atmosphere and, as a result, is particularly difficult to understand and predict. However, using increasingly more powerful computers, scientists have made significant advances over recent years. As a result, a large amount of new research has been made by different research groups investigating different aspects of the problem. In this review, we compile, summarize, and synthesize results produced by computer simulations into a coherent framework with the goal of better understanding the state of art of material transport. Finally, we conclude the paper with open research questions and directions for future research.are capable of producing their own motion in response to different environmental stimuli (e.g., plankton swimming).This review paper consists of two main parts. Part 1 focuses on the LES technique, covering general modeling aspects and specific details relevant for its application to the OML. We focus on application of the technique to the filtered Navier-Stokes equations including relevant terms leading to, for example, the Craik-Leibovich (CL) equations. We discuss several different approaches to subgrid-scale (SGS) modeling that have been used by different groups. We also contrast the use of Eulerian and Lagrangian approaches to represent material transport and their respective advantages an...

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Section: Applications Of Les To Materials Transport In the Omlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Applications Of Les To Materials Transport In the Omlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Material Transport in the Ocean Mixed Layer: Recent Developments Enabled by Large Eddy Simulations

Chamecki

Chor

Yang

et al. 2019

Reviews of Geophysics

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“…Predicting the fate of buoyant materials in the oceanic mixed layer (OML) is challenging for both numerical and theoretical studies. One issue is the very different dynamics associated with each of the main forcings in the OML (most notably wind shear, Stokes drift, and buoyancy fluxes) which have distinct effects on the fate of buoyant plumes (Chen et al, , ; Liang et al, ; J. R. Taylor, ; Yang et al, ). This issue is aggravated by the lack of a reliable approach to generalize results across the different regimes that arise by the combination of these forcings (Zilitinkevich, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Turbulence Velocity Scale for Predicting the Fate of Buoyant Materials in the Oceanic Mixed Layer

Chor

Yang

Meneveau

et al. 2018

Geophysical Research Letters

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We introduce a general framework to predict the fate of buoyant materials in the oceanic mixed layer. The framework is based on the estimation of a turbulence velocity scale for the vertical mixing of buoyant materials. By combining this velocity scale with the material's terminal rise velocity and a K‐profile parameterization, we are able to derive an analytical prediction for the vertical profile of material concentration that is shown to be a reasonably accurate and general representation for oceanic mixed layer regimes driven by various levels of wind shear, Stokes drift, and buoyancy flux. The analytically predicted profile allows us to estimate relevant parameters for the fate of buoyant materials, such as the depth of a plume's center of mass and the horizontal transport. We show that the predictions agree with large‐eddy simulations driven by various combinations of wind shear, Stokes drift, and buoyancy fluxes.

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“…These characteristics make swells an indicator of various atmospheric phenomena such as tropical cyclones, distant storms, or even large‐scale sea breezes such as those related to monsoons. Swells also have significant impacts on the transport and dispersion of oil plumes within the ocean mixed layer, ocean surface roughness, wind stress, and other things (Chen et al, ; Hwang, ; Wu et al, ). Because of their substantial energy and good stability, energy production from swell waves has received increasing attention.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Propagation Route and Speed of Swell in the Indian Ocean

Zheng

Pan

2018

JGR Oceans

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The characteristics of swell propagation play an important role in the forecasting of ocean waves as well as on research on global climate change, wave energy development, and disaster prevention and reduction. To reveal the propagation routes, terminal targets and speeds of swells that originate from the southern Indian Ocean westerly (SIOW), an intraseasonal swell index (SI) was defined based on the 45 year (September 1957 to August 2002) ERA‐40 wave reanalysis data product from the European Center for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The results show that the main body of the SIOW‐related swells typically spread to the waters off Sri Lanka and Christmas Island, while the branches spread to the Arabian Sea and other waters. The propagation speeds of swells originated in the SIOW were fastest in May and August, followed by November, and were slowest in February. Swells usually required 4–6 days to propagate from the western part of the SIOW to the waters off Sri Lanka and Christmas Island, whereas swells usually required 2–4 days to propagate from the eastern part of the SIOW to the waters off Christmas Island.

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Effects of swell on transport and dispersion of oil plumes within the ocean mixed layer

Cited by 21 publications

References 31 publications

Material Transport in the Ocean Mixed Layer: Recent Developments Enabled by Large Eddy Simulations

Material Transport in the Ocean Mixed Layer: Recent Developments Enabled by Large Eddy Simulations

A Turbulence Velocity Scale for Predicting the Fate of Buoyant Materials in the Oceanic Mixed Layer

Propagation Route and Speed of Swell in the Indian Ocean

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