Some Aspects of Lagrangian Dynamics of Turbulence

Abstract

This chapter is dedicated to fundamental properties of Lagrangian transport in turbulence, emphasizing the role of of anisotropy and 2D turbulence which are relevant for geophysical considerations. The focus is on three main aspects of Lagrangian turbulence : (i) the role of small scale anisotropy on the Lagrangian energy spectrum, (ii) the role of Lagrangian intermittency and (iii) the relative dispersion of tracer particles.

Lagrangian pair dispersion in upper-ocean turbulence in the presence of mixed-layer instabilities

“…At intermediate times, for which dispersion scales are within the inertial range of the turbulent cascade, the expected behavior depends on the form of the kinetic energy spectrum (see Ref. 51 for a compact review). Assuming a power-law spectrum, E(k) ∼ k −β , the value of the exponent β then determines the expected dispersion regime.…”