Drifter motion in the Gulf of Mexico constrained by altimetric Lagrangian coherent structures

M. J. Olascoaga; F. J. Beron-Vera; G. Haller; J. Triñanes; M. Iskandarani; E. F. Coelho; B. K. Haus; H. S. Huntley; G. Jacobs; A. D. Kirwan; B. L. Lipphardt; T. M. Özgökmen; A. J. H. M. Reniers; A. Valle-Levinson

doi:10.1002/2013GL058624

Drifter motion in the Gulf of Mexico constrained by altimetric Lagrangian coherent structures

M. J. Olascoaga, F. J. Beron-Vera, G. Haller, J. Triñanes, M. Iskandarani, E. F. Coelho, B. K. Haus, H. S. Huntley, G. Jacobs, A. D. Kirwan, B. L. Lipphardt, T. M. Özgökmen, A. J. H. M. Reniers, A. Valle-Levinson

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

91 Scopus citations

Abstract

Application of recent geometric tools for Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS) shows that material attraction in geostrophic velocities derived from altimetry data imposed an important constraint to the motion of drifters from the Grand Lagrangian Deployment (GLAD) in the Gulf of Mexico. This material attraction is largely transparent to traditional Eulerian analysis. Attracting LCS acted as approximate centerpieces for mesoscale patterns formed by the drifters. Persistently attracting LCS cores emerged 1 week before the development of a filament resembling the "tiger tail" of the Deepwater Horizon oil slick, thereby anticipating its formation. Our results suggest that the mesoscale circulation plays a significant role in shaping near-surface transport in the Gulf of Mexico. Key Points Altimetric LCS constrain drifter motion Altimetric LCS form centerpieces of drifter distributions Altimetric LCS cores predate shape changes in drifter distributions

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	6171-6175
Number of pages	5
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	40
Issue number	23
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/2013GL058624
State	Published - Dec 16 2013
Externally published	Yes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Geophysics
General Earth and Planetary Sciences

Access to Document

10.1002/2013GL058624

Cite this

Olascoaga, M. J., Beron-Vera, F. J., Haller, G., Triñanes, J., Iskandarani, M., Coelho, E. F., Haus, B. K., Huntley, H. S., Jacobs, G., Kirwan, A. D., Lipphardt, B. L., Özgökmen, T. M., H. M. Reniers, A. J., & Valle-Levinson, A. (2013). Drifter motion in the Gulf of Mexico constrained by altimetric Lagrangian coherent structures. Geophysical Research Letters, 40(23), 6171-6175. https://doi.org/10.1002/2013GL058624

@article{a09fd522f3c94113a531d8b35495dcd7,

title = "Drifter motion in the Gulf of Mexico constrained by altimetric Lagrangian coherent structures",

abstract = "Application of recent geometric tools for Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS) shows that material attraction in geostrophic velocities derived from altimetry data imposed an important constraint to the motion of drifters from the Grand Lagrangian Deployment (GLAD) in the Gulf of Mexico. This material attraction is largely transparent to traditional Eulerian analysis. Attracting LCS acted as approximate centerpieces for mesoscale patterns formed by the drifters. Persistently attracting LCS cores emerged 1 week before the development of a filament resembling the {"}tiger tail{"} of the Deepwater Horizon oil slick, thereby anticipating its formation. Our results suggest that the mesoscale circulation plays a significant role in shaping near-surface transport in the Gulf of Mexico. Key Points Altimetric LCS constrain drifter motion Altimetric LCS form centerpieces of drifter distributions Altimetric LCS cores predate shape changes in drifter distributions",

author = "Olascoaga, {M. J.} and Beron-Vera, {F. J.} and G. Haller and J. Tri{\~n}anes and M. Iskandarani and Coelho, {E. F.} and Haus, {B. K.} and Huntley, {H. S.} and G. Jacobs and Kirwan, {A. D.} and Lipphardt, {B. L.} and {\"O}zg{\"o}kmen, {T. M.} and {H. M. Reniers}, {A. J.} and A. Valle-Levinson",

year = "2013",

month = dec,

day = "16",

doi = "10.1002/2013GL058624",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "40",

pages = "6171--6175",

journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

issn = "0094-8276",

publisher = "American Geophysical Union",

number = "23",

}

Olascoaga, MJ, Beron-Vera, FJ, Haller, G, Triñanes, J, Iskandarani, M, Coelho, EF, Haus, BK, Huntley, HS, Jacobs, G, Kirwan, AD, Lipphardt, BL, Özgökmen, TM, H. M. Reniers, AJ & Valle-Levinson, A 2013, 'Drifter motion in the Gulf of Mexico constrained by altimetric Lagrangian coherent structures', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 40, no. 23, pp. 6171-6175. https://doi.org/10.1002/2013GL058624

TY - JOUR

T1 - Drifter motion in the Gulf of Mexico constrained by altimetric Lagrangian coherent structures

AU - Olascoaga, M. J.

AU - Beron-Vera, F. J.

AU - Haller, G.

AU - Triñanes, J.

AU - Iskandarani, M.

AU - Coelho, E. F.

AU - Haus, B. K.

AU - Huntley, H. S.

AU - Jacobs, G.

AU - Kirwan, A. D.

AU - Lipphardt, B. L.

AU - Özgökmen, T. M.

AU - H. M. Reniers, A. J.

AU - Valle-Levinson, A.

PY - 2013/12/16

Y1 - 2013/12/16

N2 - Application of recent geometric tools for Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS) shows that material attraction in geostrophic velocities derived from altimetry data imposed an important constraint to the motion of drifters from the Grand Lagrangian Deployment (GLAD) in the Gulf of Mexico. This material attraction is largely transparent to traditional Eulerian analysis. Attracting LCS acted as approximate centerpieces for mesoscale patterns formed by the drifters. Persistently attracting LCS cores emerged 1 week before the development of a filament resembling the "tiger tail" of the Deepwater Horizon oil slick, thereby anticipating its formation. Our results suggest that the mesoscale circulation plays a significant role in shaping near-surface transport in the Gulf of Mexico. Key Points Altimetric LCS constrain drifter motion Altimetric LCS form centerpieces of drifter distributions Altimetric LCS cores predate shape changes in drifter distributions

AB - Application of recent geometric tools for Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS) shows that material attraction in geostrophic velocities derived from altimetry data imposed an important constraint to the motion of drifters from the Grand Lagrangian Deployment (GLAD) in the Gulf of Mexico. This material attraction is largely transparent to traditional Eulerian analysis. Attracting LCS acted as approximate centerpieces for mesoscale patterns formed by the drifters. Persistently attracting LCS cores emerged 1 week before the development of a filament resembling the "tiger tail" of the Deepwater Horizon oil slick, thereby anticipating its formation. Our results suggest that the mesoscale circulation plays a significant role in shaping near-surface transport in the Gulf of Mexico. Key Points Altimetric LCS constrain drifter motion Altimetric LCS form centerpieces of drifter distributions Altimetric LCS cores predate shape changes in drifter distributions

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84889598197&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84889598197&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/2013GL058624

DO - 10.1002/2013GL058624

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84889598197

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 40

SP - 6171

EP - 6175

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 23

ER -

Drifter motion in the Gulf of Mexico constrained by altimetric Lagrangian coherent structures

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this