Helga Huntley, B.L. Lipphardt, A.D. Kirwan, M.H.M. Sulman
University of Delaware
(Abstract received 04/05/2012 for session A)
ABSTRACT
Beyond locating transport barriers, however, FLEs characterize flows by summarizing particle separation behavior. Research into the accuracy of such characterizations vis-ŕ-vis nature is in its infancy, partially because available Lagrangian observations are generally too sparse for a meaningful analysis. Here we use ocean general circulation models to investigate whether a large number of drifters deployed in a dense network would suffice to establish a representative view of FLEs in a confined region. We explore the sensitivity of the FLE estimates to deployment location, drifter number, and deployment stencil. The parameter space is divided into “observable” and “non-observable” regions, which also informs our understanding of which features of an FLE field are ephemeral and which are robust.