Satellite-tracked Drifter Trajectories Research Articles

Effects of Eulerian current, Stokes drift and wind while simulating surface drifter trajectories in the Baltic Sea

The simulation of Lagrangian drift is an important task in applications such as dispersion of pollutants, larvae and search and rescue activities. In this study, the Eulerian current, Stokes drift and wind effect on the simulation of observed drifters were analysed. The Lagrangian OceanParcels model was used, and the surface trajectories were assessed by comparison with 9 GPS drifter trajectories in the Gulf of Finland, Gulf of Riga and Lithuanian coast. The Normalised Cumulative Lagrangian Separation (NCLS) distance between the simulated and the satellite-tracked drifter trajectories, and the mean absolute error (MAE) were used as comparison metrics. The present study suggests the need to consider the Stokes drift and the wind factor in addition to the modelled Eulerian currents to obtain a better description of the trajectories of particles. By making these considerations, the OceanParcels model could adequately simulate particle trajectories in the sub-basins within the Baltic Sea. The realized model tests showed that motion of surface drifters are strongly controlled by the Stokes drift when the significant wave height is >1 m, whereas the wind component and the Eulerian currents are crucial when the significant wave height is <0.6 m or the wave (Stokes drift) directions do not match the wind direction.

Variations in Flow Patterns in the Northern Taiwan Strait Observed by Satellite-Tracked Drifters

This study investigates the variations in flow patterns in the northern Taiwan Strait in summer using high-frequency (HF) radar measurements, satellite-tracked drifter trajectories and numerical models. There is an obvious interaction between intra-diurnal tides and ocean currents in northwestern Taiwan. When the tide changes between high tide and low tide, the change in direction of the nearshore flow occurs before the change in the offshore flow. Drifter trajectories show that there are three different drifting paths in the Taiwan Strait in summer. One path is along the west coast of Taiwan from the southwest coast to the northeast coast. Another path is the same as the first one but leads northward to the East China Sea instead of eastward to the northeast coast of Taiwan. The other path exists along the west coast of Taiwan, some distance out, after being deflected by the bottom ridge. The regional ocean modeling system model was used in this study to clarify the influencing factors that lead to these three paths. The results of multiple simulations and HF radar data indicate that the bifurcation of the first two drift paths in northwestern Taiwan is caused by ebb and flood tide transitions. The different routes of the latter two paths are due to the significant speed difference between the nearshore current and the offshore current approximately 45 km from the coast.

Sensitivity of Skill Score Metric to Validate Lagrangian Simulations in Coastal Areas: Recommendations for Search and Rescue Applications

Search and rescue (SAR) modeling applications, mostly based on Lagrangian tracking particle algorithms, rely on the accuracy of met-ocean forecast models. Skill assessment methods are therefore required to evaluate the performance of ocean models in predicting particle trajectories. The Skill Score (SS), based on the Normalized Cumulative Lagrangian Separation (NCLS) distance between simulated and satellite-tracked drifter trajectories, is a commonly used metric. However, its applicability in coastal areas, where most of the SAR incidents occur, is difficult and sometimes unfeasible, because of the high variability that characterizes the coastal dynamics and the lack of drifter observations. In this study, we assess the performance of four models available in the Ibiza Channel (Western Mediterranean Sea) and evaluate the applicability of the SS in such coastal risk-prone regions seeking for a functional implementation in the context of SAR operations. We analyze the SS sensitivity to different forecast horizons and examine the best way to quantify the average model performance, to avoid biased conclusions. Our results show that the SS increases with forecast time in most cases. At short forecast times (i.e., 6 h), the SS exhibits a much higher variability due to the short trajectory lengths observed compared to the separation distance obtained at timescales not properly resolved by the models. However, longer forecast times lead to the overestimation of the SS due to the high variability of the surface currents. Findings also show that the averaged SS, as originally defined, can be misleading because of the imposition of a lower limit value of zero. To properly evaluate the averaged skill of the models, a revision of its definition, the so-called SS∗, is recommended. Furthermore, whereas drifters only provide assessment along their drifting paths, we show that trajectories derived from high-frequency radar (HFR) effectively provide information about the spatial distribution of the model performance inside the HFR coverage. HFR-derived trajectories could therefore be used for complementing drifter observations. The SS is, on average, more favorable to coarser-resolution models because of the double-penalty error, whereas higher-resolution models show both very low and very high performance during the experiments.

Vertical structure and temporal variability of currents over the Chukchi Sea continental slope

Observations from a single mooring site on the northern Chukchi Sea continental slope near the 1000-m isobath are presented. This site was occupied consecutively for three years (spanning September 2014–August 2017). Vertically the flow divides into three depth ranges: the upper ~200 m, ~200–~850 m and near-bottom flow. In the upper ~200 m, the mean flow was northwestward and strongest in the summer months. During winter months, currents decreased in magnitude, and in some years even reversed in direction. Satellite-tracked drifter trajectories (drogue depth ~30 m) show this along-slope flow persists at least from 156 to 165 °W, with an average velocity of ~17 cm s−1. This northwestward flowing current is the Chukchi Slope Current. From ~250 m to ~850 m, the flow reversed; this weak flow is the Arctic-wide cyclonic boundary current advecting Atlantic Water. The mean flow at ~900 m is weak and on an annual time scale not significantly different from 0 cm s−1. It consists of Arctic deep water. In the upper two layers, currents vary on the scale of days to seasons, with short-term reversals common. Currents below 40 m were not significantly correlated with local winds nor wind stress curl. We hypothesize that the northwestward flowing Chukchi Slope Current is a consequence of dynamics associated with the Beaufort Gyre.

Stability of the Malvinas Current.

Deterministic and probabilistic tools from nonlinear dynamics are used to assess enduring near-surface Lagrangian aspects of the Malvinas Current. The deterministic tools are applied to a multiyear record of velocities derived from satellite altimetry data, revealing a resilient cross-stream transport barrier. This is composed of shearless-parabolic Lagrangian coherent structures (LCSs), which, extracted over sliding time windows along the multiyear altimetry-derived velocity record, lie in near-coincidental position. The probabilistic tools are applied on a large collection of historical satellite-tracked drifter trajectories, revealing weakly communicating flow regions as basins of attraction for long-time asymptotic almost-invariant sets on either side of the altimetry-derived barrier. Shearless-parabolic LCSs are detected for the first time from altimetry data, and their significance is supported on satellite-derived ocean color data, which reveal shapes that quite closely resemble the peculiar V shapes, dubbed "chevrons," that have recently confirmed the presence of similar LCSs in the atmosphere of Jupiter. Finally, using available in situ velocity and hydrographic data, sufficient and necessary conditions for nonlinear symmetric stability are found to be satisfied, suggesting a duality between Lagrangian and Eulerian stability for the Malvinas Current.

Lagrangian Geography of the Deep Gulf of Mexico

AbstractUsing trajectories from acoustically tracked (RAFOS) floats in the Gulf of Mexico, we construct a geography of its Lagrangian circulation within the 1500–2500-m layer. This is done by building a Markov-chain representation of the Lagrangian dynamics. The geography is composed of weakly interacting provinces that constrain the connectivity at depth. The main geography includes two provinces of near-equal areas separated by a roughly meridional boundary. The residence time is about 4.5 (3.5) years in the western (eastern) province. The exchange between these provinces is effected through a slow cyclonic circulation, which is well constrained in the western basin by preservation of f/H, where f is the Coriolis parameter and H is depth. Secondary provinces of varied shapes covering smaller areas are identified with residence times ranging from about 0.4 to 1.2 years or so. Except for the main provinces, the deep Lagrangian geography does not resemble the surface Lagrangian geography recently inferred from satellite-tracked drifter trajectories. This implies disparate connectivity characteristics with potential implications for pollutant (e.g., oil) dispersal at the surface and at depth. Support for our results is provided by a Markov-chain analysis of satellite-tracked profiling (Argo) floats, which, while forming a smaller dataset and having seemingly different water-following characteristics than the RAFOS floats, replicate the main aspects of the Lagrangian geography. Our results find further validation in independent results from a chemical tracer release experiment.

Near-inertial motions in the Brazil Current at 24°S-36°S: Observations by satellite tracked drifters

Increased spatial and temporal resolution of recent observations and modeling have pointed out the importance of small scale structures (in the range of 1–50km) for the mixing processes in the ocean. Based on high-frequency drifter measurements, we show here that the near-inertial currents (NICs) can contribute significantly to the surface kinetic energy in the Brazil Current (BC) region and, therefore, should be properly taken into account in the studies of transport and mixing processes. To characterize these submesoscale features, we examine the current response to the wind forcing in the Brazilian ocean margin between 24°S and 36°S using 3-hourly sampled trajectories of satellite-tracked drifters. Our results indicate a preference for anti-cyclonic circular motions, with a rotating period close to the local inertial period, consistent with near-inertial motions in the Southern Hemisphere (SH). Wind stress time series, from three months of wind measurements, along with synoptic weather charts, are used to relate the observed NICs to the atmospheric forcing. During SH spring, NICs occur in 4.7−15 day bursts and account for 15–45% of the total surface current variance. This intermittency is related to atmospheric cold frontal passages, low pressure systems, and sea breeze/land breeze circulations. The predominance of NICs south of 28°S appears to be related to the increased Effective Inertial Frequency (EIF), which is the inertial frequency changed by the sub-inertial background flow.

Using Lagrangian Coherent Structures to understand coastal water quality

The accumulation of pollutants near the shoreline can result in low quality coastal water with negative effects on human health. To understand the role of mixing by tidal flows in coastal water quality we study the nearshore Lagrangian circulation. Specifically, we reveal Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs), i.e., distinguished material curves which shape global mixing patterns and thus act as skeletons of the Lagrangian circulation. This is done using the recently developed geodesic theory of transport barriers. Particular focus is placed on Hobie Beach, a recreational subtropical marine beach located in Virginia Key, Miami, Florida. According to studies of water quality, Hobie Beach is characterized by high microbial levels. Possible sources of pollution in Hobie Beach include human bather shedding, dog fecal matter, runoff, and sand efflux at high tides. Consistent with the patterns formed by satellite-tracked drifter trajectories, the LCSs extracted from simulated currents reveal a Lagrangian circulation favoring the retention near the shoreline of pollutants released along the shoreline, which can help explain the low quality water registered at Hobie Beach.

Evaluation of trajectory modeling in different dynamic regions using normalized cumulative Lagrangian separation

[1] The Lagrangian separation distance between the endpoints of simulated and observed drifter trajectories is often used to assess the performance of numerical particle trajectory models. However, the separation distance fails to indicate relative model performance in weak and strong current regions, such as a continental shelf and its adjacent deep ocean. A new skill score is proposed based on the cumulative Lagrangian separation distances normalized by the associated cumulative trajectory lengths. This skill score is used to evaluate surface trajectories implied by Global HYCOM hindcast surface currents as gauged against actual satellite-tracked drifter trajectories in the eastern Gulf of Mexico during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It is found that the new skill score correctly indicates the relative performance of the Global HYCOM in modeling the strong currents of the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current and the Gulf Stream and the weaker currents of the West Florida Shelf. In contrast, the Lagrangian separation distance alone gives a misleading result. The proposed dimensionless skill score is particularly useful when the number of drifter trajectories is limited and neither a conventional Eulerian-based velocity nor a Lagrangian-based probability density function may be estimated.

Technical issues in modeling surface-drifter behavior on the East China Sea shelf

To investigate technical issues associated with the particle-tracking numerical models frequently used to reproduce the behavior of objects drifting in the actual ocean, the trajectories of satellite-tracked drifters released in 2003, 2004, and 2007 were reproduced using a numerical model. In particular, the wind stress driving the surface currents which carried the drifters has been computed using satellite-observed QuikSCAT/Seawinds data provided twice daily in conjunction with in-situ Ieodo-station wind data. Although it is difficult to reproduce the trajectory of a single drifter using numerical models because of the uncertainty induced by random-walk processes, the similarity between the modeled particle and observed buoy trajectories is statistically significant, except for the experiment in 2007. In general, the satellite-derived wind field modified using in situ data is likely to be able to reproduce observed drifter motion. However, it is found that the model is unable to reproduce drifter trajectories in windy 2007. The numerical modeling result demonstrates that wind-induced leeway drift prevails in drifter motion in 2007, in spite of the wind-resistant drogue attached to the drifters, and that this drift shows non-negligible spatiotemporal variability, suggesting that leeway drift is not simply proportional to wind speeds, as in previous studies have maintained.

Global distribution of the decay timescale of mixed layer inertial motions observed by satellite‐tracked drifters

The decay timescale of mixed layer inertial amplitudes has been estimated from satellite tracked drifter trajectories from 1990 to 2004 as the e‐folding timescale of the temporal correlation functions. The decay timescales increase with latitude in all basins except the North Atlantic. A beta dispersion model shows that dephasing leads to meridional variations of the decay timescale in the North Pacific and the Southern Ocean, but meridional variations of the buoyancy structure in the North Atlantic act to compensate the beta effect, leading to a lack of meridional variation of the decay timescale in that ocean.

Lagrangian studies of phytoplankton growth and grazing relationships in a coastal upwelling ecosystem off Southern California

Experimental studies of phytoplankton growth and grazing processes were conducted in the coastal upwelling system off Point Conception, California to test the hypothesis that phytoplankton growth and grazing losses determine, to first order, the local dynamics of phytoplankton in the upwelling circulation. Eight experiments of 3–5 days each were conducted over the course of two cruises in May–June 2006 and April 2007 following the trajectories of satellite-tracked drifters. Rates of phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing were determined by daily in situ dilution incubations at 8 depths spanning the euphotic zone. Mesozooplankton grazing was assessed by gut fluorescence analysis of animals collected from net tows through the euphotic zone. We compared directly the net rates of change observed for the ambient phytoplankton community to the net growth rates predicted from experimental determinations of each process rate. The resulting relationship accounted for 91% of the variability observed, providing strong support for the growth-grazing hypothesis. In addition, grazing by mesozooplankton was unexpectedly high and variable, driving a substantial positive to negative shift in phytoplankton net rate of change between years despite comparable environmental conditions and similar high growth rates and suggesting strong top-down control potential. The demonstrated agreement between net ambient and experimental community changes is an important point of validation for using field data to parameterize models. Data sets of this type may provide an important source of new information and rate constraints for developing better coupled biological–physical models of upwelling system dynamics.

An Assessment of the Importance of Chaotic Stirring and Turbulent Mixing on the West Florida Shelf

Application of dynamical systems tools has recently revealed in surface ocean currents produced by a Hybrid-Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) simulation the presence of a persistent large-scale Lagrangian coherent structure (LCS) on the southern portion of the west Florida shelf (WFS). Consistent with satellite-tracked drifter trajectories, this LCS constitutes a cross-shelf barrier for the lateral transport of passive tracers. Because of the constraints that the above LCS, as well as smaller-scale LCSs lying shoreside, can impose on pollutant dispersal and its potentially very important biological consequences, a study was carried out on the nature of the surface ocean Lagrangian motion on the WFS. The analysis is based on the same simulated surface ocean velocity field that has been able to sustain the aforementioned persistent cross-shelf transport barrier. Examination of several diagnostics suggests that chaotic stirring dominates over turbulent mixing on time scales of up to two months or so. More specifically, it is found on those time scales that tracer evolution at a given length scale is governed to a nonnegligible extent by coarser-scale velocity field features, fluid particle dispersion is spatially inhomogeneous, and the Lagrangian evolution is more irregular than the driving Eulerian flow.

A note on the South China Sea shallow interocean circulation

The existing estimates of the volume transport from the Pacific Ocean to the South China Sea are summarized, showing an annual mean westward transport, with the Taiwan Strait outflow subtracted, of 3.5±2.0 Sv (1 Sv=106 m3 s−1). Results of a global ocean circulation model show an annual mean transport of 3.9 Sv from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean through the South China Sea. The boreal winter transport is larger and exhibits a South China Sea branch of the Pacific-to-Indian Ocean throughflow, which originates from the western Philippine Sea toward the Indonesian Seas through the South China Sea, as well as through the Karimata and Mindoro Straits. The southwestward current near the continental slope of the northern South China Sea is shown to be a combination of this branch and the interior circulation gyre. This winter branch can be confirmed by trajectories of satellite-tracked drifters, which clearly show a flow from the Luzon Strait to the Karimata Strait in winter. In summer, the flow in the Karimata Strait is reversed. Numerical model results indicate that the Pacific water can enter the South China Sea and exit toward the Sulu Sea, but no observational evidence is available. The roles of the throughflow branch in the circulation, water properties and air-sea exchange of the South China Sea, and in enhancing and regulating the volume transport and reducing the heat transport of the Indonesian Throughflow, are discussed.

Seasonal Variation of the Cheju Warm Current in the Northern East China Sea

The Cheju Warm Current has been defined as a mean current that rounds Cheju-do clockwise, transporting warm and saline water to the western coastal area of Cheju-do and into the Cheju Strait in the northern East China Sea (Lie et al., 1998). Seasonal variation of the Cheju Warm Current and its relevant hydrographic structures were examined by analyzing CTD data and trajectories of satellite-tracked drifters. Analysis of a combined data set of CTD and drifters confirms the year-round existence of the Cheju Warm Current west of Cheju-do and in the Cheju Strait, with current speeds of 5 to 40 cm/s. Saline waters transported by the Cheju Warm Current are classified Cheju Warm Current water for water of salinity greater than 34.0 psu and modified Cheju Warm Current for water having salinity of 33.5–34.0 psu. In winter, Cheju Warm Current water appears in a relatively large area west of Cheju-do, bounded by a strong thermohaline front formed in a "Γ" shape. In summer and autumn, the Cheju Warm Current water appears only in the lower layer, retreating to the western coastal area of Cheju-do in summer and to the eastern coastal area sometimes in autumn. The Cheju Warm Current is found to flow in the western channel of the Korea/Tsushima Strait after passing through the Cheju Strait, contributing significantly to the Tsushima Warm Current.

Drifter observations of surface circulation in the Adriatic Sea between December 1994 and March 1996

The trajectories of satellite-tracked drifters are used to describe the characteristics of the subtidal surface circulation in the Adriatic Sea between December 1994 and March 1996. The mean surface circulation inferred from the drifter velocities consists of an elongated basin-wide cyclonic gyre with northward flow on the eastern side and return southward currents near the Italian coast (western side). This global circulation feature is composed of two sub-basin cyclonic, circulatory velocity patterns around the two main deeps of the Adriatic, i.e., the Jabuka and the South Adriatic Pits. The mean currents are maximum (greater than 40 cm s −1) near the outside (coastal) perimeter of these features. Specific zones of horizontal convergence of the mean flow were identified by converging drifters. Other areas in the open sea appeared to be diverging as drifters were reluctant to enter them. The seasonal modulation of the surface circulation was resolved in the lower southern Adriatic Sea and in the Strait of Otranto. An enhanced horizontal shear (northward flow on the eastern flank and southward currents on the western side) in the strait and an increased cyclonic gyre circulation around the South Adriatic Pit were observed in winter. The inflow of Ionian water and the subsequent cyclonic veering around the South Adriatic Pit are minimum in spring. In summer, the southward currents outflowing on the Italian shelf are maximum. Qualitative comparison between the drifter-inferred velocities and contemporaneous moored current observations discloses substantial vertically coherent current variations within the top 50 m of water that give rise to significant transport variability. In addition to the seasonal variations, surface subtidal velocity fluctuations with scales ranging from a few days to a few weeks are ubiquitous in both the drifter and moored observations. They are due to transient wind events, to changes in the buoyancy input (river runoff) and to instability of the mean flow in the form of mesoscale eddies, jets and filaments.

Variability of currents in late spring in the northern Great South Channel

The residual flows computed from detided shipboard ADCP data collected in late spring 1988 and 1989 clearly show different circulation patterns in the near-surface and deeper regions in the Great South Channel (GSC). In the upper 50 m, the residual flow in the northern GSC consists of three principal currents: (1) a southward coastal current located along the western flank of the GSC; (2) a broad cyclonic circulation crudely following the local topography in the interior region of the northern GSC; and (3) a northeastward current along the western flank of Georges Bank. Below 50 m, the residual flow tends to be cyclonic along the local 100-m isobath in the northern GSC. These circulation patterns are consistent with the vertical distributions of water properties and the trajectories of satellite-tracked drifters drogued at 5 and 50 m. Comparisons with geostrophic current shears and numerical model results suggest that the residual flow in spring is driven primarily by tidal rectification over the shallower sides of the northern GSC and by buoyancy forcing over the deeper flanks of the GSC. The southward transports of low-salinity plume surface water and Maine Intermediate Water (MIW) were about 0.07 ± 0.03 Sv and 0.31 ± 0.38 Sv in April 1988 and about 0.12 ± 0.06 Sv and 0.66 ± 0.14 Sv in June 1989. The larger transports of low-salinity plume water and MIW found in June 1989 are believed to be due to the increased freshwater river discharge in 1989 and occurrence of a subsurface coastal jet current along the western flank of the GSC.

Currents off south-eastern Australia: results from the Australian coastal experiment

The Australian Coastal Experiment was conducted off the east coast of New South Wales between September 1983 and March 1984. The experiment was conducted with arrays of current meters spanning the continental margin at three latitudes (37.5�, 34.5�, and 33.0�S.), additional shelf moorings at 29� and 42�S. coastal wind and sea-level measurements, monthly conductivity-temperature-depth probe/expendable bathythermograph (CTD/XBT) surveys, and two satellite-tracked buoys. Over the continental shelf and slope, the alongshore component of the current generally exceeded the onshore component, and the subtidal (&lt;0.6 cpd, cycles per day) current variability greatly exceeded the mean flow. Part of the current variability was associated with two separate warm-core eddies that approached the coast, causing strong (&gt;50 cm sec-1), persistent (&gt;8 days), southward currents over the continental slope and outer shelf. Temperature and geostrophic velocity sections through the eddies, maps of ship's drift vectors and temperature contours at 250 m, and the satellite-tracked drifter trajectories showed that these eddies were similar in structure to those observed previously in the East Australian Current region. Both eddies migrated generally southward. Eddy currents over the shelf and slope were rare at Cape Howe (37.5�S.), more common near Sydney (34.5�S.), and frequent at Newcastle (33.0�S.), where strong northward currents were also observed. Near Sydney, the eddy currents over the slope turned clockwise with depth between 280 and 740 m, suggesting net downwelling there. Repeated CTD sections also indicated onshore transport and downwelling at shallower levels; presumably, upwelling occurred farther south where the eddy currents turned offshore. Periodic rotary currents over the continental slope near Sydney and Newcastle indicated the presence of small cyclonic eddies on the flank of a much larger anticyclonic eddy. Between early October and late January, no strong southward currents were observed over the continental margin near Sydney. Data from this 'eddy-free' period were analysed further to examine the structure and variability of the coastal currents. Much of this variability was correlated with fluctuations in coastal sea-level (at zero lag) and with the wind stress (at various lags). The coherence and phase relationships among current, wind-stress, and sea-level records at different latitudes (determined from spectral analysis and frequency-domain empirical orthogonal functions) were consistent with the equatorward propagation of coastal-trapped waves generated by winds in phase with those near Cape Howe. Time-domain empirical orthogonal functions show that the current fluctuations decayed with distance from shore and with depth, as expected of coastal-trapped waves.