Chaotic Advection in the Ocean

 

S.V. Prants

 

Pacific Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Baltiiskaya St. 41, 690041 Vladivostok, Russia

prants@poi.dvo.ru

 

Abstract

 

The problem of chaotic advection of passive scalars in the ocean and its topological, dynamical and fractal properties are reviewed from the point of view of dynamical systems theory. Analytic and numerical results on Lagrangian transport and mixing in kinematic and dynamic models of oceanic currents are discussed. Laboratory experiments on hydrodynamic flows in rotating tanks as an imitation of geophysical chaotic advection are reviewed. Perspectives of dynamical systems approach in physical oceanography are discussed. 

 

1. K.V. Koshel and S.V. Prants, Chaotic advection in the ocean. Physics Uspekhi. V.49 N11. (2006)  P.1151-1178. 

2. S.V. Prants, M.V. Budyansky, M.Yu. Uleysky, and G.M. Zaslavsky. Chaotic mixing and transport in a meandering jet flow.  Chaos.V.16  (2006) art.no 033117. 

3. M.Yu. Uleysky, M.V. Budyansky, and S.V. Prants. Effect of dynamical traps on chaotic transport in a meandering jet flow. Chaos. V.17. Is.4 (2007)  art. no. 024703.