Coherent Spatial Patterns and Material Transport in Oceanic Flows

The main subject of the grant is spontaneous emergence, dynamics, and properties of the coherent spatial patterns in oceanic flows. The oceanic regimes include convection with rotation, wind-driven circulation of the midaltitude ocean, thermohaline circulation, coastal currents near the U. S. West Coast, planetary boundary layers, and surface gravity waves. Consideration is also given to interactions between the coherent patters, material transport, and spontaneous low-frequency variability. Some of the results are used for developing improved computational algorithms and parameterizations for oceanic models.