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Oil Convergence + Dispersion on Ocean Currents
Lagrangian Submesoscale Experiment — LASER
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A science team led by Eric D'Asaro conducted a unique mission to deploy over 1,000 ocean drifters in a small area of the Gulf of Mexico. The real-time data collected from the biodegradable drifters recalibrated understanding of ocean currents.
This video is part of the series Dispatches from the Gulf — a multimedia initiative featuring documentaries, short videos, and podcasts that examine science, innovation, community, and recovery in the Gulf of Mexico in the years after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
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How does oil spread away from a spill area? Surprising observations from the research cruise in the Gulf of Mexico near the site of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster provide new insight.
Over 1,000 small ocean drifter were released to track the motion of surface currents and act as a surrogate for oil. Instead of spreading apart, many of the drifters converged into a small area during the first week and only then spread apart slowly over the next month. "These convergence regions would be excellent places to recover spilled oil," suggest Eric D'Asaro, who served as chief scientist on the R/V Walton Smith during LASER.
In areas of drifter accumulation, Lagrangian floats were deployed to measure the velocities in the upper ocean. The LASER team reports that the drifters converge due to downwelling at density fronts, linking serveral types of observations and theoretical and modeling predictions.
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More About This Research
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Ocean convergence and the dispersion of flotsam D'Asaro, E.A., A.Y. Shcherbina, and 17 others, "Ocean convergence and the dispersion of flotsam," Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 115, 1162-1167, doi:10.1073/pnas.1718453115, 2018. |
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More Info
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16 Jan 2018
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Ocean currents move material released on the ocean surface away from the release point and, over time, spread it over an increasingly large area. However, observations also show high concentrations of the material even after significant spreading. This work examines a mechanism for creating such concentrations: downwelling of water at the boundaries of different water masses concentrates floating material at this boundary. Hundreds of satellite-tracked drifters were released near the site of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Surprisingly, most of these gathered into a single cluster less than 100 m in size, dramatically demonstrating the strength of this mechanism.
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Temporary 'bathtub drains' in the ocean concentrate flotsam UW News, Hannah Hickey An experiment featuring the largest flotilla of sensors ever deployed in a single area provides new insights into how marine debris, or flotsam, moves on the surface of the ocean. |
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18 Jan 2018
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Scientists watch ocean plastic hotspots form in real time NewsDeeply, Erica Cirino Researchers tracked hundreds of buoys deployed in the Gulf of Mexico. Not only did the buoys not spread out – many concentrated into an area the size of a football stadium. The findings may help scientists pinpoint areas for plastic or oil-spill cleanup. |
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6 Feb 2018
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