Abstract:

The data set contains data reprocessed from prior studies utilizing large eddy simulations (LES) and an analytical prediction based on the turbulent vertical velocity scale in order to summarize the effects of different forcings on the oceanic mixed layer. Comparisons are made of the modeled and analytically predicted plume (oil, plastics) while varying the turbulent Langmuir number (Yang et al., 2015), the angle between the wind stress and the Stokes drift (Chen et al., 2016), and the magnitude of the wind stress, the buoyancy flux, and the Stokes drift (Chor et al., 2018). This dataset supports the publication: Chamecki, M., Chor, T., Yang, D., & Meneveau, C. (2019). Material transport in the ocean mixed layer: recent developments enabled by large eddy simulations. Reviews of Geophysics. doi:10.1029/2019rg000655

Suggested Citation:

Tomas Chor. 2019. Dataset for: Material transport in the ocean mixed layer: recent developments enabled by large eddy simulations. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/n7-sg6q-5j98

Publications:

Chamecki, M., Chor, T., Yang, D., & Meneveau, C. (2019). Material transport in the ocean mixed layer: recent developments enabled by large eddy simulations. Reviews of Geophysics. doi:10.1029/2019rg000655

Purpose:

These data support a study comparing the theoretical predictions of the vertical transport of materials such as oil and plastic based on different forcing in the oceanic mixed layer.

Data Parameters and Units:

The dataset includes 3 netCDF files with the following variables: - direction_LES (degree): the direction of transport of the material measured via Large Eddy Simulations (LES) results. - direction_predicted (degree): theoretical prediction of the direction of transport. - inv_depth (m): the depth of the ocean mixed layer (OML). - u_star (m/s): the friction velocity. - w_star (m/s): the turbulent convective velocity scale. - La_t (dimensionless): the turbulent Langmuir number. - simulation (dimensionless): simulation name. - beta (dimensionless): floatability parameter, the ratio of the vertical velocity of the material to the turbulent vertical velocity. Note: Dataset also includes a readme file and missing values are NaN.

Methods:

The Large Eddy Simulation has been well-described in the literature. It is horizontally periodic and thus represents an idealized ocean.

Provenance and Historical References:

Chen, B., Yang, D., Meneveau, C., & Chamecki, M. (2016). Effects of swell on transport and dispersion of oil plumes within the ocean mixed layer. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. doi:10.1002/2015jc011380 Chor, T., Yang, D., Meneveau, C., & Chamecki, M. (2018). A turbulence velocity scale for predicting the fate of buoyant materials in the Oceanic Mixed Layer. Geophysical Research Letters. doi:10.1029/2018gl080296 Yang, D., Chen, B., Chamecki, M., & Meneveau, C. (2015). Oil plumes and dispersion in Langmuir, upper-ocean turbulence: Large-eddy simulations and K-profile parameterization. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 120(7), 4729–4759. doi:10.1002/2014jc010542

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