ITR: Spatio-Temporal Complexity and Nonlinear Dynamics of Coastal Ocean Flows

Oregon State University, Corvallis OR

Investigators

Abstract

ITR: Spatio-Temporal Complexity and Non-Linear Dynamics of Coastal Ocean Flows Roger M. Samelson, John S. Allen, Gary D. Egbert Oregon State University The spatio-temporal complexity and non-linear dynamics of coastal ocean flows will be studied using methods adapted from recent work on the non-linear dynamics of low-dimensional systems. Stable and unstable periodic or approximately periodic solutions of a three-dimensional, numerical coastal ocean circulation model with realistic bottom topography and oscillatory atmospheric forcing will be computed and their dynamics analyzed. The linear stability and disturbance growth properties of these solutions will be studied using Floquet theory, optimal disturbance, and Lyapunov vector analyses. Applications toward ensemble forecasting methods for coastal ocean circulation will be explored. This research is expected to yield substantial new insights into the nonlinear dynamics and inherent predictability of the coastal ocean system.