Workshop: Uncovering Transport Barriers in Geophysical Flows; Banff International Research Station (BIRS), Banff, Alberta; 22 to 27 September 2013

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this award is to support an international workshop at the Banff International Research Station (BIRS) on "Uncovering Transport Barriers in Geophysical Flows". The methods covered by the workshop include the topics of Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs), set-theoretical approaches to Lagrangian coherence, probabilistic methods, and Lagrangian indicators motivated by ergodic theory. The goal is to bring together researchers with expertise in a variety of techniques, find common ground, and thereby develop a coordinated approach to the problem of geophysical transport. This interaction will inspire new theoretical research and advance the development of practical tools for real world application. The need to develop robust mathematical methods to identify the key dynamic structures that act as the hidden skeleton of transport in complex geophysical flows has never been more pressing, given their role in organizing climate processes (e.g. algal blooms, ozone transport) and environmental disasters (e.g. Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Icelandic volcanic ash cloud, Fukushima nuclear disaster). New tools that emerge as a result of this workshop have the potential to profoundly influence decision making strategies for the ocean, including such scenarios as the deployment of clean up equipment during an oil spill or the focus regions for a search and rescue operation. The outcomes of this workshop will be summarized in a 10-page summary document and distributed to government agencies and industry. Junior faculty and postdoctoral researchers will interact with leading faculty, developing a future pool of talent in this rapidly advancing and globally important research topic.