The Physical Context for Thin Layers in the Coastal Ocean
2008
Fratantoni, David M.
Our long-term goal is to develop an efficient, sustainable, and relocatable observing system suitable for a variety of exploratory, process-oriented oceanographic studies and naval applications. Our basic strategy is to combine technology development with significant field experiments which advance our understanding of the ocean environment. During the LOCO program our goal is to describe how the structure and evolution of thin layers vary regionally and temporally in different physical environments and under different forcing regimes. Specifically, we hope to address three significant research questions: 1. How does thin layer structure and occurrence frequency vary in different physical and biological environments and under different forcing regimes? 2. What are the typical horizontal spatial scales associated with these layers, and what processes control their horizontal extent and spatial structure? 3. On what timescales are layers generated and destroyed, and how is this evolution related to the ambient physical environment and atmospheric forcing?
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