PhD defence: Traceability of Ocean Flows and Material Transport

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Ocean currents transport all kinds of ‘stuff’ with them, such as salt, heat, carbon and marine life. They do so over large distances and across different depths. The ability to trace these currents - and their associated transport patterns - is crucial. This is possible by tracing drifting instruments, or, as in this thesis, by computing the paths of virtual particles and water ‘parcels’ using ocean models. 

This thesis examines the traceability of such particles and water parcels in a chaotic ocean. We approach this through three distinct contexts, with applications ranging from climate studies and ecology to marine debris tracking.

First, we discuss a method to improve the simulation of particle spreading in coarse-resolution ocean models that inherently lack sufficient chaotic spreading. These coarse-resolution models are essential tools in climate research, particularly for understanding heat transport and the carbon cycle.

Furthermore, we identify a fundamental limitation in the conventional method used for backward-in-time particle origin determination. This method has typically been applied in ecological studies and for tracing sources of marine pollutants, including plastic debris and wreckage.

Finally, we trace how dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations evolve along the trajectories of water parcels as they move from the ocean surface to deeper ocean layers. By examining the timescales and magnitude at which biology and mixing alter the carbon concentration in water parcels, we provide a fresh perspective on the carbon cycle in the ocean.

PLEASE NOTE: The candidate gives a layman's talk prior to the defense of the dissertation; therefore, the livestream will start fifteen minutes earlier.

Start date and time
End date and time
Location
Hybride: online (livestream link) and for invited guests in the Utrecht University Hall, Domplein 29
PhD candidate
B.J.H.R. Reijnders
Dissertation
Traceability of Ocean Flows and Material Transport
PhD supervisor(s)
prof. dr. E. van Sebille
prof. dr. ir. H.A. Dijkstra
More information
Full text via Utrecht University Repository