Quantification of Stokes Drift as a Mechanism for Surface Oil Advection in the Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Wave-driven transport, also known as Stokes drift, is the motion of a particle due to the orbital motion induced by a passing wave. This orbital motion does not form closed loops, leading to a net displacement over a single wave period. Stokes drift has previously been qualitatively shown to be a fa...
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| Format: | Others |
| Language: | English English |
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Florida State University
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| Online Access: | http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-9576 |
| Summary: | Wave-driven transport, also known as Stokes drift, is the motion of a particle due to the orbital motion induced by a passing wave. This orbital motion does not form closed loops, leading to a net displacement over a single wave period. Stokes drift has previously been qualitatively shown to be a factor in ocean surface particle transport, with most studies focused exclusively in near-shore regions. However, Stokes drift has never been quantified beyond theoretical studies and case studies limited to small regions. Here, Stokes drift is calculated directly from Wavewatch III model data in the Gulf of Mexico for April-July 2010. Its magnitudes are compared between deep and shelf water areas, and against the magnitudes of surface currents and parameterized wind drift. These comparisons are also made specifically for the time period surrounding the passage of Hurricane Alex through the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. While there is not a major difference between the absolute magnitudes of Stokes drift in shelf vs. deep water areas or when compared to wind drift, Stokes drift is larger in shelf water areas relative to surface currents than in deep water. During Hurricane Alex, Stokes drift magnitudes were much larger in the immediate area of the storm, while in the oil spill area there was little change until after the storm was out of the Gulf, at which time swell had propagated into the region, increasing Stokes drift magnitudes. === A Thesis submitted to the Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. === Summer Semester 2015. === June 30, 2015. === Gulf of Mexico, Oil spill, Stokes drift === Includes bibliographical references. === Mark Bourassa, Professor Co-Directing Thesis; Eric Chassignet, Professor Co-Directing Thesis; Robert Hart, Committee Member. |
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