Grad Student Wang Quantifies Ocean Model Uncertainty to Improve Prediction Accuracy
September 12, 2017
September 12, 2017 Researchers use numerical models to simulate oil spill scenarios and predict where oil will go, but the many factors that affect the oil’s path creates uncertainty in the predictions. Shitao Wang quantifies the uncertainty of ocean models to gauge the reliability of oil fate predictions. “It’s like a weather prediction. Instead of […]
read articleStudy Finds Small-Scale Flows Alter Transport Pathways on the Ocean’s Surface
September 5, 2017
September 5, 2017 (GoMRI) Scientists analyzed model simulations of tracer dispersion in a Gulf of Mexico eddy to find out if small-scale flows surrounding the eddy influenced where the tracer went. The researchers observed that the small-scale flows disrupted the eddy’s large-scale flow patterns enough so that 20-50% of the tracer that was entrained in […]
read articleScience at Sea: SPLASH Experiment Improves Predictions for Oil Moving toward Shore
August 10, 2017
August 10, 2017 (GoMRI) Response decisions during Deepwater Horizon relied on forecasts of where the oil was going and when it would get there. Researchers with the CARTHE consortium have been working to improve the information that goes into making ocean transport forecasts. The group recently completed the last of four field experiments that link […]
read articleWhere Ocean Meets Sky: New NASA Radar Gets a Tryout
June 1, 2017
June 1, 2017 (NASA/JPL) Technology To Benefit Weather and Climate Studies, Maritime Uses Ocean currents and winds form an endless feedback loop: winds blow over the ocean’s surface, creating currents there. At the same time, the hot or cold water in these currents influences the wind’s speed. This delicate dance is crucial to understanding Earth’s […]
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