4D-LANES: Four-Dimensional Lagrangian Analysis, Numerics, and Estimation Systems

Pierre Lermusiaux, Manan Doshi, Patrick Haley, Chris Mirabito

Describing and quantifying the truly three-dimensional and time-dependent transports of ocean properties from the surface ocean to the interior is a fascinating observational, theoretical, and modeling challenge. The "Coherent Lagrangian Pathways from the Surface Ocean to Interior (CALYPSO)" initiative addresses this challenge, with a focus on the southwest Mediterranean Sea region. Our MSEAS goal is to develop novel efficient four-dimensional Lagrangian analysis theory and methods, and apply and expand our capabilities in multi-resolution multi-disciplinary ocean modeling, uncertainty, predictability, and Lagrangian-Eulerian data assimilation, to predict and characterize multiscale ocean transports, coherent structures, and subduction/stirring/mixing processes, and optimally guide ocean platforms towards the most informative observations.

The CALYPSO 2019 experiment occured in the Alboran Sea from March 27 to April 11, 2019. Our specific objectives were to: (i) Utilize our new Lagrangian transport theory and methods to forecast, characterize and quantify ocean processes involved in the three-dimensional transports and transformation of water masses and subduction dynamics in the Alboran Sea; (ii) Apply and expand our multi-resolution submesoscale-to-regional-scale ocean modeling, 2-way nesting, and uncertainty predictions, for real-time forecasting and process studies; (iii) Help design field experiments and predict sampling strategies that maximize information on 4D pathways and dynamics in the region. We thank all of the CALYPSO team members for their inputs and collaboration. We also thank NCEP for their atmospheric forcing data.

You can access the MSEAS Webpage for CALYPSO here.

You can access the MSEAS Webpage for the CALYPSO 2019 experiment here.