PowerPoint Presentation

3D Dynamics of Freshwater Plumes Produced by Convective RainsAlexander Solovieva,b, Cayla Deana, Silvia Matta,c, Atsushi FujimurabaNova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center, Dania Beach, FL, USA bRosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, Miami, FL, USAcnow at Naval Research Laboratory, Stennis Space Center, MS, USA

Sea Surface Salinity Team18 November 2014San Francisco, CASpecial thanks to Roger Lukas and Lisan Yiu1Freshwater plume observed during TOGA COARE (no substantial diurnal warming)

(Soloviev and Lukas, 1997)Model domain for simulation of freshwater plume

3

U10 = 8 m/s

U10 = 8 m/sU10 = 8 m/s

Convective rains within ITCZ produce localized freshwater lenses, which have tendency to spread horizontallyLenses resemble gravity currents and can interact with wind stress [and ambient stratification]3D processes are noticeably involved (unless lens has achieved a compensated state)Model results suggest that freshwater lenses can significantly evolve on time scale O(1 hr)Conclusions6Acknowledgements

This work was initiated as a follow up on the NASA SPURS-2 Planning Meeting 16-18 April, Pasadena, CA attended by one of the authors (Soloviev).

We acknowledge support by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Consortium for Advanced Research on the Transport of Hydrocarbons in the Environment (PI: Tamay zgkmen, UM). Silvia Matt has been supported by NRC Research Associateship.