13,517 research outputs found
Plankton blooms in vortices: The role of biological and hydrodynamic time scales
We study the interplay of hydrodynamic mesoscale structures and the growth of
plankton in the wake of an island, and its interaction with a coastal
upwelling. Our focus is on a mechanism for the emergence of localized plankton
blooms in vortices. Using a coupled system of a kinematic flow mimicking the
mesoscale structures behind the island and a simple three component model for
the marine ecosystem, we show that the long residence times of nutrients and
plankton in the vicinity of the island and the confinement of plankton within
vortices are key factors for the appearance of localized plankton bloomsComment: 29 pages, 9 figure
Biological activity in the wake of an island close to a coastal upwelling
Hydrodynamic forcing plays an important role in shaping the dynamics of
marine organisms, in particular of plankton. In this work we study the
planktonic biological activity in the wake of an island which is close to an
upwelling region. Our research is based on numerical analysis of a kinematic
flow mimicking the hydrodynamics in the wake, coupled to a three-component
plankton model. Depending on model parameters different phenomena are
described: a) The lack of transport of nutrients and plankton across the wake,
so that the influence of upwelling on primary production on the other side of
the wake is blocked. b) For sufficiently high vorticity, the role of the wake
in facilitating this transport and leading to an enhancement of primary
production. Finally c) we show that under certain conditions the interplay
between wake structures and biological growth leads to plankton blooms inside
mesoscale hydrodynamic vortices that act as incubators of primary production.Comment: 42 pages, 9 figure
Minimal mechanisms for vegetation patterns in semiarid regions
The minimal ecological requirements for formation of regular vegetation
patterns in semiarid systems have been recently questioned. Against the general
belief that a combination of facilitative and competitive interactions is
necessary, recent theoretical studies suggest that, under broad conditions,
nonlocal competition among plants alone may induce patterns. In this paper, we
review results along this line, presenting a series of models that yield
spatial patterns when finite-range competition is the only driving force. A
preliminary derivation of this type of model from a more detailed one that
considers water-biomass dynamics is also presented. Keywords: Vegetation
patterns, nonlocal interactionsComment: 8 pages, 4 figure
Fourier Mukai Transforms for Gorenstein Schemes
We extend to singular schemes with Gorenstein singularities or fibered in
schemes of that kind Bondal and Orlov's criterion for an integral functor to be
fully faithful. We also contemplate a criterion for equivalence. We offer a
proof that is new even if we restrict to the smooth case. In addition, we prove
that for locally projective Gorenstein morphisms, a relative integral functor
is fully faithful if and only if its restriction to each fibre also is it.
These results imply the invertibility of the usual relative Fourier-Mukai
transform for an elliptic fibration as a direct corollary.Comment: Final version. To appear in Advances in Mathematic
Surface mixing and biological activity in the four Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems
Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems (EBUS) are characterized by a high
productivity of plankton associated with large commercial fisheries, thus
playing key biological and socio-economical roles. The aim of this work is to
make a comparative study of these four upwelling systems focussing on their
surface stirring, using the Finite Size Lyapunov Exponents (FSLEs), and their
biological activity, based on satellite data. First, the spatial distribution
of horizontal mixing is analysed from time averages and from probability
density functions of FSLEs. Then we studied the temporal variability of surface
stirring focussing on the annual and seasonal cycle. There is a global negative
correlation between surface horizontal mixing and chlorophyll standing stocks
over the four areas. To try to better understand this inverse relationship, we
consider the vertical dimension by looking at the Ekman-transport and vertical
velocities. We suggest the possibility of a changing response of the
phytoplankton to sub/mesoscale turbulence, from a negative effect in the very
productive coastal areas to a positive one in the open ocean.Comment: 12 pages. NPG Special Issue on "Nonlinear processes in oceanic and
atmospheric flows". Open Access paper, available also at the publisher site:
http://www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net/16/557/2009
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