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Distribution de particules en turbulence de surface : application à la pollution plastique océanique
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This experimental study examined how oscillating-grid surface turbulence influences the vertical distribution of buoyant millimeter-scale plastic particles, comparing results with existing models relevant to ocean plastic pollution. The work showed that surface turbulence significantly affects plastic suspension depth profiles, providing insights for improving parameterizations in ocean plastic transport models.
We consider the turbulence generated by an oscillating grid near the surface and its influence on the vertical distribution of millimetric buoyant particles. First, we performed the detailled description of this turbulence through PIV measurements in order to obtain vertical profiles of characteristics quantities of the flow (integral and Kolmogorov scales, turbulent kinetic energy, dissipation rate). Secondly, we investigate the influence of surface turbulence on the plastic suspension, using particles with a size between the integral scale and the Kolmogorov one. We compare our results with existing models in the context of the plastic pollution in the ocean.
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This study applied large eddy simulation and a parametric turbulence model to examine how wind and wave-driven mixing—especially Langmuir turbulence—submerges buoyant microplastic marine debris below the surface. Results show that ignoring Langmuir turbulence leads to significant underestimation of total microplastic concentrations from surface measurements alone.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.