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Parametric study of the dispersion of inertial ellipsoidal particles in a wave-current flow
Summary
This study systematically examined how the shape, size, and density of inertial ellipsoidal particles influence their dispersion by wave-current flows, with direct relevance to predicting how microplastic fragments and fibers of varying morphology are transported in coastal and marine environments.
The extent to which particles such as larvae, seagrass pollen, and microplastics are dispersed by waves and currents has many ecological impacts. Here, we systematically examine the effect of a comprehensive set of parameters on the dispersion of ellipsoidal particles in a wave-current flow using a numerical computation approach. Our results show that all of the parameters considered have some effect on the particle dispersion, but that the settling-wave timescale ratio has the greatest effect.
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