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Wave-averaged motion of small particles in surface gravity waves: Effect of particle shape on orientation, drift, and dispersion
Summary
This study uses mathematical modeling to show that the shape of a small particle — such as a microplastic fragment — determines how it orients itself, drifts, and spreads when carried by ocean surface waves. This matters for predicting where microplastics accumulate in the ocean, since non-spherical fibers and fragments move very differently from spheres under the same wave conditions.
The orientation of small particles, such as plankton or microplastics, is altered by their interaction with flow beneath surface gravity waves. Using a multiscale expansion, we show how spheroidal particles in waves reach a wave-averaged stable orientation that is a function of their shape. This stable orientation also affects the particle drift and dispersion.
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