Daniel Neumann, Ulrich Callies, Michael Matthies, Marine litter ensemble
transport simulations in the southern North Sea, Marine Pollution
Bulletin, Volume 86, Issues 1?2, 15 September 2014, Pages 219-228, ISSN
0025-326X, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.07.016.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X14004524)
Abstract: The drift of marine litter in the southern North Sea was
simulated with the offline Lagrangian transport model PELETS-2D.
Assuming different source regions, passive tracer particles were
released every 28 h within a nine-year period. Based on pre-calculated
hourly wind and ocean current data, drift simulations were carried out
forward and backward in time with and without the assumption of extra
wind forces influencing particle movement. Due to strong variability of
currents, backward simulations did not allow for the identification of
particular source regions influencing given monitoring sites. Neither
accumulation regions at open sea could be identified by forward
simulations. A seasonal signal, however, could be identified in the
number of tracer particles that reached the coastal areas. Both particle
drift velocity and variability of drift paths further increased when an
extra wind drift was assumed.
Keywords: Marine debris; Lagrangian transport modeling; Wind drift;
Seasonal variation; Source?receptor relationship