CARGESE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

DYNAMICAL BARRIERS, STIRRING AND MIXING IN GEOPHYSICAL FLOWS - MATHEMATICAL MODEL AND APPLICATIONS

GEOMIX

19 August - 1 September 2001

SPONSORS

The school is a Euro Summer School sponsored by the European Union, the National Science Foundation (US), the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France), the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (France), Météo France and Ifremer.

MAIN TOPICS AND COURSES:

Mathematical and theoretical models

Mathematics of chaotic advection: S. Wiggins (Caltech), T. Tel (Univ. Budapest)

New theories for passive scalars in turbulent flows: G. Falkovich (Weizmann Inst.), M. Vergassola (Obs. Nice)

Spatial structures in reacting systems: E. Hernandez-Garcia (Univ. Balearic Islands)

Transport, stirring and mixing in geophysical fluids

Atmospheric observations, modelling and theory: A. Plumb (MIT), R. Pierrehumbert (Univ. Chicago)

Physical oceanic processes: L. Hua (ENS Paris)

Oceanic biological observations and modelling: V. Garçon (Obs. Toulouse), A. Martin (Southampton Oceanographic Centre)

Geological data, geophysics and modelling of the mantle: J. Schmalzl (University of Muenster), Y. Ricard (ENS Lyon)

• LECTURES NOTES
  
  
• PARTICIPANTS ADDRESSES
  
  
• SOME PHOTOS
  
  
• DETAILED PROGRAM
  
  
• TIMETABLE
  

Purpose and audience

The summer school is based on the idea that many of the outstanding questions on transport, stirring and mixing in geophysical flows can be addressed using some of the new mathematical tools of chaotic advection and of turbulence theories. The school will bring together participants, both lecturers and audience, from mathematics and theoretical physics on the one hand and scientists from a geophysical background (theoretical, observational or modelling) on the other. Closer contact between these two groups is essential if the new theoretical developments are to be exploited to best effect in interpreting the large amount of geophysical data that is becoming available and in devising effective modelling strategies. At the same time the particular scientific questions that are of interest in the geophysical context should provide a focus for new theoretical work.

In the first part of the school, well-studied topics, such as the barrier effect at the edge of the polar stratospheric vortex, which has been a focus of research for over a decade, will be discussed for illustrative purposes. Later other topics, such as barrier effects in oceanic and geological flows, where the research is at an earlier stage, will be used as a basis for open discussions aiming to stimulate new directions for research.

The lecture courses will be complemented by sessions of questions and anwers, special-topic lectures, seminars and round table discussions. The course is aimed primarely at PhD students, postdocs and other young scientists wishing to broaden and deepen their knowledge or to identify new research opportunities..

Principal organisers

Bernard Legras

Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique

Ecole Normale Supérieure

24 rue Lhomond

75231 PARIS, FRANCE

Tel: +33 1 44 32 22 28, Fax: +33 1 43 36 83 92

E-mail: legras@lmd.ens.fr

Peter H. Haynes

Dept of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics

University of Cambridge

Silver Street

CAMBRIDGE CB3 9EW, UK

Tel: +44 (1223) 33 78 62, Fax: +44 (1223) 33 79 18

E-mail:phh@damtp.cam.ac.uk

Ray Pierrehumbert

Dept of the Geophysical Sciences

University of Chicago

5734 S. Ellis Av.

Chicago, IL60637, USA

Tel: +1 (773) 702 8101, Fax: +1 (773) 702 9505

E-mail:rtp1@geosci.uchicago.edu

Scientific committee

A. Plumb (MIT)

S. Wiggins (Caltech)

G. Falkovich (Weizman Institute)

Y. Ricard (ENS Lyon)

K. Richards (Southampton Oceanographic Centre)

G. van Heijst (Eindhoven Technology Institute)

M. Mc Intyre (DAMTP)

U. Frisch (Obs. Nice)