Fig. 3: Strain and diffusion effects (blue lines) on an initially circular Lagrangian patch (salmon color). | Nature Communications

Fig. 3: Strain and diffusion effects (blue lines) on an initially circular Lagrangian patch (salmon color).

From: A Lagrangian model for drifting ecosystems reveals heterogeneity-driven enhancement of marine plankton blooms

Fig. 3: Strain and diffusion effects (blue lines) on an initially circular Lagrangian patch (salmon color).

From top to bottom, the change in time of the patch is sketched. Diffusion (left side) isotropically dilutes the patch through small-scale mixing occurring at its boundary. Strain (right side) stretches the patch conserving its area by increasing its length and compressing its width. Considered together, strain and diffusion generate a wide range of possible combinations of patch shapes and sizes.

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