Abstract. A novel method for the inference of spatiotemporal decomposition of oceanic surface flow variability is presented and its performance assessed in a synthetic idealized configuration with horizontally divergentless flow. Inference methodology is designed for observations of surface velocity. The ability of networks of surface drifters and moorings to infer the spatiotemporal scales of surface ocean flow variability is quantified. The sensitivity of inference performance for both types of platforms to the number of observations, geometrical configurations, and flow regimes is presented. As drifters simultaneously sample spatial and temporal variability, they are shown to be able to capture both spatial and temporal flow properties even when deployed in isolation. Moorings are particularly adept for the characterization of the flow's temporal variability and may also capture spatial scales provided they are deployed as arrays. In particular, we show that our method correctly identifies whether drifters are preferentially sampling spatial vs. temporal variability. Pending further developments, this method opens novel avenues for the analysis of existing datasets as well as the design of future experimental campaigns targeting the characterization of small-scale (e.g., &lt;100 km) ocean variability.

Aurelien Luigi Serge Ponte

Lachlan C. Astfalck

Matthew D. Rayson

Andrew P. Zulberti

Nicole L. Jones

Nonlinear processes in geophysics

NONLINEAR PROCESSES IN GEOPHYSICS (NPG) 是一本国际性、跨学科/跨学科的非营利性期刊，致力于打破地球和空间科学标准方法经常面临的僵局。因此，它寻求颠覆性和创新的概念和方法，以及这些概念和方法的原始应用，以解决地球科学系统以及相互作用的社会和生物系统中普遍存在的复杂性。这样的系统是非线性的，响应与扰动非常不成比例，并显示出跨尺度的相关极端可变性。

Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics (NPG) is an international, interdisciplinary, non-profit journal dedicated to overcoming the limitations often faced by standard methods in Earth and space sciences. It seeks to explore disruptive and innovative concepts and methods, as well as their original applications in addressing the pervasive complexities present in Earth science systems and their interactions with social and biological systems. Such systems are typically nonlinear, exhibiting disproportionately large responses to disturbances and showing extreme variability across scales.

《Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics》（NPG）是一本国际性、跨学科的非营利性期刊，旨在突破地球与空间科学标准方法所面临的局限。期刊致力于探索颠覆性和创新的概念与方法，以及这些概念和方法在解决地球科学系统及其与社会和生物系统相互作用中普遍存在的复杂性方面的原始应用。这些系统通常是非线性的，对扰动的响应往往不成比例，并且表现出跨尺度的极端可变性。

Category	Quartile
地球科学	4
地球科学, 地球科学综合	4
地球科学, 数学跨学科应用	4
地球科学, 气象与大气科学	4
地球科学, 物理流体与等离子体	4

Inferring flow energy, space scales, and timescales: freely drifting vs. fixed-point observations

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Journal Info

Category	Quartile
PHYSICS, FLUIDS & PLASMAS	3