A Note on Horizontal Diffusion of Dye in the Ocean

Abstract

The results of experiments on diffusion of dye with a scale of less than 1 km in Santa Monica Bay, California are compared with two theories, one initiated by G. I. TAYLOR based on statistical theory of turbulance and the other recently proposed by JOSEPH and SENDNER based on the probable velocity of diffusion. The change of a radius of a dye patch with time, after released from an instantaneous point source, is well explained by the former theory with the assumption of small diffusion time. Two sets of experiments yield the average turbulent velocity of 1 cm/sec or less which is about one tenth of the mean cnrrent. Experiments on the diffusion from a continuous point source also confirm the validity of the TAYLOR theory under the condition of a small distance, giving the same order of the turbulent velocity.