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| Stretching-line methods have become standard in the Lagrangian characterization of geophysical flows. Among them, local Lyapunov-exponent methods (finite-time and finite-size) have shown useful to locate barriers to transport, attracting manifolds, and similar organizing structures in fluid flows. Here we describe some recent applications of finite-size Lyapunov exponents (FSLEs) to characterize ocean transport processes. The identification of Lagrangian coherent structures is addressed, but we also use FSLEs for the original goal they were introduced, namely quantifying the intensity of dispersion or mixing at a particular spatial scale. Focusing on biological impacts of fluid transport, we explore the three-dimensional structure of Benguela eddies, of the Oxygen Minimum Zone in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, and the relationship between mixing intensity and biological productivity in upwelling areas. |
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