A field test of the four-thirds law of horizontal diffusion in the ocean.

This paper reports the results of field tests of Richardson's "four-thirds law" of horizontal diffusion, which relates the horizontal diffusion coefficients to particle separation, or eddy scale. A U. S. Navy photo-reconnaissance aircraft was used to gather data of diffusing patterns of rectangular paper sheets on the ocean surface and of current crosses nine feet below the surface. The data were gathered in Monterey Bay, California in water thirty- six fathoms deep in an area approximately one and one-half miles from the shore. The scale covered was from seventy to four hundred and sixty feet. A two-particle analysis suggested by Richardson and Stommel was applied. The four-thirds law was found to be applicable to the horizontal diffusion analyzed in this investigation.http://www.archive.org/details/fieldtestoffourt00snydLieutenant, United States Nav