title: Transport in time-dependent dynamical systems: finite-time coherent sets.
abstract: We study the transport properties of nonautonomous chaotic dynamical systems over a finite-time duration. We are particularly interested in those regions that remain coherent and relatively nondispersive over finite periods of time, despite the chaotic nature of the system. We develop a novel probabilistic methodology based upon transfer operators that automatically detect maximally coherent sets. The approach is very simple to implement, requiring only singular vector computations of a matrix of transitions induced by the dynamics. We illustrate our new methodology on an idealized stratospheric flow and in two and three-dimensional analyses of European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) reanalysis data.
authors.affiliation: School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Froyland
authors.forename: Naratip
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Santitissadeekorn
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Monahan