File:Thin Layers.gif

Summary
Critical Scales are the temporal and/or spatial scales at which data must be collected in order to resolve patterns and understand the dynamics of marine systems. Determination of Critical Scales, and development of the technology to sample at the required scales often leads to the discovery of new kinds of patterns or phenomena. This information may lead us to abandon old ideas, ask new kinds of questions, and revolutionize scientific paradigms. Sampling coastal marine waters at Critical Scales has led to the discovery of Thin Layers --- structures of the water column which may be only a few centimeters to a meter in vertical thickness, but on the order of kilometers in horizontal extent. Repeated sampling has demonstrated that Thin Layers may persist for hours, or for many days. They have important implications for marine ecology, and for ocean optics and acoustics.

http://www.gso.uri.edu/criticalscales/

The Thin Layers Experiments and related efforts are funded by the Office of Naval Research programs in Biological & Chemical Oceanography Physical Oceanography & Environmental Optics and by NSF, NOAA and the Naval Research Laboratory