Search and rescue at sea aided by hidden flow structures

This paper addresses the challenge of improving the efficiency of Search and Rescue (SAR) algorithms at sea by uncovering hidden Transient Attracting Profiles (TRAPs) in ocean-surface velocity data. TRAPs, computable from a single velocity-field snapshot, act as short-term attractors for floating objects. Field experiments demonstrate that TRAPs computed from measured and modeled velocities attract deployed drifters and manikins, simulating people fallen in the water. This information is critical for SAR and oil spill containment, potentially saving lives and mitigating environmental disasters.

Mattia Serra, Pratik Sathe, Irina Rypina, Anthony Kirincich, Shane D. Ross, Pierre Lermusiaux, Arthur Allen, Thomas Peacock, George Haller