A first look to Lagrangian coherent structures in the Gulf of Finland as a mean to identify hotspots of surface particle aggregation

In this work, we apply the finite-time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) as a diagnostic quantity for LCS, and we make a first attempt at characterizing them, with respect to their appearance pattern and seasonality within the Gulf of Finland. Specifically, the work presented here is aimed at verifying the seasonality in the dynamics of areas prone to patch formation as well as the presence and characteristics of hotspots for upwelling and downwelling events in the Gulf.