Bajas temperaturas afectan a la rapidez con que gira un remolino de agua de mar

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. Ocean eddies are phenomena whose dynamics depend on physical variables such as temperature, which modifies the viscosity of the water and, with it, the transmission of rotational movement. OBJECTIVE. Analyze how water temperature influences the rotation speed of a forced eddy under controlled laboratory conditions. METHOD. A quantitative experiment was designed with a cylinder of 250 mm diameter and 3.5 L capacity, coupled to a 375 W motor to generate the whirlpool. Three distilled water temperatures were used: 2.5 ± 0.2 °C, 26 ± 0.2 °C, and 48 ± 0.2 °C. Tangential velocity was measured with a Laser Doppler Anemometer (LDA) at radii of 50, 70 and 90 mm, registering 39 points for each condition. RESULTS. A positive relationship between temperature and velocity was found: at 2.5 °C the velocity decreased by 17 % compared to the ambient condition and at 48 °C it increased by 28 %, which represents more than 50 % compared to the cold condition. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. Temperature significantly influences the magnitude and distribution of rotational motion. This experimental model validates principles of fluid dynamics and is a tool applicable to oceanography and hydraulic engineering.