  Finite time correlations of the velocity in a surface flow are found to be
important for the formation of clusters of Lagrangian tracers. The degree of
clustering characterized by the Lyapunov spectrum of the flow is numerically
shown to be in qualitative agreement with the predictions for the white-in-time
compressible Kraichnan flow, but to deviate quantitatively. For intermediate
values of compressibility the clustering is surprisingly weakened by time
correlations.
