Ocean and Climate Group

Research

Coccolithophore bloom, Barents Sea, 6/19/2003. MODIS Land. Credit: NASA

Gult Stream. Infrared measurement of temperature, MODIS, 5/8/2000. Credit: NASA.

Our goal is to understand the role that ocean dynamics and thermodynamics plays on the climate system.

In particular, we study how phenomena that are well localized in space and time (as tropical cyclones, deep convection, oceanic eddies) globally influence the distribution of energy on our planet. Once those mechanisms and their feedbacks on the climate system are understood, their relevance can be quantified and their role can be parameterized in larger scale models. Our main focus is on the physical characteristics of the ocean and climate system.

We reach our goal by combining data analysis, theoretical models, and numerical models.