I am interested in the large-scale circulation of sea ice and water in the Arctic Ocean. I use both observed data and numerical model simulations to better understand the average circulation pathways as well as the causes of interannual variations in these pathways. My analysis of ocean observations has focused on the upper layers, which are generally quite cold and fresh. The transition to saltier waters within depths between 80-200 m below the surface is called the halocline.
I have investigated the sources of this halocline water as well as recent shifts in the various sub-layers that together compose the halocline. Much of oceanography can be thought of as exploration, since the ocean is so poorly sampled in space and time. The Arctic Ocean is a prime example of this. Some of what I and my colleagues have recently discovered about Arctic Ocean circulation is brand new and very exciting. Some was actually discovered years ago by Russian scientists working in relative isolation, and is only now being "rediscovered" by younger Russians and non-Russians.
I also work with numerical model simulations. Typically, I analyze the output in order to understand very basic balances, e.g., "What is are the relative magnitudes of the terms in Newton's second law (F = ma) for the motion of floating sea ice in the Arctic Ocean?" Another study focused on the sources, sinks, and transport of freshwater in the Arctic Ocean. I have recently become involved with the Arctic Ocean Modeling Intercomparison Study (AOMIP). This is a program to determine where a number of different coupled sea ice - ocean models have similarities and where they have differences, and why.
Funding for my research comes from the National Science Foundation and from NASA. I am involved with some "outreach" programs such as lectures to grade school kids and writing popular science articles (e.g., for Discover Magazine). I have been with the Polar Science Center since 1987. |
