Jacob M. Steinberg

NOAA/GFDL

Princeton, NJ

I’m a research scientist at NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, where I work to understand the patterns and drivers of sea level variability, especially along the world’s coastlines. My research draws on observational datasets and state-of-the-art ocean and earth system models to link regional sea level change to ocean heat content, water mass transformation, and large-scale circulation changes — including Gulf Stream variability and patterns of meridional overturning. A central goal of my work is building mechanistic understanding that can support anticipation of future changes across weekly to decadal timescales.

selected publications

JPO

A Landscape of Eddy Vertical Structure: Methods of Characterization and the Role of Bathymetric Slope and Roughness

Jacob M. Steinberg, Elizabeth Yankovsky, Sylvia T. Cole, and 1 more author

Journal of Physical Oceanography, 2025

DOI Bib HTML

@article{steinberg2025landscape,
  title = {A Landscape of Eddy Vertical Structure: Methods of Characterization and the Role of Bathymetric Slope and Roughness},
  author = {Steinberg, Jacob M. and Yankovsky, Elizabeth and Cole, Sylvia T. and Zanna, Laure},
  journal = {Journal of Physical Oceanography},
  volume = {55},
  number = {11},
  pages = {1987--2004},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1175/JPO-D-25-0044.1},
}

JGR

A Link Between U.S. East Coast Sea Level and North Atlantic Subtropical Ocean Heat Content

Jacob M. Steinberg, Stephen M. Griffies, John P. Krasting, and 2 more authors

Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 2024

DOI Bib HTML

@article{steinberg2024link,
  title = {A Link Between {U.S.} East Coast Sea Level and {North Atlantic} Subtropical Ocean Heat Content},
  author = {Steinberg, Jacob M. and Griffies, Stephen M. and Krasting, John P. and Piecuch, Christopher G. and Ross, Andrew C.},
  journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans},
  volume = {129},
  number = {12},
  pages = {e2024JC021425},
  year = {2024},
  doi = {10.1029/2024JC021425},
}

JGR

Influence of Deep-Ocean Warming on Coastal Sea-Level Decadal Trends in the Gulf of Mexico

Jacob M. Steinberg, Christopher G. Piecuch, Benjamin D. Hamlington, and 2 more authors

Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 2024

DOI Bib HTML

@article{steinberg2024gulf,
  title = {Influence of Deep-Ocean Warming on Coastal Sea-Level Decadal Trends in the {Gulf of Mexico}},
  author = {Steinberg, Jacob M. and Piecuch, Christopher G. and Hamlington, Benjamin D. and Thompson, Philip R. and Coats, Sloan},
  journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans},
  volume = {129},
  number = {1},
  pages = {e2023JC019681},
  year = {2024},
  doi = {10.1029/2023JC019681},
}

JPO

Seasonality of the Mesoscale Inverse Cascade as Inferred from Global Scale-Dependent Eddy Energy Observations

Jacob M. Steinberg, Sylvia T. Cole, Kyla Drushka, and 1 more author

Journal of Physical Oceanography, 2022

DOI Bib HTML

@article{steinberg2022seasonality,
  title = {Seasonality of the Mesoscale Inverse Cascade as Inferred from Global Scale-Dependent Eddy Energy Observations},
  author = {Steinberg, Jacob M. and Cole, Sylvia T. and Drushka, Kyla and Abernathey, Ryan P.},
  journal = {Journal of Physical Oceanography},
  volume = {52},
  number = {8},
  pages = {1677--1691},
  year = {2022},
  doi = {10.1175/JPO-D-21-0269.1},
}

JPO

Observed Evolution of a California Undercurrent Eddy

Jacob M. Steinberg, Noel A. Pelland, and Charles C. Eriksen

Journal of Physical Oceanography, 2019

DOI Bib HTML

@article{steinberg2019observed,
  title = {Observed Evolution of a {California Undercurrent} Eddy},
  author = {Steinberg, Jacob M. and Pelland, Noel A. and Eriksen, Charles C.},
  journal = {Journal of Physical Oceanography},
  volume = {49},
  number = {3},
  pages = {649--674},
  year = {2019},
  doi = {10.1175/JPO-D-18-0033.1},
}