research interests

Patterns and Drivers of Sea Level Variability Across Timescales

I am broadly interested in the processes moderating regional sea level variability and specifically how offshore/remote changes are felt along the world’s coastlines. I work to connect observed and modeled variability in ocean heat content, water mass transformation, and large-scale ocean circulation change. I use a combination of observations and state-of-the-art ocean and earth system models to identify the physical mechanisms driving these changes and to assess their predictability across daily to decadal timescales. Key processes of interest include:

  • coastal sea level along western boundaries - dynamic links to western boundary currents (i.e. Gulf Stream) and local/remote connections to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
  • ocean model representation of coastal sea level variability - depedence on horizontal resolution and circulation representation over the continental shelf and slope (bathymetric controls)
  • sterodynamic sea level budget evaluation - contributions and changes as a function of water mass
  • ocean model representation of coastal extremes and links to modes of climate variability - ocean memory and predictability
  • watermass transformation and ocean heat content change
  • ocean model development - towards improved sea level process representation (non-Boussinesq effects, inclusion/enhancement of terrestrial water storage variability)
  • sea level budget closure with observations - satellite gravimetry and altimetry, in-situ temperature and salinity measurements (e.g. Argo)
  • ocean state estimation (ECCO)

Mesoscale Eddies and Ocean Turbulence

As a member of the Ocean Transport and Eddy Energy Climate Process Team I led investigation in to the spatial and temporal distribution of mesoscale eddy kinetic energy. Using a diverse set of observations and model output I detailed the structure and behavior of eddy interactions with topography.

My PhD research at the University of Washington contributed to an improved understanding of the three-dimensional structure, evolution, and decay of ocean mesoscale eddies — coherent rotating features 10’s to 100’s km in diameter that play a major role in ocean heat, salt, and carbon transport. I used autonomous underwater vehicles — Seaglider and Deepglider — to obtain high-resolution subsurface observations of eddies in the North Pacific and North Atlantic, enabling detailed study of eddy vertical structure and the processes responsible for their decay. At GFDL, I work to better understand eddy contributions to sea level variability, particularly along ocean basin margins, and link realistic model representation of eddy processes to model resolution and interactions with seafloor topography.

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

A significant part of my early career involved the development and use of buoyancy driven autonomous underwater vehicles (gliders) in the Pacific and Atlantic. After carrying out many field campaigns, I processed and interrogated rich datasets in the study of mesoscale eddy dynamics, water mass structure, and deep ocean variability. I remain interested in the development of observational strategies that combine autonomous platforms with remote sensing and numerical models.

Through this work, I frequently worked with commercial fishing vessels and engaged with people outside of academia. These experiences helped me build skills as an educator while meaningfully engaging with others to discuss how we study the ocean, what we find, and why it matters. This all reinforced my belief that accessible storytelling is essential to meaningful science communication.

Videos

These videos highlight an eddy water mass entrainment experiment (left) and Deepglider deployment (right)