Current Research

Energetics and thermodynamics of the ocean circulation

The main aim of my research on this topic is to resolve the current heat engine controversy. Although it is now well established that the wind and tides are influencing the strength of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, there is some intense controversy on whether it is best to regard the AMOC as being mechanically-driven, buoyancy enabled, or as a mechanically controlled buoyancy-driven heat engine. I believe that only the latter is the correct view, and that the other just violates causality, the second law of thermodynamics, and common sense.

Energetics of turbulent stratified mixing

The purpose here is to understand the energy pathways involved in turbulent stratified mixing. While it is well accepted that mixing represents a pathway for kinetic energy dissipation, the energy pathways involved are still misunderstood.

Physically-based neutral density

The purpose of this project is motivated by the fact that oceanographers require a suitable definition of density in order to define the 'isopycnal' and 'diapycnal' directions that pervade the literature about parameterisations of mixing and meso-scale eddies. At the moment, most oceanographers are using the concept of 'Neutral density' and 'Neutral surfaces', but these are mathematically ill-defined, and hence mostly relate to heuristics with an unclear physical basis. Certainly, something better must exist!

NERC funded INSPECT project (co-Is: Till Kuhlbrodt, David Ferreira and Jonathan Gregory. Research Scientits: Markus Huber (2014-2015). Antoine Hochet (2015-)

The purpose of this project is two fold. 1) Find a rigorous and traceable ways to constrain the representation of ocean heat uptake processes in simple climate models from the understanding of those processes in more complex models. 2) Find a way to constrain the representation of ocean heat uptake processes from observations.

MIKE WONG PHD PROJECT: Energetics of tropical cyclone intensification with Sue Gray as co-supervisor

LENKA NOVAK PHD PROJECT: Life cycles of the Atlantic storm tracks. for which I am co-supervisor, Maarten Ambaum being main supervisor

SHAUN LEE PHD PROJECT: New approaches to reconstructing the ocean interior from surface observations. with Keith Haines and Maarten Ambaum as co-supervisors.