Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/P009751/1
Meridional overturning circulation and ocean heat uptake
Training Grant Award
- Lead Supervisor:
- Professor HL Johnson, University of Oxford, Earth Sciences
- Grant held at:
- University of Oxford, Earth Sciences
- Science Area:
- Atmospheric
- Freshwater
- Marine
- Overall Classification:
- Marine
- ENRIs:
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Global Change
- Science Topics:
- Climate variability
- Ocean modelling
- Sea level rise
- Climate & Climate Change
- Heat transport
- Ocean - Atmosphere Interact.
- Meridional overturning circ
- Ocean Circulation
- Abstract:
- Understanding the ocean's response to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere is crucial for predicting regional and global climate on long timescales. The recent hiatus in global warming has highlighted that improved understanding of what controls variations in ocean heat uptake is a high scientific priority. The ocean's meridional overturning circulations (MOCs) can communicate changes in temperature at the surface down into the deep ocean. These circulations therefore influence the rate and location at which heat is taken up by the oceans, how it is re-distributed vertically, and the long-term rise in sea-level due to thermal expansion. They also transport sufficient heat into the North Atlantic to reduce the severity of winters in north-west Europe. A major challenge for climate science is to develop a robust understanding of their dynamics and predict their fluctuations on time-scales of decades to centuries. This project will develop and employ novel diagnostics that can be used to probe the behavior of MOCs and ocean heat uptake under future (and past) forcing scenarios in the current generation of Met Office coupled climate models. The student will use existing simple conceptual and numerical models of the global MOC to better understand what controls variability in ocean stratification, heat content and circulation. In particular, the student will (1) assess the extent to which the Sverdrup relation between surface wind and depth-integrated ocean transport determines the east-west structure of ocean heat content, and (2) determine a diagnostic relation between the time-mean position of isotherms and surface wind and heat fluxes, before (3) applying these diagnostics in climate change simulations to provide insight on the attribution of past change in ocean heat uptake along with a robust understanding of predicted future change. The diagnostic framework developed in this project will contribute directly to the interpretation of Met Office climate forecasts, the assessment of model performance, and the development and design of future predictive systems. The student will be supervised by three experts who bring together expertise in fundamental fluid dynamics and the variability of the MOC with complementary expertise in the operational use and development of climate models. The student will be affiliated with the Oxford DTP in Environmental Research, which provides an outstanding training environment to a cohort of ~30 students right across the entire NERC remit. A structured training programme designed to equip the student with in-depth subject knowledge, a broad environmental perspective and a full range of transferable skills will be supplemented by specialist courses in scientific computing and in running and analyzing coupled climate models at the Met Office. The student will also benefit significantly from experience of working on an applied research question in an operational setting. The student will be part of the vibrant Oceans and Climate group at the University of Oxford, which includes ~20 scientists in both the Earth Sciences and Physics departments. Weekly group meetings and seminars, along with extended visits to the Met Office (total 4 - 6 months), in combination with the training outlined above, will ensure that the student is equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to become a future research leader. This project, which provides an opportunity for the student to take the science from its underpinning fundamental fluid dynamics to a practical implementation in state-of-the-art climate models, was proposed by the Met Office supervisor and would not be possible without access to expertise and facilities provided by the Met Office. It will strengthen the existing collaboration between the three supervisors and contribute to strategic Met Office priorities.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/P009751/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- DTG - directed
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Industrial CASE
This training grant award has a total value of £88,292
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Fees | Total - RTSG | Total - Student Stipend |
|---|---|---|
| £17,296 | £11,000 | £59,998 |
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