Descripción del proyecto
Cómo influye la mezcla oceánica en las tormentas extremas
La mezcla oceánica es crucial para fijar la temperatura de los océanos e influir en el clima. Medir la turbulencia durante las tormentas extremas es fundamental en el contexto del cambio climático. El equipo del proyecto FOXSTORM, financiado con fondos europeos, pretende utilizar planeadores submarinos autónomos y un sistema de despliegue aéreo para medir la turbulencia oceánica en tormentas extremas. Su objetivo es mejorar nuestra comprensión de cómo la mezcla oceánica influye en las temperaturas de la capa superior del océano y en la intensidad de las tormentas. En FOXSTORM se integrarán observaciones con simulaciones de turbulencia para desarrollar un nuevo modelo de retroalimentación mezcla océano-tormenta, colmando así una laguna crítica en nuestra comprensión del acoplamiento entre las tormentas extremas y el océano. Además, creará una nueva parametrización de la mezcla oceánica en tormentas graves para su aplicación en el modelo de previsión del Centro Europeo de Previsiones Meteorológicas a Plazo Medio (CEPMPM).
Objetivo
I propose to use autonomous underwater ocean glider vehicles with a newly developed airborne deployment system to measure ocean turbulence in extreme storms, such as hurricanes, typhoons, and tropical storms. These will be the first vertically resolved measurements of ocean turbulence in extreme storms, and will lead to a new understanding and improved estimates of the ocean
mixing that is responsible for setting upper ocean temperatures - a crucial and poorly constrained feedback on storm intensity.
By combining the observations with turbulence-resolving large eddy simulations, performed on high performance computational clusters, a new observationally-constrained model of the ocean-storm mixing feedback will be constructed that fills a much needed gap in the coupling of extreme storms to the ocean. This is crucial since extreme storms are increasing in strength and frequency through climate change, and are leading to record damages and loss of life in coastal communities. Such measurements are only now possible, since my research team has played a major role in pioneering the use of microstructure turbulence measurements from autonomous underwater gliders, particularly in stormy conditions. The final outcomes of the project will consist of (i) an airborne deployment system for the study of extreme events using autonomous vehicles, (ii) the first observations of upper ocean turbulence and mixing in extreme storms, (iii) a sequence of turbulence-resolving numerical simulations that, together with the observations, will identify and quantify processes responsible for setting upper ocean heat fluxes and turbulent structure in extreme storms, and (iv) a new parameterisation for ocean mixing in extreme storms that quanties the ocean-storm feedback, and its implementation in
the forecasting model of the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Régimen de financiación
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsInstitución de acogida
21502 Geesthacht
Alemania