Project description
Surface wave processes in the atmosphere and ocean
The upper ocean’s Wave-Current-Atmosphere (WCA) system plays a crucial role in driving global climate and environmental processes. Recent observations and simulations have enhanced our understanding of small-scale wave processes within large-scale oceanic circulations, presenting opportunities to correct biases in climate models. Physically resolving surface wave processes in the WCA system is essential for addressing these biases. The ERC-funded OceanCoupling project aims to revolutionise WCA system modelling by using a new approach that leverages multi-scale quantities and computing power. It seeks to understand how surface wave processes influence mass, momentum, and energy exchanges between the atmosphere and ocean. The project’s outcomes will impact ocean surface monitoring, address wave extremes due to climate change, and contribute to the development of renewable energy technologies.
Objective
The Wave-Current-Atmosphere (WCA) system in the upper ocean is an air-sea interface that drives the physical, chemical, and biological processes crucial to our global climate and environment. Observations and simulations over the last two decades have revolutionized our picture of the roles of small-scale wave processes in the large-scale oceanic circulations controlled by the WCA system, offering a promising direction to correcting long-standing biases and errors in key indicators in climate models, such as sea surface temperature and the mixed depth of vertical mixing.
The key to correcting such biases and errors is to physically resolve the surface waves processes in the WCA system. OceanCoupling will effect a paradigm shift towards two-way coupled modeling of the system using a novel approach which removes a bottleneck caused by two main challenges: (i) multi-scale dependent physical processes and (ii) the air-sea interface - known for its dynamics and complexity. This approach harnesses both the analytical features of multi-scales quantities and the rapid development in computing power to greatly increase numerical efficiency, at no cost of accuracy. OceanCoupling will explain, for the first time, how the surface waves processes control the essential exchange of mass, momentum, and energy between the atmosphere and ocean. The outcome of OceanCoupling will provide timely links to recent and future ocean surface remote sensing products that monitor the ocean surface and will equip us with a feasible tool to tackle the ever-increasing wave extremes due to climate changes and innovative technologies for renewable energy.
OceanCoupling initiates a new way of efficiently modeling complex systems with multiple scales, enabling breakthroughs in similar physical systems; technically, the main outcomes, e.g. theoretical framework and numerical solver with open access, will create opportunities for novel insights due to their wide applicability in fluid dynamics.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
5020 Bergen
Norway
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.