Project description
Storm effects on the atmosphere-ocean heat transfer process
Climate mitigation relies on understanding Earth’s energy distribution. The ocean absorbs 93 % of excess heat from human activities, primarily in the Southern Ocean, which accounts for approximately 80 % of global heat uptake. However, climate model comparisons show up to 40 % discrepancies due to issues with high-latitude winds and heat transport. The ERC-funded SOFIA project aims to shed light on the heat transfer between the atmosphere and the ocean interior. It will determine whether large storms in the Southern Ocean affect this process. Fine-scale features such as ocean fronts and eddies also influence vertical heat movement. Using satellite data, the project will create maps of vertical ocean transport to inform climate-resilient policies and ocean management.
Objective
Climate mitigation relies on accurate knowledge of Earth’s energy distribution, which informs us about the extent, rate, and locations of climate warming. Historically, the ocean has played a dominant role, absorbing 93% of the excess heat generated by human activities through the air-sea interface. Ocean heat content trends obtained from sparse observations show the Southern Ocean dominates this heat uptake. Climate models confirm this, indicating the Southern Ocean accounts for 75–83% of the global ocean heat uptake. However, inter-model comparisons show discrepancies in ocean heat uptake by 40% that arise from misrepresentation of high-latitude winds and poor parametrization of vertical heat transport induced by fine-scale (1–100 km) ocean circulation. The goal of SOFIA is to understand and quantify the dominant processes that are responsible for moving heat between the atmosphere and ocean interior, thereby advancing climate understanding and predictability. I hypothesize that the ocean-atmosphere heat exchange across the Southern Ocean is set by immense and turbulent storms, while the vertical transport of heat between the surface ocean and interior is strongly regulated by fine-scale ocean fronts, eddies and filaments located in regions of high eddy kinetic energy. I will investigate the role of these processes in heat exchange dynamics by integrating a state-of-the-art coupled ocean-atmosphere model simulation with novel in-situ data from the remote Southern Ocean using innovative autonomous ocean observing technologies. Using high-resolution ocean altimetry data from the newly launched Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission, I will reconstruct circumpolar maps of vertical ocean transport, advancing our global understanding and predictability of ocean heat uptake in response to climate variability and change.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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.
-
HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
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.
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
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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-2025-STG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
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.
405 30 Goeteborg
Sweden
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.