Reports

In October 2016 I joined the TRR 181 as a postdoc at the Universität Hamburg in the T3 subproject: Energy transfers in gravity plumes. Our subproject aims to improve our ability to parameterize the energetics and mixing within gravity plumes by investigating the Denmark Strait Overflow plume. This plume was chosen as an ideal study case because of its relevance to the global ocean circulation, and the long history of observational data in the Strait. My role within the subproject mainly involves working with this historical data and the collection of new data. The data will be used both on its own and for collaborative modelling work. Using the results of the observational and modeling components, we will investigate the role entrainment plays in the evolution of the plume. In particular, we are interested in investigating the hypothesis that enhanced entrainment occurs where the plume interacts with mesoscale eddies or topography. The modeling component will help to put the results in perspective across a range of scales, from the turbulent scale up to the mesoscale.

Prior to joining the Institute of Oceanography I followed a winding career path. Beginning at Canada’s Queen’s University, my career has taken me through structural and coastal engineering, lake, river and coastal hydrodynamic modeling, climate related hypoxia in lakes, and submesoscale eddies in the coastal ocean (at HZG in nearby Geesthacht). With this new position I have finally managed to move beyond inland waters and the coastal shelf break to reach properly deep water!

I am looking forwarding to meeting more members of TRR 181, and to opportunities to work together in the near future. Currently, I am onboard the FS Meteor helping out fellow TRR project members investigate filaments forming within the Benguela upwelling system off the coast of Namibia.