International Research Fellow Awards Program: Climate Dynamics Mediated by Overflow Processes

0076199西蒙斯国际研究员奖励计划使美国科学家和工程师能够在国外进行三到二十四个月的研究。 该计划的奖项提供了机会，联合研究，并使用独特的或互补的设施，专业知识和实验条件国外。Simmons在加拿大维多利亚的维多利亚大学地球和海洋科学学院与Andrew Weaver博士合作24个月，PI将致力于确定海洋分层增加对海洋温盐环流的影响，并最终确定对气候变化和稳定性的影响。具体来说，他们将把一个已知的小尺度但与气候相关的海洋溢流过程的分析子模型实施到一个不能直接模拟这种过程的气候模型中。 分析模型将由气候模型中可分解的变量驱动，即海洋和大气之间的大规模水分和热量交换，预期结果是深水形成气候对北极过程的依赖性增强，同时抑制气候对更南部开放对流过程的敏感性。 通过本项目的过程中开发的理论理解和建模技术将有利于美国和国际气候建模活动和计划。维多利亚大学的气候建模小组在北极气候作用方面具有专业知识。 他们拥有一支经验丰富的研究人员队伍和进行这项研究所需的设备。

0076199SimmonsThe International Research Fellow Awards Program enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct three to twenty-four months of research abroad. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad.This award will provide Dr. Harper L. Simmons with support for twenty-four months to work with Dr. Andrew Weaver at the University of Victoria's School of Earth and Ocean Sciences in Victoria, Canada.The PIs will work to determine the impact of increased ocean stratification on ocean thermohaline circulation and ultimately upon climate variability and stability. Specifically, they will implement a known analytical sub-model of small scale, but climatically relevant, oceanic overflow processes into a climate model that cannot directly simulate such processes. The analytical model will be driven by variables that are resolvable within the context of a climate model, namely the large-scale exchange of both moisture and heat between the ocean and atmosphere.An expected result is enhanced dependence of deep water formation climate upon Arctic processes, with a concomitant suppression of climate sensitivity to more southern open convective processes. The theoretical understanding and modeling technology developed through the course of this project will benefit U.S. and international climate modeling activities and programs.The University of Victoria's Climate Modeling Group has expertise in the role of the Arctic in climate. They have a seasoned team of researchers and the equipment necessary to carry out this research.