UNSW08: What would happen if we suddenly warmed the entire ocean at the sea-surface?

What would happen if we suddenly warmed the entire ocean at the sea-surface? Would suddenly cooling it down cause an equal and opposite response? Using ocean climate models we have carried out these and many more extreme experiments. The student will explore the asymmetric and often surprising behaviour of the ocean.

Supervisors: Dr Ryan Holmes (ryan.holmes@unsw.edu.au), Dr Jan Zika (j.zika@unsw.edu.au)

What would happen if we suddenly warmed the entire ocean at the sea-surface? Would suddenly cooling it down cause an equal and opposite response?

Using state-of-the-art ocean climate models we have carried out these and many more extreme experiments. We now seek a summer student to help understand the asymmetric and often surprising behaviour of the ocean in response.

The student will work towards developing and testing novel theories to describe the ocean. These theories are needed to understand the ocean’s role in transient climate change.

Requirements: Some experience in programming with MATLAB or Python preferred.