PhD Positions Air-Sea Interaction and Wind Stress

The presence of rich flow structures in the atmosphere and ocean down to the scales of atmospheric convection O (100 m - 10 km) has sparked renewed interest across atmospheric and ocean scientists in recent years. How does this diverse wind structure influence the exchange of energy and momentum through the air-sea interface, and impact weather and climate? Marine cumulus clouds, especially during rain, are one of the drivers of large wind variability and leave a clear imprint on ocean surface roughness seen in high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery. These multi-scale, heterogeneous wind patterns may change the surface wind stress in ways we do not understand. Using ultra-high resolution satellite observations of ocean surface roughness, combined with large-eddy simulation (LES) and in-situ mooring/buoy data and ship-borne wind lidar, you will work closely together as a team to:

Develop spatial maps of near-surface wind and wind stress from SAR, LES and wind lidar
Quantify the influence of (sub)mesoscale spatial heterogeneity in wind, stability and surface roughness on wind stress
Validate and improve formulations of wind stress
Study the sensitivity of the atmosphere to (sub)mesoscale spatial heterogeneity in wind stress
You will be guided by Dr. Louise Nuijens, with expertise in wind-convection coupling using observations and LES, and by Dr. Paco Lopez-Dekker, with expertise in SAR retrievals and boundary layer processes. Your research will aid the development of space-borne wind stress retrievals and scale-aware surface flux parameterizations through connections to ESA, KNMI and ECMWF.