AOS & CICS Newsletter
Spring/Summer 2017 Volume 11, Number 2 value than is a focus on large-scale or AOS Welcomes basin-wide measures of activity, Vecchi is also working to refine understanding to better describe small-scale impacts and to Professor Gabriel capture the effects of flooding and storm Program in Atmospheric and surge. Oceanic Sciences (AOS) & The Vecchi and Cooperative Institute for Assistant Professor Climate Science (CICS)
Laure Resplandy Inside this issue:
The AOS Program extends a warm AOS Welcomes Vecchi & welcome to Gabriel Vecchi and Laure Resplandy……………………………………1 Resplandy who joined our faculty in March. Climate Engineering Workshop..……2
Griffies & Legg at Sea….………………2
Assistant Professor Laure Resplandy Hsieh wins Art of Science………...….4
GFDL Hurricane Science An assistant professor with a joint Symposium………………………………….5 appointment in Geosciences and PEI,
Resplandy, a biogeochemical SOCCOM Annual Meeting… ………….5 oceanographer, brings a strong background
in physical oceanography and climate AGU Award Recipients…………………6 science to the AOS Program. Her research focuses on understanding how climate and Baldwin on Capitol Hill…………………7 ocean physics influence marine biogeochemistry and ecosystems and how AOS Researchers Inspire Young Professor Gabriel Vecchi these changes can impact the climate. Women to Pursue Science……………7
Vecchi, a professor of Geosciences and Her research will examine three themes: Nereus Annual Meeting…….………....8 PEI and a familiar face on the Forrestal how the variability from global scale down Campus as the former head of the climate to small spatial scales influences Ocean Fun Days 2017…………………..9 variation and predictability group at GFDL, environmental factors like CO2, O2, and pH includes climate science; extreme weather in the ocean; how past, present, and future Research in Action…………………..….9 events; mechanisms of precipitation regional changes influence the global variability and change, with an emphasis ocean and climate; and how these changes AOS & CICS News.………………………10 on El Niño; ocean-atmosphere interaction; impact ecosystems. Resplandy’s approach and detection and attribution among his is to design and develop numerical models many research interests. He is also (from ocean regions to global climate involved in improving the science of system) and statistical tools to interpret in- predicting regional climate impacts, situ and satellite observations. concentrating on hurricanes and extreme TigerTransit/Shuttle Services rainfall events. “Both Gabe and Laure will be tremendous Operating on Summer Schedule: assets to the AOS Program and its students; http://www.princeton.edu/transport Since information on extreme weather, we are fortunate to have such an such as hurricane activity, at a regional accomplished pair joining our faculty,” ation/ttroutes/ForrestalS17.pdf scale is of substantially greater societal said AOS Director Stephan Fueglistaler. Vecchi holds a Ph.D. in physical change. Using tools from chemistry, Oceanographic Institution and Princeton oceanography from the University of biology, physics and math to conduct his University (funded by the National Science Washington and has been a lecturer at both research, Koweek studies coastal Foundation). Princeton and Rutgers University. ecosystems, including coral reefs, kelp forests, and seagrass meadows to Prior to coming to Princeton, Resplandy understand how to manage, protect and was a postdoctoral researcher at Scripps restore these critically important places for Institution of Oceanography at the coastal communities. University of California at San Diego. She earned her Ph.D. in oceanography at the Similar to last summer’s workshop, the University of Paris-Sorbonne. ■ workshop is structured so that each of the invited speakers presents a plenary lecture to the GFDL/AOS community, leads two Climate student-directed tutorial sessions on a specific aspect of climate engineering, and Engineering leads three small group discussion sessions with graduate students and postdocs. RRS James Clark Ross steaming south in Workshop Planned There will also be one student-led session calm seas on each of the three days and numerous for August opportunities for casual interaction among DynOPO aims to investigate the flow of the speakers and AOS students, postdocs Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) into the and faculty. Atlantic Ocean through the Orkney Passage, a submarine valley that connects Climate engineering will be the topic of the the Atlantic Ocean to the Weddell Sea and fifth annual AOS Program Workshop, “We are very excited for this year's summer workshop,” Cheeks said. “Our allows the movement of abyssal water generously supported by AOS Faculty masses. Griffies was invited to participate Member Isaac Held’s BBVA Foundation aim with climate engineering as a topic was to provide discussions that bring a on the cruise in his capacity as an ocean Award, scheduled from August 28 – 30, modeler and theorist with experience and 2017 at GFDL. The yearly workshop aims different perspective to familiar concepts. The speakers' expertise touch on many of interests in Southern Ocean science. Legg to broaden the knowledge of the members is one of the DynOPO principal of the AOS community to diverse fields in the topics actively studied in AOS and GFDL, so there should be something for investigators, focusing on numerical climate science and its related disciplines, modeling of the dense flow over with invited speakers as rising scientists in everyone.” topography in this region. On the cruise, their field, and to foster discussion between she spent some time using model output to the graduate students and invited speakers Open to the entire GFDL/AOS community, the public seminars will be held in GFDL’s help plan the observations, and comparing on emerging research areas. model output with observational sections, Smagorinsky Room on each day of the workshop and posted on GFDL’s website. although rough seas and 50-60 knot winds This summer’s workshop will specifically near the end of the cruise made computer focus on the use of models to develop, test The agenda and logistical details will be finalized in the coming weeks. Questions work difficult. and understand how climate engineering, on regional to global scales - in the related to the Workshop may be directed to the Committee. ■ “At one point, a few of us rolled off chairs, atmosphere and the ocean - could falling flat, only to rise again as if nothing potentially offset negative consequences of much had happened,” Griffies posted in a anthropogenic climate change. Workshop blog documenting his experiences. “It is organizers, including AOS Graduate Griffies and Legg: A amazing how a new norm can be defined Students Jenny Chang, Shawn Cheeks, among the chaos of a pitching and rolling Aaron Match and Sarah Schlunegger, hope “DynOPO” Duo ship.” to address the issue of what we know (state-of-the-science), what we do not For eight weeks this spring (southern know yet, and what are the unknowables. hemisphere autumn), the British Royal Research Ship (RRS) James Clark Ross, Confirmed invited speakers for the three- became home to AOS Faculty Members day event include: Simone Tilmes, NCAR; Stephen Griffies and Sonya Legg as they Peter Irvine, Harvard University; and made their way from Punta Arenas, Chile, David Koweek, Carnegie Institution for to the Orkney Passage portion of the Science. Tilmes’ scientific interests cover Southern Ocean. The cruise was part of the understanding and evaluation of the Dynamics of the Orkney Passage chemical, aerosol and dynamical processes Outflow (DynOPO) project, a collaboration in chemistry-climate models. Irvine between the British Antarctic Survey conducts research on the climate and (BAS), the University of Southampton and RRS James Clark Ross encounters rough broader impacts of solar geoengineering the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) seas and works to put those findings into (funded by the UK Natural Environment perspective with the risks posed by climate Research Center), and Woods Hole “Our first major science task on the cruise “Doing the night watch is like trying to was to deploy a mooring for Kurt Polzin adjust to a new time zone (about 8 hours jet from Woods Hole,” Griffies said. lag), but without the change in daylight “Moorings offer us an array of data with a hours to help you,” Legg noted. The ship relatively small amount of invested people- also spends more time in transit during the time. They are the bread and butter of long- night and weather can be more term observational oceanography and problematic, making instrument recovery climate science. Their time series capture difficult. Some downtime is spent the many time scales of ocean phenomena, analyzing the newly obtained data. This from the seconds of random turbulent preliminary data analysis motivates fluctuations, the hours of tidal motions, the refinements to the measurements taken on seasonal fluctuations of currents, the the remaining days of the cruise. interannual variations from the Southern Stephen Griffies with Coronation Island in Annular Mode and El Nino / Southern the background Oscillation, and the decadal and longer time scales of climate change.” The The team of researchers also used an mooring deployment/recovery was in the ADCP (acoustic doppler current profiler) realm of the experienced technicians, to measure current velocities, in addition to according to Griffies, since it was more specialized instruments for measuring physically and technically challenging than temperature variance. There were also a some of the other tasks and required a great total of four Argo floats deployed during deal of experience on the deck next to the cruise, which added to the nearly 4000 rolling high seas. such floats around the planet. Argo floats record basic properties of the ocean such as The science party also concentrated on temperature, salinity, pressure, from the around-the-clock CTD (conductivity- surface to 2000m depth. temperature-depth) operations. “The CTD, which measures conductivity (to deduce salinity), temperature and pressure from surface to bottom as it is lowered and raised on a wire from the ship, was used continuously as the ship moved slowly along a line (a "tow-yo"), to allow us to see Stephen Griffies on deck with a VMP the fine spatial scales of the fluid motions near the underwater sills and ridges,” Legg “We have sometimes used the time when explained. “The tow-yo CTDs have we’re unable to make oceanographic revealed some intriguing oceanographic measurements due to weather, to better map the bottom topography,” said Legg. features that will undoubtedly occupy brain Stephen Griffies and Sonya Legg next to “On one occasion our new topography data cells for years to come,” said Griffies. “Princeton” Argo Float just prior to led us to move a planned CTD station into deployment in the Weddell Sea a more interesting location, and at this
‘rogue station’ at the deepest point of a Throughout the expedition, the researchers ridge, we found strong flows and very cold used a combination of instruments bottom water.” deployed from the ship, instruments
moored to the seafloor, as well as Both Griffies and Legg participated in measurements made by Boaty McBoatface, CTD-related work. Unlike Legg’s, an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Griffies’ work took place during what he The submersible explored the Antarctic described as the “civilized” shift, from 8am Bottom Water zones in water that has been to 4pm. By the expedition’s end, science measured among the coldest and deepest measurements of the deep ocean were Sonya Legg preparing the CTD rosette for places on the planet. Its overall mission completed at 120 stations in roughly seven its next deployment was to study the effects of climate change weeks. “The CTD cast numbered 120, in the Antarctic, taking water flow and taken to more than 5000 meters, was our As leader of the night watch (midnight to underwater turbulence data from the final ocean measurement for the cruise,” 8am), Legg assigned tasks, in addition to Orkney Passage at depths up to 3,500 Griffies noted. “That happened on 1 May communicating with ship officers on the meters. Scientific moorings anchored in the to the west of Coronation Island in the bridge about night watch observations area already gather some data, but the sub’s South Scotia Sea.” consisting of CTD profiles as well as a mobility and autonomy means it can now Vertical Microstructure Profiler (VMP), build a full, three-dimensional picture of which measures turbulence levels down to what's happening many hundreds to the ocean’s bottom, at most stations. thousands of meters below the surface.
From the perspectives of Legg and window through which the general public Griffies, the DynOPO expedition not only can appreciate both art and science — two accomplished what it set out to do in terms fields that for different reasons can feel of mapping the undersea currents that play threatening to the non-expert, according to a critical role in regulating our planet’s the exhibit’s originators. climate, but also was transformative for many of the scientists aboard the ship. The 2017 competition drew more than 170 submissions from a wide range of “This cruise has been an eye opener for me disciplines, with images and videos by intellectually, exposing my science to new undergraduate and graduate students, ways of thinking and doing,” said Griffies. faculty, alumni and staff. Entries, “I have been like a kid in a candy store.” including “Clash of Air Masses,” Hsieh’s winning 3D visualization of a baroclinic “The cruise gave me new respect for the eddy and the flow from his simulation, challenges of observing the deep ocean at were chosen for their aesthetic excellence remote high-latitude locations, and for the as well as scientific or technical interest by technicians and ship’s crew who tackle a distinguished panel of judges. The panel Boaty McBoatface makes a splash. these challenges head on,” Legg said. included James Steward, director of the “Experiencing icebergs and whales close- Princeton University Art Museum; Emmet “The data from Boaty are unlike most other up were the non-scientific rewards for a Gowin, professor of visual arts in the oceanographic datasets,” noted Griffies. long trip away from home on rough seas.” Lewis Center for the Arts, emeritus, and “Rather than moorings (which offer time Jeffrey Whetstone, professor of visual arts. series at a fixed point in X-Y-Z) or “My exposure to unfiltered and raw natural Emily Carter, Dean of the School of CTDs/VMPs (which provide vertical forces was exhilarating, humbling, Engineering and Applied Science, acted as profiles at a fixed location in X-Y), the astonishing …,” added Griffies. “I have master of ceremonies during the exhibit AUV retrieves properties along its moving been in wilderness before, but not on a ship opening. position roughly 100m off the bottom. For for eight weeks in the most remote and the DynOPO project, which is focused on unforgiving ocean on the planet. This the deep overflow waters through Orkney experience has taught me lessons about Passage, the data offer us a hugely valuable nature and self that will live on.” and unique perspective on dynamics in this region of the deep ocean.” Read more at:
Sonya Legg in "iceberg alley"(south of the Art of Science is intended to spur debate Art of Science 2017 is sponsored by Orkney Islands) among artists about the nature of art, opens the David A. Gardner ’69 Fund in the scientists to new ways of “seeing” their Council of the Humanities, and by own research, and serves as a democratic the School of Engineering and Applied Science. The exhibit is co-sponsored by developments in hurricane forecasting led the Lewis Center for the Arts, Princeton by GFDL. SOCCOM Annual Institute for Computational Science & Engineering, the Andlinger Center for Meeting Held on Energy and the Environment, Council on Science and Technology, Lewis-Sigler Main Campus Institute for Integrative Genomics, and the departments of Astrophysical Sciences, Chemical and Biological Driven by the desire to unlock the Engineering, Civil and Environmental mysteries of the Southern Ocean and to Engineering, Physics, Psychology, determine its impact on climate, a group of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, cross-disciplinary experts from the and the Program in History of Science. Southern Ocean Carbon Climate Prizes are provided by the Office of the Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM) At the symposium, Isaac Ginis, Tim Dean for Research. This is the eighth Art program converged on Main Campus in Marchok, Robert Tuleya, and Morris of Science competition hosted by Princeton mid-May to review the progress of the past Bender (pictured, left to right) each University. year and plan for the future of the NSF- received a "Certificate of Appreciation" for sponsored initiative. The annual meeting 22 years of service to the National Weather The exhibit will remain on display through was held May 9-11, 2017 in Aaron Burr Service, developing and supporting the the end of the year in the Friend Center Hall on Main Campus. GFDL hurricane model. Atrium on the University campus. The
2017 online gallery will be available for The half-day symposium brought together viewing by midsummer. ■ GFDL hurricane scientists as well as
collaborators who contributed to GFDL’s GFDL Hurricane forecast model over many decades. Among the collaborators, Steve Lord Science (former Director, National Weather Service’s Environmental Modeling Center) Symposium Honors observed, “I am very proud of what the GFDL hurricane group accomplished and Decades of honored to be part of it.”
Steve and Sundararaman Gopalakrishnan Success Participants at the 2017 SOCCOM Annual (Lead Scientist, NOAA’s Hurricane Contributed by Maria Setzer, GFDL Meeting at Princeton University (Credit: Research Division) each moderated half of Communications Director Joellen Russell, University of Arizona) the symposium. Vijay Tallapragada
GFDL recently hosted a Hurricane Science (Chief, National Weather Service’s Global Climate and Weather Modeling Branch) Led by CICS Director Jorge Sarmiento, the Symposium, to celebrate the lab’s seminal SOCCOM Project was launched in 2014 gave a talk about the impact of GFDL contributions to hurricane forecast research with a mission to drive a transformative hurricane modeling on the larger and model development. Participants shift in the scientific and public community modeling efforts, while Mark commemorated nearly five decades of understanding of the role of the vast DeMaria (Chief, National Hurricane successful research and development at Southern Ocean in climate change and GFDL, to employ a regional numerical Center’s Technology and Science Branch) discussed the evolution of hurricane track biogeochemistry through a combination of model for hurricane forecasting. innovative, float-based observations and a and intensity guidance at the National Numerous speakers described continual high-resolution modeling program. Hurricane Center. Former GFDL scientists improvements that have kept GFDL at the SOCCOM draws on the strengths of co- who are currently at University of forefront of hurricane modeling and pushed investigators at 13 institutions at Wisconsin, University of Rhode Island, the boundaries for the entire field, since universities, research institutions, and development began in the 1970s. and University of Miami, described how their involvement in the development of government laboratories around the U.S.
The GFDL Hurricane Model, which has the GFDL hurricane model continued to influence their work after they left GFDL. Now entering Year 4 of the project, served as an operational forecasting tool SOCCOM researchers have: deployed a since 1995 for both the National Weather Many colleagues from Princeton University and Rutgers University also growing observation network with Service and the U.S. Navy, was retired biogeochemical floats in all three basins of from operations this year. Morris Bender, attended the symposium, among them AOS and CICS researchers. ■ the Southern Ocean measuring pH, research scientist for hurricane modeling nutrients, and oxygen; made all of the float and science at GFDL for more than 40 data publicly available in near-real time via years, also retired at the end of last year. the SOCCOM website and the Argo data This was a fitting time to reflect on past system; developed a high-resolution accomplishments, and to preview new biogeochemical Southern Ocean State Estimate (B-SOSE) that is now assimilating float data; developed and session, AOS’ Carolina Dufour gave a talk published a technique for estimating pCO2 on her work comparing air-sea CO2 fluxes GFDL/AOS from float pH measurements, enabling between a number of models and calculation of ocean carbon fluxes in this SOCCOM observational estimates. Scientists named poorly observed region; initiated a Southern Ocean Model Intercomparison For the broader impacts theme, Climate Recipients of AGU Project (SOMIP) with major climate Central’s Heidi Cullen moderated a session modeling centers; published manuscripts on SOCCOM’s outreach efforts on a Awards on SOCCOM technology and early results, research cruise from Punta Arenas, Chile, Contributed by Maria Setzer, GFDL including in an upcoming SOCCOM to McMurdo Station in Antarctica that was Communications Director special issue of JGR-Oceans; and documented by the non-profit journalism successfully transferred SOCCOM float and research organization. The effort AOS Faculty Member Larry Horowitz, and sensor technology to the commercial resulted in hundreds of photos and hours of leader of GFDL’s Atmospheric Chemistry float industry. video footage that will be used to create a and Climate Group, has been honored with free-standing website on the Southern AGU’s Ascent Award for Atmospheric At the heart of the meeting agenda were Ocean for educational purposes. Sciences this year. Gabe Vecchi, formerly SOCCOM’s major themes – Observations, of GFDL and now with Princeton Modeling, and Broader Impacts. Members University, was also named as a recipient of the observations team, led by Lynne of the Ascent Award. The Atmospheric Talley (UCSD/Scripps Institution of Sciences Ascent Award rewards Oceanography) reported on work with exceptional mid-career scientists in the international partners to deploy atmospheric and climate sciences. biogeochemical profiling floats and results Honorees are recognized for demonstrating from analyses of the float data. AOS excellence in research and leadership in his researchers Seth Bushinsky, Lionel or her field. Arteaga, and Haidi Chen presented findings on Southern Ocean oxygen fluxes, Karin van der Wiel, until recently a carbon export, and heat and carbon storage, postdoctoral research associate mentored while Alison Gray showed results that by Sarah Kapnick at GFDL, is the winner suggest the existence of large, previously of AGU’s James R. Holton Award this undetected fluxes of carbon dioxide out of year. The Holton Award recognizes the Southern Ocean in winter. outstanding scientific research and Outreach team members Ted Blanco (left) accomplishments of early-career scientists. and Greta Shum (middle) of Climate David Neelin '87, a former AOS graduate Central accompanied Observations Co- student, was awarded the Bert Bolin Global Lead Steve Riser (University of Environmental Change Award/Lecture. Washington) on an Antarctic float The award recognizes the ground breaking deployment cruise. (Credit: Climate research and/or leadership in global Central) environmental change of mid-career scientists. The meeting marked the halfway point for the SOCCOM project, which is funded AGU award recipients are selected for their through September 2020. Assessing the innovative research, important initiative’s progress, Sarmiento remarked contributions to promoting better
“we have made great progress monitoring understanding of their scientific fields, and “The SOCCOM floats have dramatically ocean health in real-time, and we are meritorious work and service to their increased the amount of biogeochemical excited about the discoveries the next three data we have from the Southern Ocean,” communities. They will be formally years will bring.” recognized at the 2017 AGU Fall Meeting. Sarmiento said. “The team efforts to build and deploy floats, along with our modeling Visit the SOCCOM website Larry Horowitz is an expert in tropospheric efforts, are providing amazing resources
The modeling team led by Joellen Russell species, who has led the effort to build of the University of Arizona presented GFDL’s chemistry-climate model (AM3). results of their efforts to improve our Gabe Vecchi is now a professor in the Department of Geosciences and the understanding of controls on Southern Princeton Environmental Institute at Ocean biogeochemistry and predictions of future climate change, including a Southern Princeton University and serves as faculty in the AOS Program. Karin van der Wiel Ocean Model Intercomparison Project that has been initiated with the help of left GFDL late last year to return home, as Climate Engineering Workshop a postdoctoral research scientist at the colleagues at GFDL. As part of this th th August 28 – 30 Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute in the Netherlands. David Neelin, The New Jersey delegation included Dave Advised by Gabe Vecchi, professor of professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Robinson, a Rutgers professor and state geosciences and the Princeton Sciences, heads the Climate Systems climatologist for New Jersey, and Lexi Environmental Institute (PEI), her Interaction Group at the University of Schultz, a public affairs director for AGU. dissertation research examines the impacts California, Los Angeles. ■ They met with staff from the offices of of mountains on precipitation features Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, including deserts and monsoons. Baldwin Leonard Lance, Chris Smith, Frank also researches the risk of heat waves Lobiondo, Senators Cory Booker and with Albert G. Milbank Professor of Baldwin Discusses Robert Menendez, and the House Geosciences and International Affairs Committee on Science, Space, and Michael Oppenheimer; professor of Climate Science on Technology. Baldwin and her team also geosciences and international affairs; and met in person with Representative Rodney director, STEP, through her PEI-STEP Capitol Hill Frelinghuysen, who is now the Chair of the fellowship. House Appropriations Committee. He was On March 21, 2017 AOS Graduate Student quite enthusiastic about science, according Climate Science Day participating Jane Baldwin took part in the seventh to Baldwin, and asked Baldwin many organizations are members of the CSWG annual Climate Science Day on Capitol questions about climate modeling, leading and include the American Association for Hill in Washington, D.C. This non- to a fruitful discussion. the Advancement of Science, American partisan event, a joint effort of an Chemical Society, American Geophysical intersociety Climate Science Working Union, American Meteorological Society, Group (CSWG) comprised of more than a American Society of Agronomy, American dozen scientific associations and consortia, Society of Plant Biologists, American provides an opportunity for scientists of Statistical Association, Council on Food, many disciplines to build relationships and Agricultural, and Resource Economics, provide members of Congress and their Crop Science Society of America, staffs with access to the best possible Geological Society of America, National climate science information. Ecological Observatory Network, Society for Conservation Biology, Soil Science With the focus on building relationships, Society of America, University not on lobbying for research funding or Corporation for Atmospheric Research, particular policy issues, Baldwin, part of and others. ■ the American Geophysical Union (AGU) contingent, joined 25 other scientists on
Capitol Hill. These conversations were an L to R: Dave Robinson, Representative AOS Researchers opportunity for scientists to share Frelinghuysen, Jane Baldwin, & Lexi information about climate change research Schultz, public affairs director at AGU Inspire Young with their district representatives, and with others, and are a vital component of AGU’s “There are so many ways climate science is Women to Pursue efforts to bridge the gap between important for New Jersey -- from coastal legislators and professional scientists. resilience to understanding snow storms Science Such relationships are vital to ensuring that and heat waves -- it was a pleasure getting Inspiring young women to enter STEM the best science is used when formulating to exchange on these issues and many (Science, Technology, Engineering and policy. others on the Hill,” Baldwin said. Such Mathematics) fields was the primary
relationships are vital to ensuring that the objective of the Princeton Plasma Physics best science is used when formulating Laboratory’s (PPPL) Young Women’s policy. Conference (YWC) held at Frick Chemistry Laboratory on March 23, 2017. The various delegations were solely AOS researchers were among the 60 focused on making themselves available as volunteers from PPPL and Princeton resources to those responsible for crafting University at the conference, the 16th federal science policy and their staffers, if hosted by PPPL and the largest gathering they face questions related to climate to date with girls coming from schools science. Impressed by the diverse expertise throughout New Jersey as well as of the other Climate Science Day Pennsylvania. participants, Baldwin noted, “I did make a point of emphasizing the important work Although the number of women in STEM done at AOS/GFDL.” fields has doubled in the past two decades, according to the National Science L to R: AOS Graduate Student Jane Baldwin’s research interests focus on how Foundation, they still make up only 29 Baldwin & Rutgers Professor Dave large-scale atmospheric dynamics percent or less than one-third of the STEM Robinson, a state climatologist for New influence regional climate, with an eye to workforce. AOS Researchers Seth Jersey, on Capitol Hill climate change and policy applications. Bushinsky, Haidi Chen and Alison Gray, along with AOS Graduate Student Anna their credit the 2017 YWC participants crux of economics and society, fishing in Trugman, did their part to encourage girls seem up for the challenge. changing oceans, the push for cooperative to embrace their scientific curiosity and to policy, and the changing meaning of pursue their dreams. CICS/AOS The 17th annual Young Women’s “sustainable development.” interactive displays were among the more Conference in STEM is scheduled for than 30 exhibits available to the seventh- to Thursday, March 22, 2018. ■ Splitting into discussion groups on the tenth-grade girls for hands-on science afternoon of the 9th and 10th, meeting activities and demonstrations. participants focused on new research projects as well as followed up on existing “I think it’s important for young students, Nereus Annual collaborations with the hope of fostering especially middle school/high school ages, Meeting Held at productive discussions that will serve as a to interact with scientists in order to learn springboard for future research. An about the types of questions that we ask Princeton advisory panel and steering committee and to have real life examples of scientists, meeting took place in the early evening both male and female,” Bushinsky said. during both full days, just prior to the A group of cross-disciplinary experts “This seems especially important for young reception dinners at Mountain Lake House gathered at Mountain Lakes House in women, given the gender gap that exists at and the Nassau Inn. Princeton June 9 to 11 for the Nippon many levels in academia.” Foundation-Nereus Program annual The meeting followed the United National meeting. The Program, a global Students visiting the CICS/AOS exhibit World Ocean Conference in New York interdisciplinary initiative created to further learned how acidification changes the where Nereus members presented on the our knowledge of how to best attain buffer capacity of the ocean through a co-benefits of meeting Sustainable sustainability for the world’s oceans, was demonstration in which students blew Development Goal 14: Life Below Water launched in 2011 with three core bubbles into water that either had lemon to other Sustainable Development Goals. objectives: conducting collaborative ocean juice or baking soda added, exploring the These co-benefits were recently published research across the natural and social relationship between CO and ocean in a report by the Nereus Program titled 2 sciences, developing a network of experts acidification. They also participated in an “Oceans and Sustainable Development that can engage in discussion of complex experiment using ice cubes, colored with Goals: Co-Benefits, Climate Change and and multifaceted questions of ocean dye, melting in freshwater or saltwater that Social Equity” sustainability, and transferring these demonstrated some of the dynamics of sea
exhibitors showcased everything from “The Sustainable Development Goals were The meeting featured a series of panels plasmas to building models of the DNA of one of the central themes of this year’s highlighting various research areas, with a virus. meeting,” said Petrik. “Several of our presentations from Nereus fellows on their discussion groups focused on these goals research projects and the possible “I also think it’s a good idea for publicly- with the aim of using Nereus research to connection to other Nereus Program funded scientists to practice explaining the better quantify ocean-based solutions for research and goals, followed by relevance of their work to people of all meeting the goals and the involved trade- collaborative panel discussions. Among ages,” added Bushinsky. The YWC, he offs. Another principal topic of the meeting the participants were AOS Faculty Member said, “certainly was a worthwhile thing to was comparing and integrating the Jorge Sarmiento, a Nereus principal do and I’m glad PPPL does events like modeling work of our group. Several investigator, GFDL Research that.” models of fish and fishing have been Oceanographer Charlie Stock, a Nereus co- developed by the Nereus Program and it is principal investigator, AOS Associate The 600 young women in attendance also now time to compare them so that we can Research Scholar Colleen Petrik, a Nereus listened to talks by female engineers, begin giving recommendations for future fellow, and Rebecca Asch and Natasha before coming together in Richardson fisheries management under climate Henschke, Nereus alumni. Auditorium for a keynote address by change. It was very exciting to see how far
NASA Aerospace Engineer Aprille the Nereus Program has come in just the Sarmiento, together with Nereus Program Ericsson, the first African-American two years I have been a Senior Fellow. I Director of Science William Cheung, woman to receive a Ph.D. in mechanical think that we are now poised to actually moderated the opening panel on changing engineering from Howard University. “If I start transferring our research to policy oceans and ecosystems which examined ever wondered about what people thought making.” what future biodiversity and ecosystem about me, I would never have become a functions may look like under climate rocket scientist,” she told the young Nereus participating institutes include: the change and other human drivers. women in the audience. She shared her Nippon Foundation; the University of Presentations by Petrik and Henschke belief that humans could travel to Mars in British Columbia, Institute for the Oceans focused on how marine species are their lifetime if future scientists tackle and Fisheries; Duke University, Marine adapting to their changing oceans, with some major challenges over the next few Geospatial Ecology Lab; Princeton Stock leading the discussion surrounding decades. “We need you guys to develop University, Atmospheric and Oceanic the challenges surrounding this issue and new launch vehicles that will get us there,” Sciences; University of Cambridge; potential ways forward. Remaining panels she added. A lofty goal, no doubt, but to Geography Department; UNEP – World included: multi-scale human impacts, the Conservation Monitoring Centre; CICS. Display tables were jam-packed “I’m grateful to the volunteers who came Stockholm University, Stockholm with children and families eager to try their out to lend their expertise,” Legg said. “I Resilience Centre; Utrecht University, The hand at tabletop scientific inquiry. believe we get as much out of the Netherlands Institute for the Law of the Celebrating its fourteenth year, Ocean Fun experience as those who visit our table.” Sea; and Expansion Partners. New Days gave the young people in attendance Expansion Partners include Rutgers the opportunity to learn firsthand from Ocean Fun Days is presented by founding University and the University of South marine scientists, researchers and sponsor New Jersey Natural Gas, in Carolina, home to former AOS environmentalists who possess a vested partnership with New Jersey Sea Grant postdoctoral scholars and new Nereus PIs interest in the oceans and the scientists an Consortium, Asbury Park Press, New Malin Pinsky and Ryan Rykaczewski opportunity to get out from behind their Jersey Department of Environmental respectively. ■ desks to a more natural venue to share their Protection, New Jersey Division of Parks passion. and Forestry, National Park Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ocean Fun Days “Our hands-on experiments attracted a lot Administration. ■ of kids,” said Hsieh, an AOS graduate 2017 Draws student. “They always seemed to have new questions to ask, and some of them I had AOS & CICS Thousands to never thought about how to explain before! I thank Sonya for creating this opportunity Research in Action Jersey Shore for us to talk with kids about science. It [This column is intended to focus on AOS was a fun day at the shore.” & CICS research accomplishments and Despite a chill in the air on the opening day milestones, past, present, and future. In of Ocean Fun Days, thousands were drawn to the Jersey Shore for a weekend of this issue, we highlight the interactive fun and education on Saturday, accomplishments of AOS Associate March 20th, at Island Beach State Park, and Research Scholar Carolina Dufour who on Sunday, March 21st, at the New Jersey spent 4 ½ years in the AOS Program.] Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC) on Sandy Hook. After four and a half years as a postdoc and AOS Faculty Members Sonya Legg, who associate research scholar in the AOS Pro- coordinated the outreach effort at gram, Carolina Dufour departed Princeton Princeton, and Steve Griffies were joined at the end of May. Working with Jorge by Bing Pu (AOS), Angel Adames Sarmiento and Stephen Griffies, Carolina (UCAR), Tsung-Lin Hsieh (AOS), Jane L to R: AOS Graduate Student Shiv Priyam studied the Southern Ocean, its role in the Smyth (AOS) and Shiv Priyam Raghuraman & UCAR Postdoctoral climate system and response to climate Raghuraman (AOS) at the CICS/AOS Researcher Angel Adames change. She investigated in particular the exhibit to lead hands-on experiments role of oceanic processes, including ocean demonstrating iceberg melting and ocean “I was very glad to participate in this “fun” mesoscale eddies, on carbon uptake, sea ice acidification. They were one of over 50 event, said Pu, an AOS associate research and transport of water masses and climate exhibitors presenting at the 2017 event, scholar. “It gave me a chance to talk to relevant tracers. Soon after she arrived, a joining forces with fellow scientists and people outside of the scientific community, team of GFDL scientists, in collaboration environmentalists from around the state to to answer their questions about climate with Sarmiento’s team, set themselves a promote ocean awareness and improved sciences, and to explain to them how modeling challenge: running the high- coastal stewardship. climate change could affect us through resolution climate model CM2.6 with a simple yet meaningful experiments.” biogeochemical module called miniBLING. “I learned a lot from my Other eco-friendly activities included involvement in this multi-institution seining, bird walks, beachcombing, fiddler modeling project,” Carolina said. Since the crab races and tours of Sandy Hook’s release of these unique simulations, legendary lighthouse, in addition to an numerous papers have been published open house at the NOAA/National Marine advancing our understanding on various Fisheries laboratory. Hosted by Project aspects of the climate system and its Terrapin and the Marine Academy of response to climate change. Technology and Environmental Science L to R: AOS Associate Research Scholar (MATES), the release of diamondback “It was a pleasure to have Carolina in the Bing Pu & AOS Graduate Student Tsung- turtle hatchlings into their natural habitat group,” said Sarmiento. “Her scientific Lin Hsieh was new this year at Island Beach State contributions were excellent, and her Park and no doubt memorable to those who organizational and analytical skills were Attendance was very good both days, with were fortunate enough to witness it. essential for including biogeochemistry in perfect sunny weather on Sunday, the CM2.6 model simulations. We wish according to Legg, associate director of her the very best as she starts her new job Mechanisms from Regional to Global package, after 2+ years of development and as a professor at McGill.” Scales," on May 22, 2017. their own personal use. An open source Python package, “aospy” provides tools for ********************************************* automating analyses of netCDF climate Congratulations to Nicholas Lutsko who data across different simulations (or successfully defended his Ph.D. Thesis, observational datasets), physical variables, "Aspects of Eddy Momentum Fluxes in the time ranges, and many other parameters. General Circulation of the Troposphere," For more information: on June 1, 2017.
********************************************* ********************************************* Congratulations to AOS Graduate Student New Model Helps Predict Regional and Elizabeth Yankovsky who has been Seasonal Sea Ice Extent awarded an NSF graduate research fellowship. She will begin the position in Scientists have developed a new method to the fall, and her research will focus forecast the extent of sea ice in some on the dynamics of dense water formation regions of the Arctic up to 11 months in and transport in the continental shelf advance. The new approach was detailed in AOS Associate Research Scholar regions of the Arctic Ocean and on a study published recently in the journal Carolina Dufour improving representations of these Geophysical Research Letters. Mitch processes in large-scale global climate Bushuk (UCAR) led the research while he On her experience in the AOS department, models. was an AOS postdoc. His coauthors Carolina said, “Working in the AOS include Gabe Vecchi, professor of Program has been an invaluable experience ****************************************** geosciences and PEI; Rym Msadek for me. I will always be extremely grateful Congratulations to Young (Paul) Yi, a (CNRS/CERFACS); and Mike Winton, for the chance I was given to be exposed to Princeton student in Geosciences, who Rich Gudgel, Anthony Rosati and the many facets of a researcher's life.” She recently graduated. He spent two summers Xiaosong Yang (NOAA/GFDL). added, “I very much enjoyed the working with AOS Faculty Member Sonya welcoming and vibrant AOS community, Legg for both his junior project and his ********************************************* which I will dearly miss.” senior thesis. AOS Faculty Member Bob Climate Process Team on Internal-Wave Hallberg also advised him for his senior Driven Ocean Mixing “Carolina was a trusted collaborator during thesis. Paul was supported by a PEI her 4+ years at Princeton. She has superb fellowship, and received the department The Climate Process Team on Internal- physical insights, analysis skills, and Sampson prize for environmental Wave Driven Ocean Mixing has published general understanding of oceanography,” geosciences. Paul will be working with an article on recent advances in the said Griffies. “I learned heaps while AOS Research Scholar Keith Rodgers this understanding of internal-wave driven working with her, and feel very proud of summer, and then going on to Stanford for turbulent mixing in the ocean interior, the work we did together. I hope to graduate school. along with new parameterizations for continue our collaboration as she embarks global climate ocean models and their on a new life at McGill University.” climate impacts. AOS Faculty Members Steve Griffies, Bob Hallberg, Sonya Carolina is heading to the department of Legg, as well as Benjamin Mater, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at Angelique Melet, and Maarten Buijsman McGill University in Montreal, Canada, (formerly AOS), are among the paper's where she accepted an assistant professor coauthors. position. She hopes to keep some strong collaborations with Princeton and GFDL ********************************************* colleagues and to visit Princeton regularly. Carolina will miss the “stimulating L to R: Sonya Legg and Paul Yi at Class In Retrospect (Nature): Highlights a environment of Princeton and the beautiful Day Dinner in Guyot Hall Classic 1967 Paper by Manabe and campus, with its nice beach volleyball Wetherald courts.” ■ For a full list of Geosciences students supervised by AOS faculty for their senior A classic paper in 1967 by climate theses, see: modelers Syukuro (Suki) Manabe, an