Research Interests
We work on a broad range of problems in climate science, with a general focus on the physics and dynamics of Earth's climate system. The core of our research is large-scale climate dynamics and the mechanisms that govern Earth's climate and its evolution in the past, present, and future. We place strong emphasis on developing physical understanding using theory and idealized models, which are then tested against observations and comprehensive general circulation models and Earth system models. This includes conceptual frameworks such as energy balance models, simplified representations of atmospheric and ocean circulation, and analytical descriptions of climate processes.
Our work spans a range of topics, including the general circulation of the atmosphere and ocean, polar climate and sea ice, radiative processes and climate feedbacks, the hydrological cycle, and energetic processes within the coupled atmosphere-ocean-ice-land system. Overall, our group aims to advance understanding of the physical processes that govern Earth's climate across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales.
Much of our research takes a hierarchical approach that integrates observations, theory, and modeling, ranging from comprehensive Earth system models to targeted experiments with models of varying complexity. We also develop and apply conceptual mathematical models to isolate key physical processes, alongside statistical methods for interpreting observations and model output. Together, these approaches are used to develop physical theories that explain observations and the behavior of climate models across the historical period, as well as in past and future climates. Climate science is inherently interdisciplinary, as the atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere, and land are tightly coupled and influence climate on timescales ranging from days to millennia. We value collaborative work at the interfaces of these components, where new physical understanding often emerges.
Example Questions
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What processes govern observed and projected patterns of climate change?
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What controls Arctic and Antarctic sea ice changes, and why do their responses to climate change differ between hemispheres?
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How does ocean circulation respond to greenhouse-gas forcing?
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What governs changes in the atmospheric hydrological cycle under climate change, and what are their impacts on the climate system?
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How does model resolution affect our understanding and simulation of climate processes?
Please feel free to get in touch if you are interested in collaborating or learning more about our work!
