Fall 2002


Development and use of hydrodynamic models in setting minimum freshwater inflows for riverine estuaries in Southwest Florida

Dr. XinJian Chen

Surface Water Improvement & Management Program
Southwest Florida Water Management District
Florida, USA

4:30 p.m., Thursday, September 5, 2002

Abstract: In this talk, I will present a laterally averaged 2D circulation model known as LAMFE (Laterally Averaged Models For Estuaries) and a 3D circulation model known as LESS3D (Lake and Estuary Simulation System in Three Dimensions), with emphasis on the non-hydrostatic capability of the latter model. I will then discuss some model sensitivity studies (including non-hydrostatic simulations) and numerical results of a long-period (18 months), hydrostatic simulation using LESS3D for a small estuary near Tampa, Florida, USA.


Title: TBA

Speaker

Institute

4:30 p.m., Thursday, September 12, 2002

Abstract:


Title: TBA

Speaker

Institute

4:30 p.m., Thursday, September 19, 2002

Abstract:


Extratropical Transitions of Hurricanes Michael and karen: Storm Reconnaisance with the Canadian Convair 580 Aircraft

Chris Fogarty, Jim Abraham and Walter Strapp

Dalhousie/Meteorological Service of Canada

4:30 p.m., Thursday, September 26, 2002

Abstract: On average, about four tropical cyclones affect Atlantic Canada and its neighbouring marine waters each year. Many of these are in transition from tropical to extratropical, presenting a forecast challenge to meteorologists. Furthermore, the structural changes (e.g. wind and precipitation) and rapid accelerations in forward motion result in these storms posing a serious threat to life and property for both the marine and inland public communities.

Given the lack of scientific understanding of the structural evolution of tropical cyclones in the middle latitudes, the Meteorological Service of Canada in collaboration with the Canadian National Research Council (NRC), conducted two research aircraft flights into storms affecting Atlantic Canada. In October, 2000, the NRC Convair 580, equipped with cloud microphysical probes and a 35-GHz radar, dropped a series of dropsondes in and around Hurricane "Michael." Subsequently, in October 2001, a similar flight was flown into Tropical Storm "Karen."

This paper will present some of the very unique and interesting data collected during these investigations, and compare these data with the conceptual models that meteorologists have developed to assist in the diagnosis and prediction of extratropical transitions.

The 2-page extended abstract with some preliminary results is available at http://projects.novaweather.net/12D_4.pdf

More research on this topic can be found at http://projects.novaweather.net/work.html


Tides, long period slopes and flows in the Arctic Archipelago

David Greenberg

David Greenberg (and a supporting cast of thousands)
Coastal Ocean Science, Bedford Institute of Oceanography
Fisheries and Oceans Canada

4:30 p.m., Thursday, October 3, 2002

Abstract: As part of Canada's commitment to the international Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), permanent tide gauges are being installed in the Arctic. A primary goal is to obtain high quality, levelled sea surface data to look at long term changes in sea level and slopes that would indicate changes in transport patterns. This presentation will look at the progress in using a three-dimensional barotropic finite-element model to help in the analysis of the data. The model is used to examine how the complex tides change with seasonal ice cover, how the transport varies with the period of the sea level difference between the Arctic and the Atlantic, and how the sea level signal of the Arctic Ocean is transmitted through the Archipelago.


Estimating probabilty distributions of future global warming using climate model ensembles

Thomas Stocker

Climate and Environmental Physics
Physics Institute
University of Bern, Switzerland

4:00 p.m., Thursday, October 10, 2002
Department of Physics & Atmospheric Science Seminar Series
Dunn Building, Room 135


Title: TBA

Speaker

Institute

4:30 p.m., Thursday, October 17, 2002

Abstract:


Bedford Institute of Oceanography's Anniversary

No Seminar Today

Thursday, October 24, 2002


Circulation and vorticity in coarse-resolution global ocean simulations

Youyu Lu

Bedford Institute of Oceanography

4:30 p.m., Thursday, October 31, 2002

Abstract: We analyze the data assimilative simulations of the global ocean using a coarse-resolution (2 degrees in longitude/latitude) model. The data assimilation procedure uses the adjoint method to adjust surface forcing and model initial conditions. The data assimilative run is compared with the non-assimilative run, to identify changes in large scale circulation and balancing terms in the vorticity budget. It is found that changes in the barotropic circulation are related to changes in both the wind stress curl and the bottom-pressure-torque. In the upper ocean, both runs show significant departures from the classic Sverdrup balance. The departures are confined to some bands in the zonal direction. In the deep ocean, both runs show the importance of the bottom pressure torque. Changes in the abyssal circulation are due to changes in both the mass exchange with the upper layer and the bottom pressure torque. Difference in the meridional overturning circulation is mainly set by the difference in the initial conditions. However, sensitivity studies reveal that surface forcing also plays important role in maintaining the overturning circulation. This study is a contribution of the consortium for Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO, www.ecco-group.org).


Turbulence and plankton

Hidekatsu Yamazaki

Tokyo University of Fisheries
University of Victoria

4:30 p.m., Thursday, November 7, 2002

Abstract: A brief overview of oceanic turbulence is presented, so that non-turbulence specialists can get some feel for turbulence in the ocean. A few scientific questions are presented regarding how turbulence might be interacted with planktonic organisms. Examples from field experiments and numerical simulation are also presented.


Investigating 20th century climate change using a simple AGCM

Richard Greatbatch

Department of Oceanography
Dalhousie University

4:30 p.m., Thursday, November 14, 2002

Abstract: A simple dynamical model of the atmosphere is used to investigate climate change and variability during the last 50 years of the 20th century. The model shows surprising skill at reproducing the observed modes of variability in the atmosphere as well as their trends. The results point to an important role played by the tropics, especially the tropical Pacific Ocean region, in recent climate change.


Internal Tides in the Bay of Fundy

Alex Hay

Department of Oceanography
Dalhousie University

4:30 p.m., Thursday, November 21, 2002

Abstract:


Modeling the Ice-Ocean Seasonal Cycle in Hudson Bay, Foxe Basin and Hudson Strait

Francois Saucier

Maurice-Lamontagne Institute
Mon-Joli, Quebec

4:30 p.m., Thursday, November 28, 2002

Abstract:


The dynamics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and its associated thermohaline circulation

Dr. John Marshall

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
USA

11:00 a.m., Thursday, December 5, 2002
LSC 3655 (3rd floor classroom)
Please note special time and location!!

Abstract:


Mixing on the Continental Shelf

Neil Oakey

Ocean Sciences Division
Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Bedford Institute of Oceanography

4:30 p.m., Thursday, December 12, 2002


That's it until January - stay tuned!!

Happy Holidays everybody!!!