Research Interests

Coastal Oceans & Tropical Cyclones

The heat budget of the coastal ocean mixed layer represents the final push before landfall of tropical storms. As the processes of downwelling fronts or ahead-of-eye cooling happen at the same timescales as the storms, the interaction is complicated and a rich area of study.

Mixed layer dynamics and turbulence

The observation and understanding of the processes within the relatively homogeneous mixed-layer that allow for the transference of kinetic energy from surface stresses to the pycnocline. This work includes the analysis into the relationship between nonlocal turbulent fluxes, marginal stability, and coherent rolls within the mixed layer.

Interaction of Submesoscale Turbulence with the Bottom Boundary Layer

The coastal ocean involves a region where the spatial and length scales of geostrophic and ageostrophic forces overlap. Understanding how wind-driven turbulence changes the mixed-layer drives an understanding of biological productivity and air-sea interactions.