Mathematical Institute

Ocean dynamics on the margin of rotational control

John R Taylor

(University of Cambridge)

Further Information

Professor Taylor's research focuses on the fluid dynamics of the ocean. He is particularly interested in ocean turbulence and mixing, ocean fronts and the surface boundary layer, and the impact of turbulence on micro-organisms. Recent work has uncovered a fascinating and poorly-understood collection of processes occurring at relatively small scales (<O(10km)) where the vertical motion is strong but stratification and the Earth's rotation are important factors. Since these motions are too small to be directly resolved by global ocean and climate models, understanding their impact on the structure and dynamics of the ocean is one of the most pressing topics in physical oceanography. Currently, he is studying the dynamics of upper ocean fronts, the turbulent boundary layer beneath melting ice shelves, stratified turbulence, and the influence of physical processes on biogeochemical dynamics. Please see his homepage here for more information. https://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/person/jrt51

Abstract

Global scale ocean currents are strongly constrained by the Earth’s rotation, while this effect is generally negligible at small scales. In between, motions with scales from 1-10km are marginally affected by the Earth’s rotation. These intermediate scales, collectively termed the ocean submesoscale, have been hidden from view until recent years. Evidence from field measurements, numerical models, and satellite data have shown that submesoscales play a particularly important role in the upper ocean where they help to control the transport of material between the ocean surface and interior. In this talk I will review some recent work on submesoscale dynamics and their influence on biogeochemistry and accumulation of microplastics in the surface waters.