I am interested in atmosphere-ocean interaction, and its influence on the climate. Much of my research focuses on the tropics. They receive the most sunlight, resulting in warm sea surface temperature, and strong fluxes of heat from the ocean to the atmosphere. Most of the heat transferred to the atmosphere is in the form of evaporation. Water vapor condenses in rain clouds and the heat of condensation drives the large-scale circulation of the atmosphere. Wind from the atmosphere blows across the ocean surface and drives ocean currents. Clouds themselves are an important player in atmosphere-ocean interaction, because they shade the ocean surface from the sun, keeping it cooler.
I model or observe important and interesting regional processes, like strong ocean upwelling and stratiform clouds in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, and intraseasonal variability, organized deep convection, and its air-sea interaction in the central tropical Indian Ocean. I measure heat and momentum fluxes from ships by measuring radiation and turbulent temperature, humidity, and velocity fluctuations. I use data gained from observations and regional models to understand air-sea interaction and clouds, and to understand how well climate models simulate these processes.
