Seminar: Dr. Ruoying He, NCSU Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences

UNC Marine Sciences’ is proud to host a seminar by Ruoying He, Ph.D.

Presenter Affiliation: North Carolina State University, Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences

Title: Mesoscale and submesoscale mechanisms behind asymmetric cooling and phytoplankton bloom induced by hurricanes

Abstract: Right-side bias in sea surface cooling and phytoplankton blooms are often observed in the wake of hurricanes in the Northern Hemisphere. Here we will present a detailed analysis using a coupled biophysical ocean model to investigate the underlying physical and biological mechanisms behind the hurricane-induced cooling and phytoplankton bloom asymmetry. Two scenarios, an open ocean case and a continental slope and shelf case are studied. Our analyses show that while entrainment, upwelling, and the presence of submesoscale recirculation cells are all important to asymmetry in the open ocean case, strong advection of water onto the shelf and its resulting convergence are more important in the continental shelf and slope case.