Investigating the role of orographic processes in controlling the climate of South Georgia

Supervisors:

Dr John King (BAS, Cambridge)

Prof. Ian Renfrew (School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia)

Situated in the South Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean, the mountainous island of South Georgia exerts a profound influence on the regional atmospheric circulation. Limited meteorological data, and observations of glacial retreat on the island indicate that interaction of the prevailing westerly winds with the island’s high mountains is important in shaping both the mean climate of the island and the way in which it responds to large-scale climate change. The influence of the island’s mountains on the regional atmospheric circulation is potentially an important control on regional ocean circulation, which needs to be quantified in order to understand how climate variability impacts on the regional marine ecosystem.

The student will use high-resolution atmospheric models and climate data to investigate the processes that control regional atmospheric circulation around South Georgia. Case studies will be conducted using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model at  very high (~ 1 km) resolution to study phenomena such as orographic gravity wave generation and the development of downslope windstorms. The understanding gained from these studies will be put into a longer-term context by analysing regional climate data. The outcome of the project will be an assessment of the importance of orographic processes in controlling recent and future regional climate change.