Jemma Jeffree
PhD Candidate
email jemma.jeffree@anu.edu.au

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About

I am a PhD student in the Climate Fluids Physics group at ANU, aiming to improve understanding of the dynamics of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and the key physical processes required to model ENSO (approximate submission date April 2027). My undergraduate degree was also completed at the ANU, with my Honours thesis awarded a University Medal and the Janet Elsebeth Crawford prize.

I teach part of the Australian Earth Science Olympiad Summer school, am involved with undergraduate courses at ANU and have previously run workshops on two widely-used python packages in climate science (xarray and dask).

Affiliations

science Research area
  Groups

Research interests

My research uses a suite of methodological tools applied to climate models, conceptual models and observational products, with the methodology and data product targeted specifically for each individual research question.

I am interested in understanding the processes contributing to ENSO dynamics across a range of timescales and length scales. These include:

  • The rectification of small-scale air-sea interactions onto larger scales
  • Sub-monthly "weather" processes affecting ENSO characteristics and predictability
  • Individual ENSO events and the transitions between these
  • Interactions and feedbacks between the equatorial Pacific and other Ocean basins
  • Decadal modulation of ENSO behaviour
  • The impacts of climate change on ENSO

Alongside these research topics, I am also interested in coupled model development, to translate new knowledge into model improvements that can then underpin further research.

Publications

Jeffree, J., Maher, N., Amaya, D., and Dommenget, D. (submitted) Global comparison of ENSO remote forcing across SMILEs using model analogue forecasting Climate Dynamics 


Maher, N., Phillips, A. S., Deser, C., Wills, R. C. J., Lehner, F., Fasullo, J., Caron, J. M., Brunner, L., Beyerle, U., and Jeffree, J. (2025) The updated Multi-Model Large Ensemble Archive and the Climate Variability Diagnostics Package: new tools for the study of climate variability and change Geoscientific Model Development 


Jeffree, J., Hogg, A. McC., Morrison, A. K., Solodoch, A., Stewart, A. L., McGirr, R. (2024) GRACE satellite observations of Antarctic Bottom Water transport variability Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.170896764.43832423/v1