The Southern Ocean and Antarctic margins are amongst the least observed regions of the global ocean, despite being a region of great climatic relevance. Here, intense interactions between the ocean and the overlying atmosphere and sea ice contribute to powering the global overturning circulation, which is vital for the sequestering anthropogenic carbon and heat, as well as for the ventilation the abyssal ocean. The Southern Ocean also hosts one of the most intense currents in the world, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current which plays a critical role connecting and mixing waters from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Other important features of the circulation include subpolar gyres, and further south the Antarctic Slope Current which sits at the continental slope, regulating the exchange between the open ocean and the Antarctic shelf.

Our group uses a suite of ocean/sea ice models available for research within this topic, including global and regional models at varying resolution. Potential students may use available simulations; or design their own experiments to address specific questions. Examples projects within this topic are:

1. Quantifying the role of different forcing mechanisms driving changes to the upper overturning circulation.
2. Investigating pathways of heat from the open ocean to the continental shelf.
3. Using a theoretical framework, like a momentum budget, to disentangle the dynamics governing different components of the circulation.
4. Addressing the impact of model resolution on the representation of the Southern Ocean

These are just examples - we welcome prospective students to reach out and have a chat about potential research projects!