[DLS] Daniel Lecoanet (Northwestern)

“Model Hierarchies for Understanding the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation”

Small-scale fluid processes underly many phenomena in earth and planetary science, from cloud feedbacks, to turbulent mixing, to wave dynamics. They can have significant influence on large scales, and are typically parameterized in global models. Here I will use a hierarchy of models of small-scale fluid dynamics to test different conceptional theories of the processes. I will apply this strategy to study wave-mean flow interactions, which are known to drive large-scale atmospheric winds in Earth, known as the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation, as well as other planets. The different models are simulated using the Dedalus simulation code, which can solve nearly arbitrary partial differential equations using spectral methods. Testing different theories using this type of model hierarchy leads to a deeper understanding of the underlying processes, which can be used to develop robust parameterizations.

EAPS Department Lecture Series 

Weekly talks aimed to bring together the entire EAPS community, given by leading thinkers in the areas of geology, geophysics, geobiology, geochemistry, atmospheric science, oceanography, climatology, and planetary science. Runs concurrently with class 12.S501. 

Contact: eapsinfo@mit.edu