Email: rsriver@psu.edu
Current CV - Curriculum Vitae
Sriver, R. L., and Huber, M. (Submitted), Modeled sensitivity of upper thermocline properties to tropical cyclone winds, Submitted to Geophys. Res. Lett.
Sriver, R. L., Lund, D. C., and Woodruff, J. D. (Submitted), The potential influence of tropical cyclones on western North Atlantic stratifiction over the last 1000 years, Submitted to Geophys. Res. Lett.
Warnaar, J., Bijl, P. K., Huber, M., Sloan, L., Brinkhuis, H., Rohl, U., Sriver, R. L., and Visscher, H. (2009), Orbitally forced climate changes in the Tasman sector during the Middle Eocene, Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 280, 361-370, doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2009.06.023. Link to abstract
Sriver, R. L., Huber, M., and Nusbaumer, J. (2008), Investigating tropical cyclone-climate feedbacks using the TRMM Microwave Imager and the Quick Scatterometer, Geochem., Geophys., Geosyst., 9, Q09V11, doi:10.1029/2007GC001842. pdf
Sriver, R. L., and Huber, M. (2007), Observational evidence for an ocean heat pump induced by tropical cyclones, Nature, 447, 577-580, doi:10.1038/nature05785. Link to abstract
Sriver, R. L., and Huber, M. (2007), Reply to comment by R. N. Maue and R. E. Hart on “Low frequency variability in globally integrated tropical cyclone power dissipation”, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L11704, doi:10.1029/2007GL029413. pdf
Sriver, R.. L., and Huber, M. (2006), Low frequency variability in globally integrated tropical cyclone power dissipation, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L11705, doi:10.1029/2006GL026167. pdf
Overview
I am interested in understanding the processes governing climate variability on all spatial and temporal scales using theory, modeling, and data analysis. Several issues that interest me include:
To date, my main line of research has addressed all three of these issues by exploring the role of tropical cyclones within Earth's climate system, stemming from Kerry Emanuel's [2001] original hypothesis. Specifically, my work has focused on examining potential feedbacks between transient extreme wind events, surface temperature, and upper ocean vertical mixing in the tropics.
Past Research
My previous research focused on using observation-based data to investigate the global impact of tropical cyclones on the upper oceans. I created a global surface data set of tropical cyclone-induced surface winds and temperature anomalies from reanalysis and satellite data. This data set was used to examine low frequency variability in globally integrated tropical cyclone intensity and estimate vertical ocean mixing (and the associated heat convergence) attributable to these events. We found tropical cyclone-induced mixing significantly contributes to the ocean’s tropical mixing budget and may have implications for large-scale ocean properties and transport.
Current Research
I am utilizing the ocean component of the Community Climate System Model (CCSM) developed at the National Center of Atmospheric Research to test the hypothesis that tropical cyclone-induced vertical mixing is important for large scale ocean dynamics. I am testing the sensitivity of model properties (temperature, mixed layer depth, meridional overturning, heat transport) to realistic tropical cyclone surface wind fields that are blended into the standard forcing data sets. This project is an integral component of an ongoing NSF SGER grant I co-authored with Matthew Huber (PI) at Purdue University.
Working with Michael Mann, Klaus Keller and Marlos Goes at Penn State University, I am introducing a new climate-sensitive ocean mixing parameterization into the University of Victoria’s Earch System Climate Model (UVic ESCM). This parameterization will represent vertical diffusivities attributable to tropical cyclone mixing, based on global budgets derived from surface analysis [Sriver and Huber, 2007; Sriver et al., in press] and preliminary CCSM model results. Sriver and Huber [2007] show these tropical cyclone diffusivities are spatially variable and highly sensitive to annually averaged basin-wide surface temperature. We will diagnose the impacts of this mixing on upper ocean tracer fields (temperature, salinity, ideal age), as well as important variables such as mixed layer depth, meridional overturning streamfunction, and ocean heat transport.
Purdue-based portal for NCAR's Community Climate System Model (CCSM)
We created a Purdue-based web portal to a “community” installation of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Climate System Model (CCSM) using TeraGrid resources. The Purdue CCSM portal allows users easy access to this world class, fully-coupled climate model through an intuitive and easy-to-use web interface utilizing the TeraGrid's multi-partnered open infrastructure. This work is part of an ongoing collaborative effort between Information Technology at Purdue (ITAP) and Purdue's Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS).
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