About the Lab
Welcome to the tropical climate dynamics research group at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)! We are interested in atmospheric and oceanic processes in the tropics and their interactions with higher latitudes. We study a variety of topics, including the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), marine atmospheric boundary layer clouds, the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), the Hadley circulation, equatorial waves, tropical cyclones, El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and tropical-extratropical interactions. One of our primary goals is to improve understanding of observations of these complex phenomena using a hierarchy of models and observations. With this improved understanding, weather and climate prediction can be guided in the right direction.
We are also involved in science education and outreach, particularly at WHOI and in the local Cape Cod community. From bringing hands-on rotating tank climate science experiments to K–12 and college classrooms to mentoring middle- and high-school students and teachers on research projects, we strive to motivate a generation of future scientists.
Recent News
Sara Foernssler, Melissa Piper, and Matthew Statz all presented their senior thesis research at the 27th Annual Iowa State University Atmospheric Science Undergraduate Research Symposium. Congrats, Sara, Melissa, and Matt!
Melissa Piper’s reflects on her undergraduate experience in Meteorology at Iowa State in an article featured in Inside LAS: https://news.las.iastate.edu/2019/12/05/adventure-by-melissa/.
Kevin Greene, Matthew Statz, and Melissa Piper were all awarded the Dean’s High Impact Awards for Undergraduate Research for Spring 2020. Each award is $1,200 per semester or $4,800 for summer. This is Kevin’s second time winning the award; he will be continuing his research on improving our understanding of the rainfall characteristics of Tropical Storm Hermine…