John Marshall's Group

John Marshall's group studies the general circulation of the ocean and its role in the global climate.

Website:

http://www-paoc.mit.edu/paoc/marshall/marshall.html

Current Research themes include:

  1. Dynamics of aquaplanets
    Earth-like planets with an atmosphere and ocean like our own, but with highly schematized land distributions. Provides a context for the study of:
      - the elemental role of the ocean in climate
      - questions raised by the paleo-record
      - planetary dynamics
     
  2. Ocean dynamics
       - the Antarctic Circumpolar Current
       - geostrophic turbulence and waves
       - ocean eddies and their role in mixing, stirring and biogeochemical cycles
       - ocean convection and subduction
     
  3. Decadal predictablity of the ocean
       - predictability horizons of the coupled atmosphere, ocean, ice system
       - mechanisms of decadal MOC variability
     
  4. Role of the ocean in the cycles of heat, water and carbon
     
  5. Development of Ocean models and Climate models
        - MIT's Climate Modeling Initiative.
     
  6. Teaching in weather and climate
        - Weather in a Tank