Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

AOS Research Staff Profile

Stephanie Downes

AOS Program, Princeton University

Address: 300 Forrestal Road, Sayre Hall

Phone: (609) 258-1311

Email: sdownes@ NOSPAM princeton.edu

� Vita

Research Field

My research focuses on the formation and circulation of Southern Ocean water masses. The simulation of the Southern Ocean overturning circulation among climate models, and compared with observations, significantly varies. I look at the subduction and transformation of water masses, and the associated air-sea and Ekman fluxes, to understand why models differ.

I have spent the past few years diagnosing changes in the Southern Ocean upper limb water masses in some of the IPCC AR4 models. I am currently estimating the transformation of deep waters into mode and intermediate waters in some of the GFDL models. The Southern Ocean plays an important role for the uptake and outgassing of carbon. My research will link the upwelling of carbon and nutrients with the physical processes of Circumpolar Deep Water.

Please feel free to contact me via phone or email if you would like further information on my research.

Publications

Refereed papers

Downes, S. M., N. L. Bindoff and S. R. Rintoul (2009). Impacts of climate change on the subduction of mode and intermediate water masses in the Southern Ocean. Journal of Climate. In press. pdf

Papers in preparation

Downes, S. M., N. L. Bindoff and S. R. Rintoul (2009). IPCC models’ projections of changes in the subduction of Sub-Antarctic Mode Water and Antarctic Intermediate Water. In prep.

�

Theses

Dupre, S. M. (2004) Impacts of latitude shifts in the Southern Ocean Westerly Winds on past and present climates. Honours Thesis, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Downes, S.M. (2008) An analysis of the impacts of climate change on the Southern Ocean overturning circulation. PhD Thesis, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia (Submitted)

Conference presentations

Dupre, S. M. (2005) Impacts of latitude shifts in the Southern Ocean westerly winds on past and present climates. Australian Institute of Physics 16th Biennial Congress, Australian National University, Canberra, Jan 31 - Feb 4, 2005 (p. 84).

Downes, S. M. (2005) An analysis of the impacts on overturning circulation in the Southern Ocean. ACE CRC 2005 Symposium, Hobart, Tasmania, Aug 30 - 31, 2005.

Downes, S. M. and N. L. Bindoff (2005) An analysis of the impacts on overturning circulation in the Southern Ocean. Greenhouse 2005: Action on Climate Change Conference, Melbourne, Victoria, Nov 13 - 17, 2005 (p. 154).

Downes, S. M. and N. L. Bindoff (2006) Climate impacts on Southern Ocean mode and intermediate water masses during the 21st Century. ACE CRC 2006 Symposium, Hobart, Tasmania, Aug 29 - 30, 2006.

Downes, S. M., N. L. Bindoff and S. R. Rintoul (2007) Climate impacts on Southern Ocean water masses during the 21st Century. 14th National Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society Conference, Adelaide, South Australia, Feb 5 - 8, 2007.

Downes, S. M., N. L. Bindoff and S. R. Rintoul (2007) Multi-model analysis of subduction in the Southern Ocean in response to climate change. Greenhouse 2007: The Latest Science & Technology Conference, Sydney, Oct 2 - 5, 2007 (p.125).

Downes, S. M., N. L. Bindoff and S. R. Rintoul (2007) Multi-model analysis of subduction in the Southern Ocean in response to climate change. ACE CRC 2007 Symposium, Hobart, Tasmania, Nov 20 - 21, 2007.

Downes, S. M., N. L. Bindoff and S. R. Rintoul (2008) Changes in the subduction of Southern Ocean water masses in ten IPCC models. ASLO Ocean Sciences Meeting, Orlando, Florida, Mar 2 - 7, 2008 (p. 118).

Downes, S. M., N. L. Bindoff and S. R. Rintoul (2009) Multi-model analysis of the subduction and circulation of Southern Ocean upper limb water masses in the 21st century. 9th International Conference on Southern Hemisphere Meteorology & Oceanography, Melbourne, Australia, Feb 9 – 13, 2009.

Downes, S. M., N. L. Bindoff and S. R. Rintoul (2009) The subduction of SAMW and AAIW in the 21st century. Climate Change Prediction Program, Bethesda, Maryland, April 7 – 9, 2009.

Princeton University