The Waves The Winds Blow.

My PhD project centres on the study of gravity waves in the atmosphere, with a special focus on measurements using novel types of wind-based data. Measurements of these waves are vitally needed by weather and climate modelling centres to improve their forecasts since existing measurements using temperature-based data exhibit significant shortcomings. My project will produce new software techniques for analysing and representing these waves in state-of-the-art weather and climate models such as the Unified Model at the UK Met Office.

In my first year, I will focus primarily on data from aircraft measurements, collected routinely over the last three decades for atmospheric chemistry studies but not previously used to answer questions of this type. Later, as the data become available, I will transition to measurements from the European Space Agency's new Aeolus satellite, working to both validate these measurements against my earlier aircraft-based results and investigate a previously under-researched area of the atmosphere which these new data will allow access to. The Centre for Space, Atmospheric and Oceanic Science at the University of Bath has previously developed a unique set of spectral analysis techniques for investigating the structure of atmospheric gravity waves which will provide a starting point for my PhD project, an example of such being the n-dimensional S-transform.

Potential benefits of my PhD project will be to improve numerical weather prediction, climate forecasting, and aviation safety. Accurately observing and modelling atmospheric gravity waves is thought to be important for the medium-range weather prediction of Sudden Stratospheric Warmings, phenomena responsible for much of the severe winter weather experienced in the Northern Hemisphere; as well as being crucial for safely planning aircraft flight paths, particularly through turbulent regions of the Earth's atmosphere.