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OASIS

Observatory for Air-Sea Interaction Studies

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

Headed by Dr. Christopher J. Zappa, the OASIS group at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory combines technology and ocean physics to answer questions of....

Current Highlights

Scientists and residents of Kotzebue, Alaska pose with the UAV used in a joint effort to study changes in Arctic sea ice

Deploying our mooring in Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica off the back deck of the R/V Araon

Our UAV flies over the deck of the R/V Falkor

Ikaaġvik Sikukun

Bridging the scientific and indigenous communities: Sea Ice Change in Arctic Alaska. See the website for this project here .

Polynyas and the Global Overturning Circulation

In 2017 aboard the R/V Araon, we deployed a mooring with instruments to measure current velocities, temperature, salinity, and other water properties in Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea to understand the formation and transport of High Salinity Shelf Water (HSSW). This water mass originates in polynyas, seasonal openings in the sea ice that act as "windows" into an otherwise ice-covered polar ocean. Here, sea ice is formed and blown away by strong winds, making room for more ice to form in what is called a "sea ice factory." When ice forms, it excludes brine, leaving the surface waters of the polynya highly saline. This HSSW is very dense, causing it to sink and become the primary constituent of a larger water mass known as Antarctic Bottom Water, a vital componant of the climate-regulating global ocean circulation. We successfully retrieved this mooring in 2018 and are currently working to analyze the data.

The Sea Surface Microlayer Universe

A multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional effort to increase our understanding of the significance and role of the air-sea interface (sea surface microlayer, SML) as the boundary layer controlling atmosphere-ocean interactions. The first research cruise occured in 2016 on the R/V Falkor in the Timor Sea. The next research cruise is scheduled for the end of 2019.

Solving the K-Conundrum

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People

Current

Christopher J Zappa

PI, Lamont Research Professor

Website | zappa@ldeo.columbia.edu

Scott Brown

Staff Associate

Website | brown@ldeo.columbia.edu

Carson Witte

Field Engineer

Website | cwitte@ldeo.columbia.edu

Nathan Laxague

Postdoctoral Scholar

Website | laxague@ldeo.columbia.edu

Una Miller

Graduate Research Fellow, Ocean and Climate Physics

Website | umiller@ldeo.columbia.edu

Suki Wong

Graduate Research Fellow, Ocean and Climate Physics

Website | wong@ldeo.columbia.edu

Associated

Tae Siek Rhee

Adjunct Senior Research Scientist, Korean Ocean Polar Research Institute

Michael L. Banner

Adjunct Senior Research Scientist, University of New South Wales Sydney

Former

Deborah LeBel

Staff Associate

Sophia Brumer

Graduate Research Fellow, Ocean and Climate Physics, PhD 2017

Daniel Kiefhaber

Visiting Fulbright Scholar from the University of Heidelberg, Germany, 2011-2012

Phil Orton

Graduate Research Fellow, Ocean and Climate Physics, PhD 2010

Videos

YouTube

Selected Papers

Laxague, N. J. M., C. J. Zappa, D. A. LeBel, and M. L. Banner (2018), Spectral characteristics of gravity-capillary waves, with connections to wave growth and microbreaking, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 123, doi:10.1029/2018JC013859.

Wurl, O., K. Bird, M. Cunliffe, W. M. Landing, U. Miller, N. I. H. Mustaffa, M. Ribas Ribas, C. Witte, and C. J. Zappa (2018), Warming and inhibition of salinization at the ocean's surface by Cyanobacteria, Geophys. Res. Lett., 45(9), 4230-4237, doi:10.1029/2018GL077946.

Brumer, S. E., C. J. Zappa, B. W. Blomquist, C. W. Fairall, A. Cifuentes-Lorenzen, J. B. Edson, I. M. Brooks, and B. J. Huebert (2017), Wave-related Reynolds number parameterizations of CO2 and DMS transfer velocities, Geophys. Res. Lett., 44(19), 9865-9875, doi:10.1002/2017GL074979.

Lund, B., C. J. Zappa, H. C. Graber, and A. Cifuentes-Lorenzen (2017), Shipboard wave measurements in the Southern Ocean, Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 34(9), 2113-2126, doi:10.1175/jtech-d-16-0212.1.

Brumer, S. E., C. J. Zappa, I. M. Brooks, H. Tamura, S. M. Brown, B. W. Blomquist, C. W. Fairall, and A. Cifuentes-Lorenzen (2017), Whitecap coverage dependence on wind and wave statistics as observed during SO GasEx and HiWinGS, Journal of Physical Oceanography, 47(9), 2211-2235, doi:/10.1175/jpo-d-17-0005.1.

Wurl, O., W. Ekau, W. M. Landing, and C. J. Zappa, (2017) Sea surface microlayer in a changing ocean – A perspective, Elementa Science of the Anthropocene, 5(31), doi:10.1525/elementa.228.

Zappa, C. J., M. L. Banner, R. P. Morison, and S. E. Brumer (2016), On the variation of the effective breaking strength in oceanic sea states, Journal of Physical Oceanography, 46(7), 2049-2061, doi:10.1175/JPO-D-15-0227.1.

Zappa, C. J., M. L. Banner, H. Schultz, J. R. Gemmrich, R. P. Morison, D. A. LeBel, and T. Dickey, (2012) An Overview of Sea State Conditions and Air-Sea Fluxes during RaDyO, Journal of Geophysical Research – Oceans, 117, C00H19, doi:10.1029/2011JC007336.

Zappa, C.J., D.T. Ho, W.R. McGillis, M. L. Banner, J.W.H. Dacey, L.F. Bliven, B. Ma, and J. Nystuen (2009). Rain-induced turbulence and air-sea gas transfer. Journal of Geophysical Research, 114, C07009, doi:10.1029/2008JC005008.

Jessup, A.T., W.E. Asher, M. Atmane, K. Phadnis, C.J. Zappa, M.R. Loewen (2009). Evidence for complete and partial surface renewal at an air-water interface. Geophysical Research Letters, 36, L16601, doi:10.1029/2009GL038986.

Zappa, C.J., M.L. Banner, H.J. Schultz, A. Corrada-Emmanuel, L.B. Wolff, & J. Yalcin (2008), Retrieval of short ocean wave slope using polarimetric imaging, Measurement Science and Technology, 19 (055503), doi: 10.1088/0957-0233/19/5/055503.

Zappa, C. J., W. R. McGillis, P. A. Raymond, J. B. Edson, E. J. Hintsa, H. J.Zemmelink, J. W. H. Dacey, and D. T. Ho (2007), Environmental turbulent mixing controls on air-water gas exchange in marine and aquatic systems. Geophysical Research Letters, 34 (L10601), doi:10.1029/ 2006GL028790.

Farrar, J.T., C.J. Zappa, R.A. Weller, and A.T. Jessup (2007), Sea surface temperature signatures of oceanic internal waves in low winds. Journal of Geophysical Research, 112 (C06014), doi:10.1029/2006JC003947.

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Teaching

Chris teaches a graduate-level course on Air-Sea Interaction (W4630y) that is offered by the Columbia University Earth and Environmental Sciences Department.

Copyright © 2018

Design: Una Miller & Suki Wong | Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University