Physical oceanographer studying the studying the role of wind-driven turbulence in mediating momentum and heath flux in the Southern Ocean in Sebastiaan Swart’s research group at the University of Polar Gliders.
Isabelle Giddy recently completed her PhD through the Southern Ocean Carbon-Climate Observatory, CSIR, the University of Cape Town and the University of Gothenburg. She is now starting a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Gothenburg.
SWOT AdAC: What is your field of research and how did you choose it?
Isabelle Giddy: I currently study the role of wind-driven turbulence in mediating momentum and heat flux in the upper ocean using high resolution observations made by autonomous underwater vehicles (gliders). My PhD research looked at submesoscale flows in the ice-impacted Southern Ocean. I first became interested in this field because of the importance of the Southern Ocean in regulating our climate, and then also because of the tight link between the technological innovations related to gliders and the scientific research questions that their observations facilitate.
SWOT AdAC: How is your research field related to SWOT?
IG: I research the interaction between submesoscale fronts and winds. SWOT will provide high resolution observations of sea surface height and anomalies which will allow me to better understand and characterize the fronts that we are observing in the ocean.
SWOT AdAC: What do you find exciting about SWOT and the QUICCHE campaign you will be participating? How will you contribute to the campaign?
IG: The high spatial and temporal observations of sea surface height made by SWOT will provide an unprecedented view of the submesoscale ocean. QUICCHE is located in the epicenter of probably the highest eddy kinetic energy region in the world, the Cape Cauldron. It will be incredibly exciting to link the observations from SWOT with in situ observations we will make with underwater gliders in this turbulent region.
SWOT AdAC: What are your plans after the SWOT-AdAC campaign
IG: I will be starting a postdoctoral research fellowship, using the fine scale (<10 km) observations made during the QUICCHE cruise, together with a range of observations from the Southern Ocean to research how the interactions between fine scale fronts and winds modulate turbulence.
