Yvonne Anderson

Profile

I am a first year PhD student part of the SENSE Earth Observation CDT. 

My research project explores the nature of air-sea coupling in the North Atlantic region and its effect on predictability in climate models. The primary focus of the project is to address a significant problem known as the ‘signal-to-noise paradox’, where signal-to-noise ratios in climate models are anomalously low, resulting in low levels of predictability for several variables across multiple timescales. The signal-to-noise problem is prevalent in regions of eddy-activity, which are characterized by strong energy exchange between the ocean and atmosphere. This energy exchange is an important driver of large-scale atmospheric signals, which can offer a source of predictability in climate models. As such, the project will test the hypothesis that model underestimation of predictability is a result of poor representation of air-sea interactions. To achieve this aim, the project will compare the nature of air-sea coupling in observations and models, with a focus on the Gulf Stream region. The comparison aims to identify missing features that may amplify predictable signals, resulting in low signal-to-noise ratios in models.

Research interests

• Air-sea interactions
• Climate dynamics
• Dynamical meteorology
• Machine learning
• Earth observation

Qualifications

• MRes Climate and Atmospheric Science (University of Leeds)
• MChem Chemistry (University of Edinburgh)