Theo Spira

Bio

 I am a Ph.D. student under the supervision of Seb Swart and Marcel du Plessis with the ROAM-MIZ Polar Gliders Research Group, University of Gothenburg.

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For my Ph.D., I am investigating ocean ventilation across the Southern Ocean by considering how submesoscale processes in the mixed layer can enhance the possibility of transient ventilation events. These may result in changes to heat and carbon fluxes between the atmosphere and ocean. I am particularly interested in whether the seasonality of submesoscale activity causes an increase in likelihood of transient ventilation events or, in other words, an increase in ventilation potential.

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Plain Language: My Ph.D. focuses on small scale motions in the upper layer of the Southern Ocean and how that can impact the up- and downwelling of water masses, which has a direct impact on nutrient distribution as well as heat and carbon uptake.