Harper Simmons

Description Projects/Current Research: We have a mooring-based field program in the Beaufort Sea of the Arctic. The three-mooring array is designed to investigate the spin-up and spin down of the upper ocean in response to storms, The study comprises coordinated numerical simulation and field observations of internal waves, shear, deformation, mesoscale circulation, and sea ice mechanics. The observational system is comprised of three ocean moorings in a 10 km triangle, designed to sample surface-to-bottom currents and density structure, offering a unique opportunity to expand our understanding of the coupling between atmospheric forcing, sea-ice, surface mesoscale variability mechanical energy transfer to the underlying ocean. The study area is in a seasonal ice zone so that both ice-covered and ice-free conditions are experienced, providing for a broad range of applicability. It is particularly topical given the changing nature of the Arctic ice cover