Speaker – Rhys Parfitt, Assistant Professor, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, FSU website (hosted by S. Bishop)

Seminar Title – Does the Extra-tropical Ocean Significantly Impact Mid-latitude Weather and Climate?

Bio – I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science at Florida State University. I also hold an appointment as an Adjunct Scientist in the Department of Physical Oceanography at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and am an Affiliate Faculty Member at the Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies. My research group is primarily concerned with atmosphere-ocean interactions and the basic physics of atmospheric and oceanic circulations. I am also interested in large-scale climate variability on all timescales and the socio-economic impact of extreme weather, particularly in a warming climate. I enjoy analysing observational datasets and model outputs, and using them to theorize on the underlying mechanisms governing a particular interaction.

Abstract – The answer to this question remains somewhat controversial within the atmospheric and oceanic communities. In the first half of the talk, I provide a review of the general arguments made for and against the oceanic role and summarize why there has been a strong resurgence in research interest in recent years. In the second half, I propose a new framework that I believe resolves many open questions from the past decade and shows that the extra-tropical ocean is indeed critical in shaping both mid-latitude weather and climate.