School of Earth and Environment
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Aaron O'Leary Aaron O'Leary

Postgraduate Student

Telephone number: +44(0) 113 34 39105
Email address: eeaol@leeds.ac.uk
Room: 9.157

Link to personal page

Biography

Project details

Project Title: Water cycle of W Africa: Dynamics of cumulonimbus storms

Supervisors: Professor Doug Parker, Dr Andrew Ross, Dr John Marsham, Dr Peter Knippertz and Dr Jeff Peakall

Funding: NERC DTG

Start date: 1st October 2010

Project Outline

I am investigating the fundamental fluid dynamics underpinning the propagation of cold pool outflows in the Sahara/ Sahel and the initiation of subsequent convective systems. Working in the Sorby Environmental Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, I use a lock-release tank to look at gravity currents propagating in a stratified ambient. This work will be compared with data from the AMMA and FENNEC projects in an attempt to suggest mechanisms of convective initiation in the West African monsoon. Further, I will be performing experiments measuring the turbulent internal dynamics of a gravity current with a view to spectrally characterising the velocity field.

Qualifications

  • Mphys Physics, University of Oxford

Demonstrating and Teaching

  • Meteorology SOEE2092; Physics for Environmental Science SOEE1540; Blencathra field course