Hi, I'm Isabelle

Interesting things happen at boundaries. At the air–sea interface, communication between the atmosphere and ocean takes place through turbulence. This turbulence modulates the exchange of momentum, heat, carbon and other scalars, which in turn regulates our climate and the planet’s energetic balance.

I observe the ocean using autonomous robots that profile through the ocean or glide on its surface. Observations of winds, waves, near-surface currents and turbulence dissipation can be used to learn how momentum is distributed into the ocean. I use numerical simulations to interpret these observations and learn about turbulence.

We can then learn how turbulence impacts our climate and earth system by applying turbulence theory across a range of scales in the ocean. Turbulence observations can be used together with auxiliary observations, like chlorophyll or nitrate, to understand primary production. Or turbulence theory, informed by observations, can be used to build or choose parameterisations and simple models, and apply them to larger regional, climate and earth system models.

Science is essentially addressing hypotheses using an established method that results in robust logical reasoning in order to reach conclusions. E.g.:

If P, then Q. We observe Q does not hold, not Q. Therefore not P.

This is a great method. But just doing careful, logical science is not enough. We can apply a scientific training to the broader world around us.

Science is what I spend most of my time doing, but I live in society. And in society we are part of our politics. I aim to engender good scientific practices to move forward our knowledge and innovation, while acknowledging and engaging with the contemporary challenges that we all face, such as issues relating to climate, adaptation and resilience, geopolitics and culture.