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January 13, 2017

Brian Scannell

Brian Scannell 400 x 400 px

PhD: Mixing in the surface mixed layer of temperate shelf seas

Bangor University
School of Ocean Sciences

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I first graduated from Bangor in 1982 with a BSc in Ocean Electronics, subsequently joining the Seafish Industry Authority and then Welsh Water, working on coastal surveys and modelling studies aimed at achieving EU bathing water quality standards. Post-privatisation I was part of a team that grew a successful environmental consultancy business, eventually moving to Hong Kong in 1994.

I returned to the UK in 1997, joining National Energy Services as Managing Director. The company provides software, training and quality assurance services related to the energy efficient design and assessment of buildings and he has been heavily involved in various Government initiatives to promote energy efficiency and tackle fuel poverty.

Following the sale of the business in 2011, I decided to pursue a long-held desire to further my academic studies, returning to Menai Bridge to do the MSc in Physical Oceanography. I subsequently managed to secure a NERC studentship through the Envision DTP.

Research Project:

My research is looking at the surface mixed layer in stratified shelf seas. The exchange of heat and CO2 between the ocean and the atmosphere is directly controlled by the sea surface temperature, which itself depends on the level of mixing at the surface due to wind, waves and tides. The deeper and more mixed the surface mixed layer, the more heat and CO2 it will absorb from the atmosphere. Weather and climate models currently struggle to predict these parameters, so my goal is to improve the algorithms available and therefore the ability of models to predict these critical ocean / atmosphere exchanges.