Ana C. Pires

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology | KIT · Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research

Physical oceanography is increasingly relying on satellite remote sensing to survey the perpetually undersampled ocean, whereas the latest Synthetic Aperture Radars (SARs) are moving forward to provide a more continuous monitoring of the ocean. In this study we use a collection of SAR images to document the two-dimensional horizontal structure of I...

Global land surface temperature (LST) data derived from satellite-based infrared radiance measurements are highly valuable for various applications in climate research. While in situ validation of satellite LST data sets is a challenging task, it is needed to obtain quantitative information on their accuracy. In the standardised approach to multi-s...

The correction of directional effects on satellite-retrieved land surface temperature (LST) is of high relevance for a proper interpretation of spatial and temporal features contained in LST fields. This study presents a methodology to correct such directional effects in an operational setting. This methodology relies on parametric models, which ar...

Abstract Land surface temperature (LST) is a markedly directional variable and its remotely sensed measurement may be strongly affected by viewing and illumination geometries. This study proposes the use of LST products collocated in space and time, but obtained with different viewing angles, to calibrate a simple model capable of characterizing th...

The present work aims at evaluating the impacts of a climate change scenario on the hydrography and dynamics of the Iberian Upwelling System. Using regional ocean model configurations, the study domain is forced with three different sets of surface fields: a climatological dataset to provide the control run; a dataset obtained from averaging severa...

This work evaluates the performance of several global climate models (GCMs) as forcing of a regional ocean model configuration centered in the Iberian Basin. The study is divided in two parts. First, the output of nine GCMs is analyzed based on the fields needed to force the ocean model (Regional Ocean Modelling System—ROMS). GCMs differ greatly be...

The mean seasonal hydrography and circulation of the Western Iberian Margin (WIM) are studied by means of a high-resolution configuration of the Regional Oceanic Modeling System. A comparison of 5-year model averages for January and July with climatological datasets shows a general good agreement in the reproduction of the mean water mass propertie...

Predicting the spatial and temporal patterns of marine larval dispersal and supply is a challenging task, requiring the use of novel approaches capable of capturing the inherent variability in the mechanisms involved. Biophysical models are emerging as important tools used to understand dispersal and recruitment of marine larvae on several scales,...

Coastal upwelling is a phenomenon that occurs in most western oceanic coasts due to the presence of mid-latitude high-pressure systems that generate equatorward winds along the coast and consequent offshore displacement of surface waters that in turn cause deeper, colder, nutrient-rich waters to arise. In western Iberian Peninsula (IP) the high-pre...

As in most eastern boundary systems, on the Western Iberian Margin there is coastal upwelling during summer due to the alongshore northerly winds and the consequent offshore displacement of surface waters. This work addresses the origin of these upwelled waters. Using a regional ocean model, a climatological configuration and a lagrangian particle...

The Western Iberian Margin is the northern limit of the Canary Upwelling System, a region of strong mesoscale activity, seasonal variability and thus very likely to be sensitive to climate change. Using a regional ocean model and data from several coupled global climate models (CGCM), climatological simulations were set up for present and for a fut...

The surface circulation and eddy field from the Azores Current system are studied here by analyzing surface drifters records and altimetry maps collected over more than 16 years. Clear differences in mean flow and eddy characteristics allow for a classification of the Azores Current in three zonal sectors: west of 30°W between the Mid-Atlantic Ridg...

This work aims at a better understanding of the variability of the Iberian Upwelling Ecosystem, not only in the present regime, but also in a future climate change scenario. The purpose of the present study is to assess whether downscaling is an appropriate methodology for the region and its physical processes. Numerical simulations with the Region...

In order to better understand the variability of the Iberian Upwelling Ecosystem, numerical simulations with the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS) were setup. These configurations allow to study the long term and large scale ocean circulation features, and also the mesoscale features associated to the coastal transition zone. It is also intend...

The Azores current is thought to be a zonal jet which originates as a branch of the Gulf Stream, crosses the Mid-Atlantic Ridge south of Azores and flows eastwards until reaching the Gulf of Cadiz. Recent observational and theoretical studies indicate that this current undergoes very little seasonal variations, maintains a transport of 3 - 4 Sv at...