Dr. Lavinia Patara

Ocean Circulation and Climate Dynamics
Ocean Dynamics

OFFICE
Room No.: 3.304, Building 5 (ENB)
Phone: +49 431 600 1914
Fax: +49 431 600 134001
E-mail: lpatara(at)geomar.de

ADDRESS
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research
Wischhofstr. 1 - 3
24148 Kiel
Germany

Research

I am interested in understanding how ocean circulation shapes marine biogeochemistry and its response to climate change.

Main research interests are:

Southern Ocean circulation and mesoscale eddies: by using high-resolution ocean models, up to 0.1º in the Southern Ocean (Fig. 1), I am interested in understanding how the interaction of wind, buoyancy forcing, and sea ice affects the Southern Ocean circulation, and how this is modulated by concomitant changes in the strong mesoscale eddy field of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC).

Research highlights:

Recent changes in Southern Ocean climate caused an increase in interior ventilation since the 1980s thanks to the combined effect of wind stress and buoyancy forcing (link).
Changing Southern Ocean properties may have remote effects on other components of the climate system: in this study, we suggested that the ongoing warming around Antarctica may strengthen the North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation.
Wind variability and trends affect the mesoscale eddy field more strongly in the Indo-Pacific than in the Atlantic sector, which is characterized by a higher degree of intrinsic variability (link).
Changing climate conditions affect not only the eddy kinetic energy but also other properties (size, lifetime, amplitude) of the mesoscale eddy field in the ACC (Master Thesis project of Mariana Pacheco).

Fig. 1: Snapshot of ocean speed in ORION10

Ocean carbon uptake: in my DFG project, I am investigating the physical drivers of the Southern Ocean carbon sink in present and future climate conditions. I use and further developed global ocean biogeochemistry models with resolutions ranging from 0.5º to 0.25º to 0.1º in the ACC regime (Fig. 2).

Research highlights:

Model resolution affects the Southern Ocean carbon uptake: eddy-rich simulations have higher anthropogenic carbon uptake than coarse models with an eddy parameterization, because of different interior density structures and circulation (ongoing work).
Wind stress drives most of interannual and decadal changes in Southern Ocean carbon uptake at subpolar latitudes (through changes in upwelling), buoyancy forcing drives most of the variability at middle latitudes (through changes in mixing) (ongoing work).
I contributed to RECCAP-2 assessment of regional carbon cycle processes and in particular to the Southern Ocean carbon cycle assessment.
A novel adaptive machine learning method tailored to consider underlying ocean data distribution to recognize clusters was devised to detect and track carbon uptake regimes over the global ocean (PhD project of Sweety Mohanty).

Fig. 2: Snapshot of Southern Ocean carbon uptake based on the 0.1 resolution model ORION10.

Bio-physical interactions in the climate system: Since my graduate studies, I was fascinated by how ocean, climate and marine biogeochemistry interact with each other on different spatio-temporal scales.

Research highlights:

Phytoplankton radiative heating affects sea surface temperature and climate, and may amplify the greenhouse effect by enhancing atmospheric water vapor (link).
The marine biogeochemical responses to the North Atlantic Oscillation are governed by different mechanisms on interannual time scales (vertical mixing dominates) and decadal time scales (slow ocean circulation adjustments dominate) (link).
In the North Pacific Ocean the flow of carbon to the microbial loop is enhanced under global warming, and phytoplanktonic stoichiometry becomes nutrient-depleted (link).
Oxygen variability and trends over the past 60 years vary widely on a regional scale in connection to local changes in solubility, ventilation and remineralization (Master Thesis of Helene Hollitzer).

Employment

2012-now: Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR), Kiel, Germany
2010-2011: Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR), Kiel, Germany
2007-2010: Euro-Mediterranean Center for Climate Change (CMCC), Bologna, Italy
2005-2007: National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), Bologna, Italy

Education

2010: Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences at the University of Bologna, Italy, with additional "European Doctor" accreditation
2005: M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences (magna cum laude) at the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy

Projects

2021-now: DFG own position project “Physical drivers of the Southern Ocean carbon sink in a changing climate”, Research Scientist/PI
2018-2021: GEOMAR Postdoc Research Group "CO2 uptake and export in the subpolar oceans: simulations with high-resolution ocean biogeochemistry models", Research Scientist/PI
2013-2017: Cluster of Excellence “Future Ocean” Postdoc Project: Southern Ocean CO2 uptake in high-resolution ocean-biogeochemistry simulations (funded by the German Research Foundation), Research Scientist/PI
2010-2012: R’Eddy: Effects of eddy variability on the response of the ACC to global warming (funded by the German Research Foundation), Research Scientist
2008-2010: VECTOR: VulnErability of the Italian coastal area and marine Ecosystems to Climatic changes and Their rOle in the Mediterranean caRbon cycles (funded by the Italian Ministry of Research), Research Scientist
2005-2007: DYNAMITE: Understanding the Dynamics of the Coupled Climate System (EU FP7), Research Scientist

Supervision

2023-now: Supervision of the Master Thesis project in Biological Oceanography of Helene Hollitzer: "Controls of recent patterns and trends in global oceanic oxygen content"
2022-now: Supervision of the PhD Thesis project of Sweety Mohanty funded by the MarDATA graduate school: "Neural networks reveal evolving patterns of ocean carbon uptake"
2021-2022: Supervision of the Master Thesis in Climate Physics project of Mariana Pacheco: "Properties of Southern Ocean mesoscale eddies in coupled and uncoupled model simulations"
2019-2020: Supervision of the Postdoc project of Jan Klaus Rieck
2016-2019: Member of the ISOS PhD committee of Patricia Handmann
2016: Supervision of the Bachelor Thesis project of Christina Schmidt
2013-2014: Tutorial to the lecture “Ocean and Atmosphere Dynamics” within the B.Sc. "Physik des Erdsystems" of the Kiel University. Duration: 2 semesters
2013: Supervision of the Master Thesis project of Eva Nowatzki
2011: Student training within the capacity building cruise MSM19/a onboard the R/V Maria S. Merian cruise in the Benguela Upwelling

Publications

Jump to: 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2018 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2012 | 2011 | 2009

Number of items: 30.

2023

Hauck, J., Gregor, L., Nissen, C., Patara, L.

, Hague, M., Mongwe, P., Bushinsky, S., Doney, S. C., Gruber, N., Le Quéré, C., Manizza, M., Mazloff, M., Monteiro, P. M. S. and Terhaar, J. (2023) The Southern Ocean Carbon Cycle 1985–2018: Mean, Seasonal Cycle, Trends, and Storage.

Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 37 (11). Art.Nr. e2023GB007848. DOI 10.1029/2023GB007848.

[thumbnail of Global Biogeochemical Cycles - 2023 - DeVries - Magnitude Trends and Variability of the Global Ocean Carbon Sink From.pdf]

[thumbnail of 2023gb007780-sup-0001-supporting information si-s01.docx]

DeVries, T., Yamamoto, K., Wanninkhof, R., Gruber, N., Hauck, J., Müller, J. D., Bopp, L., Carroll, D., Carter, B., Chau, T., Doney, S. C., Gehlen, M., Gloege, L., Gregor, L., Henson, S., Kim, J. H., Iida, Y., Ilyina, T., Landschützer, P., Le Quéré, C., Munro, D., Nissen, C., Patara, L.

, Pérez, F. F., Resplandy, L., Rodgers, K. B., Schwinger, J., Séférian, R., Sicardi, V., Terhaar, J., Triñanes, J., Tsujino, H., Watson, A., Yasunaka, S. and Zeng, J. (2023) Magnitude, Trends, and Variability of the Global Ocean Carbon Sink From 1985 to 2018.

Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 37 (10). Art.Nr. e2023GB007780. DOI 10.1029/2023GB007780.

Mohanty, S., Kazempour, D., Patara, L.

and Kröger, P. (2023) Interactive Detection and Visualization of Ocean Carbon Regimes. [Paper] In: 18th International Symposium on Spatial and Temporal Data, SSTD 2023. , 23.-25.08.2023, Calgary, Canada . Proceedings of the 18th International Symposium on Spatial and Temporal Data. ; pp. 171-174 . DOI 10.1145/3609956.3609973.

Mayot, N., Le Quéré, C., Rödenbeck, C., Bernardello, R., Bopp, L., Djeutchouang, L. M., Gehlen, M., Gregor, L., Gruber, N., Hauck, J., Iida, Y., Ilyina, T., Keeling, R. F., Landschützer, P., Manning, A. C., Patara, L.

, Resplandy, L., Schwinger, J., Séférian, R., Watson, A. J., Wright, R. M. and Zeng, J. (2023) Climate-driven variability of the Southern Ocean CO 2 sink.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 381 (2249). Art.Nr. 20220055. DOI 10.1098/rsta.2022.0055.

[thumbnail of Detection_and_Tracking_of_Dynamic_Ocean_Carbon_Uptake_Regimes_Built_Upon_Spatial_Target-Driver_Relationships_via_Adaptive_Hierarchical_Clustering.pdf]

Mohanty, S., Kazempour, D., Patara, L.

and Kröger, P. (2023) Detection and Tracking of Dynamic Ocean Carbon Uptake Regimes Built Upon Spatial Target-Driver Relationships via Adaptive Hierarchical Clustering. [Paper] In: 19. International Conference on e-Science. , 09. - 14.10.2023, Limassol, Cypres . 2023 IEEE 19th International Conference on e-Science (e-Science). ; pp. 1-10 . DOI 10.1109/e-Science58273.2023.10254820.

2022

Chien, C. T.

, Durgadoo, J. V.

, Ehlert, D., Frenger, I.

, Keller, D. P.

, Koeve, W.

, Kriest, I.

, Landolfi, A.

, Patara, L.

, Wahl, S.

and Oschlies, A.

(2022) FOCI-MOPS v1 – Integration of Marine Biogeochemistry within the Flexible Ocean and Climate Infrastructure version 1 (FOCI 1) Earth system model.

Geoscientific Model Development, 15 . pp. 5987-6024. DOI 10.5194/gmd-15-5987-2022.

2021

[thumbnail of [15200442 - Journal of Climate] Multidecadal Changes in Southern Ocean Ventilation since the 1960s Driven by Wind and Buoyancy Forcing.pdf]

[thumbnail of 10.1175_JCLI-D-19-0947.s1.zip]

Patara, L.

, Böning, C. W.

and Tanhua, T.

(2021) Multidecadal Changes in Southern Ocean Ventilation since the 1960s Driven by Wind and Buoyancy Forcing.

Journal of Climate, 34 (4). pp. 1485-1502. DOI 10.1175/JCLI-D-19-0947.1.

2018

Handmann, P., Fischer, J.

, Visbeck, M.

, Karstensen, J.

, Biastoch, A.

, Böning, C. W.

and Patara, L.

(2018) The Deep Western Boundary Current in the Labrador Sea From Observations and a High-Resolution Model.

Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 123 (4). pp. 2829-2850. DOI 10.1002/2017JC013702.

2016

+2 more...

Patara, L.

, Böning, C. W.

and Biastoch, A.

(2016) Variability and trends in Southern Ocean eddy activity in 1/12° ocean model simulations.

Geophysical Research Letters, 43 . pp. 4517-4523. DOI 10.1002/2016GL069026.

Handmann, P., Fischer, J.

, Visbeck, M.

, Patara, L.

and Biastoch, A.

(2016) North Atlantic Deep Western Boundary Current Dynamics as Simulated by the VIKING20 Model Compared with Labrador Sea Observations. [Talk] In: Open Sciences Meeting 2016. , 21.-26.02.2016, New Orleans, USA .

Nowatzki, E., Patara, L.

, Böning, C. W.

and Karstensen, J.

(2016) Multi-Decadal Decline in the Formation of Antarctic Intermediate Water: A High-Resolution Model Hindcast. [Poster] In: Open Sciences Meeting 2016. , 21.-26.02.2016, New Orleans, USA .

Patara, L.

, Böning, C. W.

and Biastoch, A.

(2016) Multi-decadal trends in Southern Ocean eddy activity simulated by a high-resolution ocean model. [Talk] In: Open Sciences Meeting 2016. , 21.-26.02.2016, New Orleans, USA .

[thumbnail of 1-s2.0-S146350031630052X-main.pdf]

Tseng, Y. h., Lin, H., Chen, H. c., Thompson, K., Bentsen, M., Böning, C. W.

, Bozec, A., Cassou, C., Chassignet, E., Chow, C. H., Danabasoglu, G., Danilov, S., Farneti, R., Fogli, P. G., Fujii, Y., Griffies, S. M., Ilicak, M., Jung, T., Masina, S., Navarra, A., Patara, L.

, Samuels, B. L., Scheinert, M.

, Sidorenko, D., Sui, C. H., Tsujino, H., Valcke, S., Voldoire, A., Wang, Q. and Yeager, S. G. (2016) North and equatorial Pacific Ocean circulation in the CORE-II hindcast simulations. Ocean Modelling, 104 . pp. 143-170. DOI 10.1016/j.ocemod.2016.06.003.

2015

[thumbnail of 1-s2.0-S1463500315001420-main.pdf]

Downes, S. M., Farneti, R., Uotila, P., Griffies, S. M., Marsland, S. J., Bailey, D., Behrens, E., Bentsen, M., Bi, D., Biastoch, A.

, Böning, C. W.

, Bozec, A., Canuto, V. M., Chassignet, E., Danabasoglu, G., Danilov, S., Diansky, N., Drange, H., Fogli, P. G., Gusev, A., Howard, A., Ilicak, M., Jung, T., Kelley, M., Large, W. G., Leboissetier, A., Long, M., Lu, J., Masina, S., Mishra, A., Navarra, A., George Nurser, A. J., Patara, L.

, Samuels, B. L., Sidorenko, D., Spence, P., Tsujino, H., Wang, Q. and Yeager, S. G. (2015) An assessment of Southern Ocean water masses and sea ice during 1988–2007 in a suite of interannual CORE-II simulations. Ocean Modelling, 94 . pp. 67-94. DOI 10.1016/j.ocemod.2015.07.022.

2014

+4 more...

Patara, L.

and Böning, C. W.

(2014) Abyssal ocean warming around Antarctica strengthens the Atlantic overturning circulation.

Geophysical Research Letters, 41 (11). pp. 3972-3978. DOI 10.1002/2014GL059923.

Nowatzki, E., Patara, L.

, Böning, C. W.

and Karstensen, J.

(2014) Multi-decadal decline in the formation of Antarctic Intermediate Water: a high-resolution model hindcast. [Poster] In: EGU General Assembly 2014. , 27.04.-02.05.2014, Vienna, Austria .

2012

Patara, L.

, Böning, C. W.

and Biastoch, A.

(2012) Simulated response of the ACC to decadal wind changes. [Talk] In: DRAKKAR/MYOCEAN 2012 Annual Workshop. , 30.01.-01.02.2012, Grenoble, France .

Patara, L.

, Böning, C. W.

and Biastoch, A.

(2012) Simulated response of the ACC to decadal wind changes. [Talk] In: Ocean Sciences Meeting 2012 . , 20.02.-24.02.2012, Salt Lake City, USA .

Patara, L.

, Böning, C. W.

and Biastoch, A.

(2012) Simulating the response of the ACC to decadal wind changes. [Talk] In: 10. International Conference on Southern Hemisphere Meteorology and Oceanography. , 23.-27.04.2012, Noumea, New Caledonia .

Patara, L.

, Vichi, M. and Masina, S. (2012) Impacts of natural and anthropogenic climate variations on North Pacific plankton in an Earth System Model. Ecological Modelling, 244 . pp. 132-147. DOI 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2012.06.012.

Patara, L.

, Vichi, M., Masina, S., Fogli, P. G. and Manzini, E. (2012) Global response to solar radiation absorbed by phytoplankton in a coupled climate model. Climate Dynamics, 39 (7-8). pp. 1951-1968. DOI 10.1007/s00382-012-1300-9.

2011

Patara, L.

, Visbeck, M.

, Masina, S., Krahmann, G.

and Vichi, M. (2011) Marine biogeochemical responses to the North Atlantic Oscillation in a coupled climate model.

Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 116 (C7). C07023. DOI 10.1029/2010JC006785.

Patara, L.

(2011) Climate-marine biogeochemistry two-way interactions in a coupled climate model. [Talk] In: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University. , 02.11.2011, Palisades, NY, USA .

Patara, L.

, Böning, C. W.

and Biastoch, A.

(2011) Simulated response of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current to decadal wind changes. [Poster] In: WCRP (World Climate Research Programme). , 24.11.2011, Denver, CO, USA .

Patara, L.

, Böning, C. W.

, Biastoch, A.

and Behrens, E. (2011) Towards the development of a modeling system for the study of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) variability. [Talk] In: DRAKKAR Meeting. , 24.01.2011, Grenoble, France .

Patara, L.

, Böning, C. W.

, Biastoch, A.

and Behrens, E. (2011) A modeling framework for the study of Southern Ocean variability. [Poster] In: EGU General Assembly 2011. , 03.-08.04.2011, Vienna, Austria .

Patara, L.

, Visbeck, M.

, Masina, S., Krahmann, G.

and Vichi, M. (2011) Marine biogeochemical responses to the North Atlantic Oscillation in a coupled climate model. [Poster] In: EGU General Assembly 2011. , 03.-08.04.2011, Vienna, Austria .