Outline

Complex Dynamical Systems Focus

Focus Leader: Manvendra Dubey dubey@lanl.gov

This focus area emphasizes the nonlinear dynamics and multi-equilibria of the coupled atmosphere, (liquid and ice covered) ocean, hydrosphere, and biosphere of planet Earth, on scales ranging from urban canopies to basin and global extent. General interests are studies that extend our understanding of the causes of temporal variations of ocean and atmospheric basin scale oscillations; rapid climate change on both global and regional scales; and the physics and chemistry governing multiscale interactions extending from the urban canopy to basin scales. Use of LANL facilities and data bases (e.g., use of LANL's GIS facilities, and/or data bases of the ARM program, and from remote sensing platforms) are strongly encouraged.

Specific topics of interest in FY06 include the following:

• dynamics governing abrupt changes in the atmosphere-ocean system
• high-resolution coastal ocean and sea ice modeling
• nonlinear dynamics of moving cyclones
• physics governing air-sea interactions
• physics and biogeochemistry governing formation, transformation, deposition, and spatial heterogeneity of atmospheric aerosols, including the role of clouds
• high-resolution modeling of lightning and rainfall, in complex terrain
• physics, chemistry, and surface processes governing forest fires in complex terrain
• physics and stochastic characterization of Large Eddy Simulations (LES) of chemical and biological transport in urban canopies and other regions of strong heterogeneity
• statistical and model-based interpretation of paleoclimatic data
• Observations and process modeling of components of the carbon cycle, from the local to global scale

Newsworthy