Robert Hallberg
Oceanographer at NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory.
Formerly of Prior Lake, the University of Chicago, and the University of Washington School of Oceanography.
Current Work
GFDL's primary ocean model development efforts have shifted to work on the "Generalized Ocean Layer Dynamics" (GOLD) model. GOLD is intended to be the vehicle for the consolidation of all of the ocean model development efforts at GFDL, including both MOM and HIM. The initial version of GOLD is based on HIM, and will reproduce many HIM solutions. The final version of MOM has just been publicly released, and the most significant MOM capabilities will be transitioned over to the GOLD code base over the next few years. A publicly accessible web page describing GOLD, along with instructions how to access it, will be forthcoming soon.
I spent many years developing the Hallberg Isopycnal Model (HIM). This model wass so named because (1) my wife is in marketing, and (2) it entirely describes what this model is: it uses an isopycnal vertical coordinate, and R. Hallberg is entirely responsible for its existence. This model was initially based on the Arakawa and Hsu (Mon. Wea. Rev., 1990) isentropic coordinate atmospheric model, but it has been extensively modified for use as an ocean model. HIM has evolved to the point where it includes reasonably accurate depictions of all of the physical processes that are important for the large-scale ocean circulation, although it can also be easily configured as an idealized model for Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Studies. More details are available at the HIM web page. HIM is available by contacting Bob Hallberg at Robert.Hallberg@noaa.gov.
Through the project Modeling Eddies in the Southern Ocean (MESO), we have examined the role of transient eddies in the dynamic and watermass balances in the Southern Hemisphere with a series of increasingly high resolution primitive equation model simulations using HIM. The profound qualitative impact of changing resolution can be seen in this 19Mb animation of the surface speed from two of the MESO models. Full details are given in Hallberg and Gnanadesikan (2006).
We are actively developing a 1-degree HIM/GOLD-based global ocean model for IPCC-class climate studies. The preliminary indicatations are that this model will reproduce the observed circulation with reasonable fidelity, at a computational expense that is dramatically lower than for more commonly used ocean-components of climate models. This difference in cost is particularly pronounced when many passive tracers are used.
I am actively involved in two Climate Process Teams - one studying Gravity Current Entrainment, and the other examining Eddy-Mixed Layer Interactions. These teams aim to improve the the representation of these processes in climate-scale models, based on the best understanding that can be obtained from observations, process studies, and theory.
Bibliography
Click here for my bibliography
Contact Info
Dr. Robert Hallberg
NOAA/GFDL
Princeton University
Forrestal Campus, U.S. Route 1
P.O. Box 308
Princeton, NJ 08542
Bob Hallberg
99 Lakeside Dr. N.
Piscataway, NJ 08854
E-mail: Robert.Hallberg@noaa.gov
Home Phone: (732) 463-1274
FAX: (609) 987-5063
Work Phone: (609) 452-6508
