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Profile
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Physical oceanographer
My interests are broad, spanning the field of oceanography and ocean-atmosphere climate interactions. Most recently I have focused on turbulent fluid processes and their measurement in the marine environment.
Since completing my BSc I have worked on the modelling of tidal dynamics in shallow seas, ocean acoustic propagation modelling, observational and theoretical studies of turbulent fluid processes in the coastal zone, diagnostic studies of climate model output to determine the role of oceanic heat storage in decadal climate variability, the development of generic software to implement a probabilistic technique for cloud clearing thermal and reflectance imagery, and the development of novel techniques for measuring turbulence in the marine environment using ADCPs.
Within the Scottish Marine Institute I am a member of the...
Career / education
2011-present
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Physical Oceanographer, SAMS
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2009-2011
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Research Officer (Physical Oceanography): School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University. Evaluation and development of the application of structure functions to ADCP data for calculating turbulence dissipation rates in low energy environments. Teaching Applied Oceanography at MSc level. Assisting with the collection of turbulence data and the configuration and deployment of acoustic instruments in the field.
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2008
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Student of Traditional Boat Building: Boat Building Academy, Lyme Regis, UK. Awarded City & Guilds Level 3 Certificate in Boat Building, Maintenance and Support, and Boat Building Academy Certificate of Achievement with Distinction.
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2004-2008
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Research Fellow: Institute of Atmospheric and Environmental Science, University of Edinburgh. Developed generalised software tools to implement a Bayesian cloud clearing for TIR satellite imagery with the aim of improving operational SST retrievals. Currently used operationally by NOAA and the Australian Met Office.
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2001-2004
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PDRA: Environmental Systems Science Centre, University of Reading.
Diagnostic study of the 100yr climate run of the Hadley Centre’s Coupled Climate model (HADCM3) to determine the role of water mass transformation in N Atlantic oceanic heat storage and the impact on decadal climate variability in Western Europe (NERC COAPEC programme).
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2000-2001
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Research Scientist: Maritime Systems Group, Defence Technology Agency, Auckland, NZ. Developed components for an integrated combat simulator used to evaluate surface-ship defence systems.
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1999-2000
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PDRA: Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, NZ.
Designed and ran hydrographic surveys for commercial projects. |
1995-1999
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PhD (Oceanography), Thesis: The structure and dynamics of an ebb tidal jet.
Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, NZ (Supervisor: Ross Vennell)
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1993-1995
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Part-time Lecturer/Tutor: Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia. Ran 1st year Introduction to Computing, tutored computing, mathematics, and physics, ran skills enhancement workshops, and ran evening Mathematics Bridging course.
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1990-1993
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Research Scientist: Acoustics Division, Defence Scientific Establishment, Auckland, NZ. Developed acoustic propagation models for the evaluation of passive sonar systems and target tracking algorithms. Developed software tools for processing towed-array output in real-time.
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1988-1089
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MSc (2/1 Physics). Thesis: Hydrodynamic Tidal Modelling
Physics Department, University of Auckland, Auckland, NZ (Supervisor: Chris Tindall)
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1984-1986
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BSc Physics. Physics Department, University of Waikato, Hamilton, NZ
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Research
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Research projects
- Ocean Surface Mixing, Ocean Sub-mesoscale Interaction Study (OSMOSIS): NERC consortium project formed to develop new, physically based and observationally supported, parameterisations of processes that deepen and shoal the ocean surface boundary layer, and to implement and evaluate these parameterisations in a state-of-the-art global coupled climate model, facilitating improved weather and climate predictions.
Past research projects
- A new method for the estimation of profiles of diffusivity in a stratified environment. NERC NE/F019467/1
- TRICS: Thermal Reflectance Imagery Cloud Screening. NERC NE/C508893
- On the evolution of observed oceanic heat anomalies and on those in HADCM3. Funded under the NERC COAPEC thematic programme.
- GOES SST Algorithm development for operational implementation (cloud clearing component). Funded by NOAA / NESDIS / ORA
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Dr Chris Old
E: Chris.Old@sams.ac.uk
T: +44 (0) 1631 550 269
F: +44 (0) 1631 550 001
Scottish Marine Institute
Oban, Argyll PA37 1QA
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