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Research Interests

The goal of my research program is to advance the understanding of atmospheric fluid dynamics and improve state-of-the-art numerical models that inform society of the future impacts of climate change. To that end I combine theoretical principles of classical mechanics and modern tools from applied mathematics with observational analysis and numerical modeling. I am particularly interested in the role of waves and turbulence in the atmosphere and how they shape the Earth's climate. More specifically, I am interested in understanding how moisture is transported and how it interacts with large-scale flow patterns to shape regions of precipitation and evaporation and how the largest waves on the planet, which can propagate into the stratosphere, impact surface climate.

Recent projects

Water vapor transport and its role in the general circulation

Recent publications: Laliberte, F., T. A. Shaw, and O. Pauluis, 2013: A theory for the lower tropospheric structure of the moist isentropic circulation. J. Atmos. Sci., 70, 843-854.

Shaw, T. A., and O. Pauluis, 2012: Tropical and subtropical meridional latent heat transports by disturbances to the zonal mean and their role in the general circulation. J. Atmos. Sci., 69,1872-1889.

Laliberte, F., T. A. Shaw, and O. Pauluis, 2012: Moist recirculation and water vapor transport on dry isentropes. J. Atmos. Sci., 69, 875-890.

Stratosphere-troposphere coupling

Recent publications: Shaw, T. A., and J. Perlwitz, 2013: The life cycle of Northern Hemisphere downward wave coupling between the stratosphere and troposphere. J. Climate, 26, 1745-1763.

Shaw, T. A., J. Perlwitz, N. Harnik, P. A. Newman and S. Pawson, 2011: The impact of stratospheric ozone changes on downward wave coupling in the southern hemisphere. J. Climate, 24, 4210-4229.

Mesoscale momentum transports by convection and gravity waves

Recent publications: Boos, W. R., and T. A. Shaw, 2013: The effect of moist convection on the tropospheric response to tropical and subtropical zonally asymmetric torques. J. Atmos. Sci., submitted.

Shaw, T. A., and T. P. Lane, 2013: Toward an understanding o f vertical momentum transports in cloud system resolving model simulations of multiscale tropical co nvection. J. Atmos. Sci., in press.

Shaw, T. A., and W. R. Boos, 2012: The tropospheric response to tropical and subtropical zonally-asymmetric torques: Analytical and idealized numerical model results. J. Atmos. Sci., 69, 214-234.