Alison Ming
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About
Research Area
My research focuses on the large-scale processes in the stratosphere with a broad interest in other atmospheric processes. Some of my current interests include understanding the radiative and dynamical interactions taking place in the atmosphere, the chemical processes that affect stratospheric ozone and exploring the seasonal to decadal aspects of the circulation. I also have some side projects on tropical widening and aerosol transport over the Ross Sea. I am part of the APARC community, for which I am co-leading an international modelling activity to understand the ozone feedback within the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO).
My approach is to use a combination of data, hierarchies of numerical models (different amounts of complexity) and theoretical frameworks to come up with a process-based understanding of interesting atmospheric problems. My field tends to be very collaborative (many stratospheric dynamicists scattered around the world) who all enjoy pooling expertise to solve problems.
Figure 1: (a) Zonal mean zonal wind averaged between 10 N and 10 S from the ERA5 reanalysis dataset. The 2016 disruption is circled. (b) Schematic diagram showing the QBO and the various processes that impact or are impacted by the QBO. (c) Ozone changes during the disruption. (d) Temperature change during the disruption as obtained by a radiative calculation. [(c) and (d) are adapted from Ming and Hitchcock (2022)].
Project Interests
A project on the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation would be timely as there are many unanswered questions related to how the QBO will change under climate change (related to our lack of understanding of current feedback mechanisms). This project would be interdisciplinary and would involve learning some atmospheric chemistry. I am also keen on projects related to the stratospheric Brewer-Dobson circulation and the changing Asian Monsoon circulation.