Position: Principal Investigator

Address: Environmental Research Institute, North Highland College - UHI,
Castle Street, Thurso, Caithness, KW14 7JD

Tel: +44 (0) 1847 889 590

Fax: +44 (0)1847 890 014

E-mail: David.Woolf@thurso.uhi.ac.uk

Joined ERI: August 2006

Research Interests

• Air-Sea Interaction (primarily air-sea exchange of gases; currently participating in NERC Earth Observation Centre of Excellence CASIX and UK SOLAS projects SEASAW and DOGEE SOLAS)

• Climate Variability and Change (primarily Atlantic / European region)

• Climate Impacts in Scotland (especially relating to wind, waves and temperature)

• Marine Sustainable Energy – Resources and Risks

• Earth Observation (primarily satellite oceanography and especially satellite altimetry and CASIX)

Selected Publications

•Jeffery, C.D, D.K. Woolf, I.S. Robinson and C.J. Donlon. 2007. 1-Dimensional modelling of convective CO2 exchange in the Tropical Atlantic. Ocean Modelling (in press).

•Woolf, D.K. and C. Gommenginger. 2007. Radar altimetry: Introduction and application to air-sea interaction. In Remote Sensing of the European Seas, edited by Vittorio Barale and Martin Gade. Springer Verlag,  Heidelberg, Germany, pp.283-294 (in press).

•Woolf, D. and I. Robinson. 2007. The stormy Atlantic. Chapter in Our Changing Planet: The View From Space. Edited by M. D. King, C. L. Parkinson, K. C. Partington and R. G. Williams. Cambridge University Press (in press).

•Rhee, T.S., P.D. Nightingale, D.K. Woolf, G. Caulliez, P. Bowyer and M.O. Andreae. 2007. Influence of energetic wind and waves on gas transfer in a large wind-wave tunnel facility. Journal of Geophysical Research, 112, C05027 (16 pages), doi:10.1029/2005JC003358.

•Woolf, D.K., I. Leifer, P. Nightingale, T-S. Rhee, P. Bowyer, G. Caulliez, G. de Leeuw, S. Larsen, M. Liddicoat, J. Baker, and M.O. Andreae. 2007. Modelling of bubble-mediated gas transfer; fundamental principles and a laboratory test, Journal of Marine Systems, 66(1-4), 71-91.

•Fangohr, S. and D.K.Woolf. 2007. Comparing parameterizations of gas transfer velocity and their effect on the regional and global marine CO2 budgets, Journal of Marine Systems, 66(1-4), 195-20

• Challenor, P., D. Woolf, C. Gommenginger, M. Srokosz, D. Carter , D. Cotton and N. Sykes. 2006. Satellite altimetry: A revolution in understanding the wave climate. In “15 Years of Progress in Radar Altimetry” Symposium Proceedings, SP-614 (CD), ESA.

• Woolf, D.K., C. Gommenginger, N. Sykes, M.A. Srokosz and P.G. Challenor. 2006. Satellite and other long-term data sets on wave climate; application to the North Atlantic region. Full Proceedings of World Renewable Energy Congress IX, Renewable Energy, MT11, Elsevier, ISBN 008 44671 X.

• Wolf, J. and D.K.Woolf. 2006. Waves and climate change in the north-east Atlantic. Geophysical Research Letters, 33, L06604, doi:10.1029/2005GL025113.

• Bargeron, C.P., D.J. Hydes, D.K. Woolf, B.A. Kelly-Gerreyn and M.A. Qurban. 2006. A regional analysis of new production on the Northwest European shelf using oxygen fluxes and a ship-of-opportunity. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, 69(3-4), 478-490. doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2006.05.015

• Tsimplis, M.N., A.G.P. Shaw, R.A. Flather and D.K. Woolf. 2006. The influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation on the sea level around the northern European coasts reconsidered: the thermosteric effects. Philosophical Transactions: Mathematical, Physical & Engineering Sciences, 364, 845-856, doi: 10.1098/rsta2006.1740.

• Woolf, D.K. and N. Ward. 2006. Thermal imagery of surface renewal phenomena. In Marine Surface Films: Chemical Characteristics, Influence on Air-Sea Interactions, and Remote Sensing, edited by Martin Gade, Heinrich Hühnerfuss, and Gerald M. Korenowski. Springer Verlag, Heidelberg, Germany, pp. 225-238.

• Gade, M., S.A. Ermakov. O. Yu. Lavrova, L.M. Mitnik, J.C.B. da Silva, and D.K. Woolf. 2005. Using marine surface films as indicators in the coastal zone. MEDCOAST’05, Kusadasi, Turkey, 25-29 October 2005, 12 pages.

• Gade, M., O. Yu. Lavrova, L.M. Mitnik, J.C.B. da Silva, S.A. Ermakov and D.K. Woolf. 2005. SIMP: Slicks as Indicators for Marine Processes. 31st International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, St Petersburg, Russia, 20-24 June 2005, 4 pages.

• Wolf, J. and D.K. Woolf. 2005. Waves and climate change in The Sea of the Hebrides. ISOPE 2005, Seoul, South Korea, 19-24 June, 2005, 9 pages.

• Woolf, D.K. 2005. Parametrization of gas transfer velocities and sea-state-dependent wave breaking. Tellus, 57B, 87-94.

• Tsimplis, M.N., D.K. Woolf, T. Osborn, S. Wakelin, P. Woodworth, J. Wolf, R. Flather, D. Blackman, A.G.P. Shaw, F. Pert, P. Challenor and Z. Yan. 2005. Towards a vulnerability assessment of the UK and northern European coasts: the role of regional climate variability. Philosophical Transactions: Mathematical, Physical & Engineering Sciences. doi:10.1098/rsta.2005.1571.

• Woolf, D.K., J. Coll, S. Gibb and P.G. Challenor. 2004. Sensitivity of ferry services to the Western Isles of Scotland to changes in wave climate. In Proceedings of OMAE’04, 23rd International Conference on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering, ASME.

• Bowyer, P. and D.K. Woolf. 2004. Gas exchange and bubble-induced supersaturation in a wind-wave tank. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 21(12), 1925-1935.

• Yan, Z., M.N. Tsimplis and D. Woolf. 2004. An analysis of relationship between the North Atlantic oscillation and sea level changes in NW Europe. International Journal of Climatology, 24, 743-758.

• Graham, A., D.K. Woolf and A.J. Hall. 2004. Aeration due to breaking waves. Part I. Bubble populations. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 34(5), 989-1007.

• Woolf, D.K., A.G.P. Shaw and M.N. Tsimplis. 2003. The influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation on sea level variability in the North Atlantic Region. The Global Atmosphere and Ocean System, 9(4), 145-167.

• Woolf, D. and M. Tsimplis. 2003. The influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation on sea level in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea derived from satellite altimetry. In Oceanography of Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea: Similarities and Differences of Two Interconnected Basins, Ed. A. Yilmaz, Tübitak Publishers, Ankara, Turkey, 145-150.

• Gulev. S.K., V. Grigorieva, A. Sterl and D. Woolf. 2003. Assessment of the reliability of wave observations from voluntary observing ships: insights from the validation of global wind wave climatology from the VOS data. Journal of Geophysical Research, 108(C7), 3236, doi: 10.1029/2002JC001437.

• Woolf, D.K., P.D. Cotton and P.G. Challenor. 2003. Measurements of the offshore wave climate around the British Isles by satellite altimeter. Philosophical Transactions: Mathematical, Physical & Engineering Sciences, 361(1802), 27-31, doi: 10.1098/rsta.2002.1103

• Woolf, D.K., P.G. Challenor and P.D. Cotton. 2002. The variability and predictability of North Atlantic wave climate. Journal of Geophysical Research, 107(C10), 3145, doi: 10.1029/2001JC001124.

• Woolf, D.K. and P.G. Challenor. 2002. Statistical comparisons of satellite and model wave climatologies. In Ocean Wave Measurement and Analysis, Ed.s B.L. Edge and J.M. Hemsley, ASCE, Virginia, Virginia, 640-649.

• Woolf, D.K. 2002. Gas Transfer in Energetic Conditions. In Gas Transfer at Water Surfaces, Geophysical Monograph 127, Ed.s M.A. Donelan, W.M. Drennan, E.S. Salzman and R. Wanninkhof, AGU, Washington, 205-211.

• De Leeuw, G., G.J. Kunz, G. Caulliez, Woolf, D.K., P. Bowyer, I. Leifer, P. Nightingale, M. Liddicoat, T.S. Rhee, M.O. Andreae, S.E. Larsen, F. Aa. Hansen and S. Lund. 2002. LUMINY: An Overview. In Gas Transfer at Water Surfaces, Geophysical Monograph 127, Ed.s M.A. Donelan, W.M. Drennan, E.S. Salzman and R. Wanninkhof, AGU, Washington, 291-294.

• Woolf, D.K. 2001. Bubbles. In Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences, Ed.s J.H. Steele, S.A. Thorpe and K.K. Turekian, Academic Press, pp. 352-357.

Selected Presentations

• Woolf, D.K., J. Wolf, P.G. Challenor, J. Coll and S. Gibb. Climate change, waves and the coastal zone. Oral Presentation, Challenger Conference for Marine Sciences, SAMS, Oban, 11 September 2006.

• Woolf, D.K., C. Gommenginger, N. Sykes, P.G. Challenor, and M.A. Srokosz. Assessing marine energy resources with satellite altimetry and other tools. Poster, Challenger Conference for Marine Sciences, SAMS, Oban, 14 September 2006.

• Woolf, D.K., J. Coll and others. Our Changing Climate: Science and Consequences. Public Lecture, UHI Science Day, Orkney International Science Festival, Kirkwall, 1 September 2006.

• Woolf, D.K., C. Gommenginger, N. Sykes, M.A. Srokosz and P.G. Challenor. Satellite and other long-term data sets on wave climate; application to the North Atlantic region. Oral Presentation, World Renewable Energy Congress IX, Florence, Italy, 22 August 2006.

• Woolf, D.K. Transfer velocities of biogenic gases at high wind speeds. Oral Presentation, NERC Earth Observation Conference, Edinburgh, 21 June 2006.

• Fangohr, S., D.K. Woolf and P. Challenor. Deriving climatological air-sea CO2 flux from global altimeter data. Poster, NERC Earth Observation Conference, Edinburgh, 21 June 2006.

Studentships

• Gwenna Corbel, ERI (2004-), “Boundary layer wind fields over the Highlands and Islands of Scotland: linking the North Atlantic Oscillation to the regional impacts of climate change” supervised by Woolf (2006-), Allen (National Oceanography Centre, Southampton) & Gibb

• Chris Jeffery, NOC, University of Southampton (2004-). “Convective gas exchange in the Tropical Atlantic”. NERC Studentship (CASIX quota) supervised by Woolf, Robinson & Donlon (CASE, UK Met Office)

• Charlene Bargeron, NOC, University of Southampton (2005-); “Scaling the impact of ocean margins on the global carbon cycle”. NERC Studentship (NOC Quota) supervised by Hydes & Woolf

• David Coles, ISVR, University of Southampton (2005-). “Acoustic verification of model for oceanic bubble cloud evolution, including gas flux”. NERC Studentship (UK SOLAS Tied) supervised by Leighton, Woolf & Srokosz

• Elizabeth Jones, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia (2006-). “Remote sensing as a tool for quantifying oceanic CO2 sinks and sources”. NERC Studentship (CASIX quota) supervised by Bakker, Watson & Woolf

• Georgia Kalantzi, NOC, University of Southampton (2006-). “Can new wave measurements from space help to improve wave modelling?” NOC Studentship supervised by Woolf, Srokosz & Gommenginger

• Irina Foss, ERI (2006-), “The influence of sea temperatures on the seasonal and decadal predictability of Scottish climate” supervised by Woolf, Gagnon & Merchant

MSc by Research, Renewable Energy

ERI coordinates a project to build expertise in Renewable Energy in the Highland s & Islands that includes a Master of Science programme and postgraduate work placements. For 2006-7, I am Director of Studies for 3 MSc students.

• Lora Jane Dillon, “Tidal energy mapping at a local scale: The Pentland Firth”

• Martin Raynor “Detailed study into the viable wave resource areas of northern Scotland”

• John Sturman “Assessment of the offshore wind energy potential for the North Sea coast of Scotland using GIS”

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