AMS Special Seminar Series | Yifeng Mao

Location: Clark 110

When: April 8th at 10:00 a.m.

Title: Nonlinear waves in geophysical fluid dynamics

Abstract: Waves and their interactions are ubiquitous in nature. Surface waves strongly influencethe dynamics of atmospheric and oceanic boundary layers, affecting ocean-atmosphere mo-mentum, heat, and freshwater fluxes essential to Earth’s weather and climate. Internal waves drive energy transfer and ocean interior mixing, facilitating nutrient transport and sustain-ing marine ecosystems. Their impacts extend to applications in environmental modeling, offshore engineering, and climate prediction. This talk will progress from wave generation mechanisms induced by boundary forcing to the dynamics of nonlinear wave interactions. In recent laboratory experiments, I observed traveling breathers, a specific type of rogue wave, generated through wave interactions. This confirms a 50-year-old theoretical prediction. A novel wave phenomenon, referred to as breather shock waves, is also identified. Building on the understanding of wave behavior, wave driven physical processes in geophysical fluid dynamics will then be presented. Surface breaking waves are studied using multiphase simulations to quantify energy transfer and aerosol generation across a range of initial steepness and wavelengths. Internal gravity waves driving transport are modeled using a diffusion equation. These projects combine analytical methods, numerical simulations, and laboratory experiments. Future directions on wave turbulence under ocean-relevant conditions will be outlined, with implications for ocean circulation, renewable energy, and marine safety.

Bio: Yifeng Mao is a postdoctoral fellow at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego. She received her Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023. Her research focuses on nonlinear waves and fluid dynamics in geophysical processes, using a combination of analytical theory, computational modeling, and experiments. She was a recipient of the Scripps Institutional Postdoctoral Award for 2024-2025 and was a Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Fellow at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in 2023.

Zoom link: https://wse.zoom.us/j/92755277282?pwd=iULpLaFnWAcWl6tQYUbeyZaN3zwBzn.1