Ph.D. in Oceanography (Physical Option), Univ. of Rhode Island, 1998
B.A. Physics and Mathematics, Luther College, 1992
Wayzata Senior High School, Wayzata, MN 1988
Oceanographer, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 10/04-present
Assistant Scientist, Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, 8/02 - 10/04
Postdoctoral Fellow and Affiliate Researcher, Department of Oceanography University of Hawaii at Manoa, 8/00 - 7/02
Postdoctoral Researcher, Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean University of Washington, 3/98 - 8/00
Postdoctoral Researcher, Graduate School of Oceanography University of Rhode Island, 2/98
Research Assistant, Graduate School of Oceanography University of Rhode Island, 7/92 - 8/96 & 9/97- 2/98
Teaching Assistant, Graduate School of Oceanography University of Rhode Island, 9/96 - 8/97
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Oceanography, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Summer 91
PEW Undergraduate Research Fellow, Physics Department, Luther College, Summer 89 & Summer 90
Observation of major ocean current systems. Impact of ocean transports on world climate. Development of systems for measuring ocean transports. Dynamics of ocean currents. Circulation of the North Atlantic. Circulation of the Southern Ocean. Circulation of the tropical oceans. El Nino-Southern Oscillation. Meridional Overturning Circulation.
My research has successfully utilized data from many systems, including hydrography, ADCP (ship-mounted, moored, and lowered), inverted echo sounders, bottom pressure gauges, current meters, ATLAS buoy systems, horizontal electrometers, submarine cable, and satellite altimetry, as well as numerical model outputs. My research projects have involved calculations of the structure and transport of the North Atlantic Current and the Gulf Stream, improving the method and application of inverted echo sounders in oceanography, the quantification of warm water flows in the equatorial Pacific during El Niño and their impact on the timing of the ENSO cycle, the quantification of the transport and variabiltity of the Subantarctic Front, and monitoring the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. My research work has included several oceanographic cruises, including five as chief scientist and another four as co-chief since 2003.
Teaching assistant, fall semester 1996, for Introduction to Physical Oceanography - OCG501, University of Rhode Island. Position involved preparing and grading homework, maintaining office hours, helping with the preparation of the exams, and preparing and presenting two of the lectures.
US Department of Commerce 2007 Bronze Medal - Western Boundary Time Series - Meridional Overturning Circulation team
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration - 2002 OAR Outstanding Paper Award for "Observations of Warm Water Volume Changes in the Equatorial Pacific and their Relationship to El Nino and La Nina", by Christopher S. Meinen and Michael J. McPhaden, J. Clim., 13(20), 3551-3559, 2000.
Office of Naval Research - Secretary of the Navy Fellowship, 1992-1995
Sigma Xi - Scientific research honor society, inducted at the University of Rhode Island
Magna cum Laude, Luther College 1992
Sigma Pi Sigma - Physics honor society, inducted at Luther College
Pi Mu Epsilon - Mathematics honor society, inducted at Luther College
Phi Beta Kappa - Multidisciplinary honor society, inducted at Luther College
For published papers, please contact me for a reprint
Meinen, C. S., M. O. Baringer, and R. F. Garcia, "Florida Current Transport Variabilty: An Analysis of Annual and Longer-Period Signals", Deep Sea Res. I, (submitted), 2009.
Kanzow, Torsten, S. A. Cunningham, W. E. Johns, J. J-M. Hirschi, J. Marotzke, M. O. Baringer, C. S. Meinen, M. P. Chidichimo, C. Atkinson, L. M. Beal, H. L. Bryden, and J. Collins, "Seasonal variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation at 26.5°N", J. Clim., (submitted), 2009.
DiNezio, P. N., L. J. Gramer, W. E. Johns, C. S. Meinen, and M. O. Baringer, "Observed Interannual Variability of the Florida Current: Wind Forcing and the North Atlantic Oscillation", J. Phys. Oceanogr., 39(3), 721-736, doi: 10.1175/2008JPO4001.1, 2009.
Meinen, C. S., D. S. Luther, and M. O. Baringer, "Structure, transport and potential vorticity of the Gulf Stream at 68°W: Revisiting older data sets with new techniques", Deep Sea Res. I, 56(1), 41-60, doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2008.07.010, 2009.
Meinen, C. S., "Accuracy in mooring motion temperature corrections", J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 25(12), 2293-2303, doi:10.1175/2008JTECHO555.1, 2008.
Baringer, M. O., and C. S. Meinen, "The Meridional Overturning Circulation", in "State of the Climate in 2007", D. H. Levinson and J. H. Lawrimore (eds.), Bull. Am. Met. Soc., 89(7), s49-s51, doi:10.1175/BAMS-89-7-StateoftheClimate, 2008.
Kanzow, T., J. J-M. Hirschi, C. S. Meinen, D. Rayner, S. A. Cunningham, J. Marotzke, W. E. Johns, H. L. Bryden, L. M. Beal, M. O. Baringer, "A prototype system of observing the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation - scientific basis, measurement and risk mitigation strategies, and first results", J. Operational Oceanogr., 1, 19 - 28, 2008.
Cunningham, S. A., T. Kanzow, D. Rayner, M. O. Baringer, W. E. Johns, J. Marotzke, H. R. Longworth, E. M. Grant, J. J-M. Hirschi, L. M. Beal, C. S. Meinen, and H. L. Bryden, "Temporal Variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation at 26.5°N", Science, 317, 935, DOI: 10.1126/science.1141304, 2007.
Kanzow, T., S. A. Cunningham, D. Rayner, J. J-M. H., W. E. Johns, M. O. Baringer, H. L. Bryden, L. M. Beal, C. S. Meinen, and J. Marotzke, "Observed flow compensation associated with the Meridional Overturning at 26.5°N in the Atlantic", Science, 317, 938, DOI: 10.1126/science.1141293, 2007.
Baringer, M. O. and C. S. Meinen, "The Meridional Overturning Circulation and Oceanic Heat Transport", in "Supplement to State of the Climate in 2006", A. Arguez, ed., Bull. Am. Met. Soc., 88(6), s1-s135, doi: 10.1175/BAMS-88-6-StateoftheClimate, 2007.
Meinen, C. S., M. O. Baringer, and S. L. Garzoli, "Variability in Deep Western Boundary Current transports: Preliminary results from 26.5°N in the Atlantic", Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L17610, doi:10.1029/2006GL026965, 2006.
Tracey, K. L., D. R. Watts, C. S. Meinen, and D. S. Luther, "Synoptic maps of temperature and velocity within the Subantarctic Front south of Australia", J. Geophys. Res., 111, C10016, doi:10.1029/2005JC002905, 2006.
Baringer, M. O. and C. S. Meinen, "Thermohaline Circulation", in "State of the Climate in 2005", K. A. Shein, ed., Bull. Am. Met. Soc., 87(6), s1-s102, doi: 10.1175/BAMS-87-6-shein, 2006.
Mooers, C. N. K., C. S. Meinen, M. O. Baringer, I. Bang, R. Rhodes, C. N. Barron, and F. Bub, "Cross Validating Ocean Prediction and Monitoring Systems", EOS, 86(29), 269, 272-273, 2005.
Meinen, C. S., "Temporal Sampling: How Many Sections are Needed to Quantify the Mean Transport and Structure of a Meandering Current?", J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 22(4), 476-489, 2005.
Meinen, C. S., "Meridional Extent and Interannual Variability of the Pacific Ocean Tropical-Subtropical Warm Water Exchange", J. Phys. Oceanogr., 35(3), 323-335, 2005.
Meinen, C. S., S. L. Garzoli, W. E. Johns, and M. O. Baringer, "Transport Variability of the Deep Western Boundary Current and the Antilles Current off Abaco Island, Bahamas", Deep Sea Res. I, 51(11), 1397-1415, 2004.
Chave, A. D., D. S. Luther, and C. S. Meinen, "Correction of Motional Electric Field Measurements for Galvanic Distortion", J. Atmos. Ocean. Technol., 21(2), 317-330, 2004.
Meinen, C. S., D. S. Luther, D. R. Watts, A. D. Chave, and K. L. Tracey, "Mean Stream-coordinates Structure of the Subantarctic Front: Temperature, Salinity, and Absolute Velocity", J. Geophys. Res., 108(C8), 3263, doi:10.1029/2002JC001545, 2003.
Meinen, C. S. and D. S. Luther, "Comparison of Methods of Estimating Mean Synoptic Current Structure in "Stream Coordinates" Reference Frames with an Example from The Antarctic Circumpolar Current", Deep Sea Res. I, 50(2), 201-220, 2003.
Hendry, R. M., D. R. Watts, and C. S. Meinen, "Newfoundland Basin sea level variability from TOPEX/POSEIDON altimetry and inverted echo sounder/bottom pressure measurements", Canadian J. Remote Sensing, 28(4), 544-555, 2002.
Meinen, C. S., D. S. Luther, D. R. Watts, K. L. Tracey, A. D. Chave, and J. Richman, "Combining Inverted Echo Sounder and Horizontal Electric Field Recorder Measurements to Obtain Absolute Velocity Profiles", J. Atmos. Ocean. Technol., 19(10), 1653-1664, 2002.
Meinen, C. S., and D. S. Luther, "Mooring Motion when the Pressure Sensors Fail: A Method Employing Inverted Echo Sounders", J. Atmos. Ocean. Technol., 19(9), 1451-1460, 2002.
Meinen, C. S., M. J. McPhaden, and G. C. Johnson, "Vertical Velocities and Transports in the Equatorial Pacific during 1993-1999", J. Phys. Oceanogr., 31(11), 3230-3248, 2001.
Meinen, C. S., and M. J. McPhaden, "Interannual Variability in Warm Water Volume Transports in the Equatorial Pacific During 1993-1999", J. Phys. Oceanogr., 31(5), 1324-1345, 2001.
Meinen, C. S. , "Structure of the North Atlantic Current in stream-coordinates and the Circulation in the Newfoundland Basin", Deep Sea Res., 48(7), 1553-1580, 2001.
Meinen, C. S., and M. J. McPhaden, "Observations of Warm Water Volume Changes in the Equatorial Pacific and their Relationship to El Nino and La Nina", J. Clim., 13(20), 3551-3559, 2000.
Meinen, C. S. and D. R. Watts, "Vertical Structure and Transport on a Transect across the North Atlantic Current near 42°N: Time series and Mean", J. Geophys. Res., 105(C9), 21869-21891, 2000.
Meinen, C. S., D. R. Watts, and R. A. Clarke, "Absolutely referenced geostrophic velocity and transport on a section across the North Atlantic Current," Deep Sea Res., 47(2), 309-322, 2000.
Meinen, C. S. and D. R. Watts, "Calibrating Inverted Echo Sounders equipped with Pressure Sensors," J. Atmos. Ocean. Technol., 15(6), 1339-1345, 1998.
Meinen, C. S. and D. R. Watts, "Further evidence that the sound speed algorithm of Del Grosso is more accurate than that of Chen and Millero," J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 102 (4), 2058-2062, 1997.
Kellogg, R. L. and C. Meinen, "A Gravity Investigation of the Fayette Structural Zone and Surrounding Area, Northeast Iowa", J. Iowa Acad. Sci., 100(3), 72-77, 1993.
Meinen, Christopher S., and Molly O. Baringer, Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation shows significant changes in early data from international monitoring systems at 26.5°N, U.S. CLIVAR Variations, 6(1), 1-3, 2008.
Meinen, Christopher, Silvia Garzoli, Tom Delworth, and John Marshall, Atlantic Decadal Variability: Combining observations and models to investigate predictability, NOAA/AOML workshop report, January 10-12, Miami, FL, 2007.
Baringer, Molly O., Christopher S. Meinen and Silvia L. Garzoli, The Meridional Overturning Circulation and Oceanic Heat Transport, in Annual Report: The State of the Ocean and the Ocean Observing System for Climate, J. Levy, Ed., Office of Climate Observation, Climate Program Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 68-73, 2006.
Baringer, Molly O., Christopher S. Meinen and Silvia L. Garzoli, Western Boundary Time Series in the Atlantic Ocean, in Annual Report: The State of the Ocean and the Ocean Observing System for Climate, J. Levy, Ed., Office of Climate Observation, Climate Program Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 150-158, 2006.
Tracey, Karen L., Christopher S. Meinen, and D. Randolph Watts, North Atlantic Current Inverted Echo Sounder Data Report for August 1993 - July 1995, University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography, GSO Technical Report 96-7, 1996.
Meinen, Christopher S., Erik Fields, Robert S. Pickart, and D. Randolph Watts, Ray Tracing on Topographic Rossby Waves, University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography, GSO Technical Report 93-1, 1993.
Meinen, C. and P. Ferlemann, "The Study of a Hypothesized Structural Zone Using the Gravity Method of Geophysical Exploration, J. Undergrad. Res. Phys., 10(1), 1991.
Meinen, C., and R. Watts, "How the path curvature of the Gulf Stream affects the cross-stream slope of the thermocline", The SYNOPtician, 2(4), pg. 8, August 1991.
Meinen, C. S., M. O. Baringer, and R. F. Garcia, "Florida Current Transport Variability: An Analysis of Annual and Longer-Period Signals", 2008. (RAPID Annual Meeting, June 30-July 2, Cambridge, United Kingdom.)
Meinen, C. S., M. O. Baringer, and R. F. Garcia, "Variations of the Florida Current transport from 1964 to 2007 and the relationship to forcing", 2008. (Ocean Sciences Meeting, March 2-7, Orlando, Florida.)
Meinen, C. S., D. S. Luther, and M. O. Baringer, "Evolution of the Gulf Stream structure, transport, and vertical coherence from the Straits of Florida to the Southeast Newfoundland Ridge", 2007. (EGU General Assembly, April 15-20, Vienna, Austria.)
Meinen, C. S., M. O. Baringer, and S. L. Garzoli, "Variability of the Western Boundary Currents in the Subtropical North Atlantic", 2006. (Rapid Climate Change International Conference, October 24-27, Birmingham, United Kingdom.)
Meinen, C. S., M. O. Baringer, and S. L. Garzoli, "Variability in transports along the subtropical Atlantic western boundary: Implications for monitoring the MOC", 2006. (EGU General Assembly, April 2-7, Vienna, Austria.)
Meinen, C. S., and D. S. Luther, "Revisiting the Gulf Stream: What can be learned when new techniques are applied to old data sets?", 2006. (Ocean Sciences meeting, February 20-24, Honolulu, HI.)
Meinen, C. S., M. O. Baringer, D. Shoosmith, and R. F. Garcia, "The Florida Current: Long term measurements of the transport of the upper limb of the Meridional Overturning Cell", 2005. (CLIVAR Atlantic Science Conference, January 31-February 2, Miami, FL.)
Meinen, C. S., and S. L. Garzoli, "North Brazil Current: Rings, Retroflection, and Transports", 2004. (1st International CLIVAR Science Conference, June 21-25, Baltimore, MD.)
Meinen, C. S., M. O. Baringer, A. H. Flosadottir, R. F. Garcia, L. Johns, R. H. Smith, and J. Larsen, "Florida Current Transport", 2004. (SEA-COOS Spring 2004 Workshop, May 17-18, Miami, FL)
Meinen, C. S., S. L. Garzoli, W. E. Johns, and M. O. Baringer, "Transport Variability of the Deep Western Boundary Current and the Antilles Current off Abaco Island, Bahamas", 2004. (2004 Ocean Sciences Meeting, January 26-30, Portland, OR)
Luther, D. S., C. S. Meinen, A. D. Chave, and D. R. Watts, "Structure of the current and water properties associated with the Sub-Antarctic Front southwest of Tasmania", abstract #P06/03A/B19-008, 2003 (IUGG XXIIIrd General Assembly, June 30-July 11, Sapporo, Japan.)
Meinen, C., "Meridional Extent of the Pacific Ocean Tropical-Subtropical Warm Water Exchange", Geophysical Research Abstracts, 5 (00977), 2003. (EGS-AGU-EGU Joint Assembly, April 6-11, Nice, France)
Meinen, C. S., D. S. Luther, A. D. Chave, D. R. Watts, "Structure of the Subantarctic Front and the Absolute Horizontal and Vertical Velocity Associated with the Front", 2002. (WOCE and Beyond: Achievements of the World Ocean Circulation Experiment Conference, November 18-22, San Antonio, TX)
Luther, D. S., and C. S. Meinen, "Comparison of Methods of Estimating Mean Synoptic Current Structure in 'Stream Coordinates' Reference Frames: Impact on Structure, Transport and Dynamical Inferences with an Example from the Antarctic Circumpolar Current", 2002. (2002 Ocean Sciences Meeting, February 11-15, Honolulu, HI)
Meinen, C. S., and D. S. Luther, "Synoptic Structure of the Sub-Antarctic Front Southwest of Tasmania: Temperature, Salinity, and Absolute Velocity", 2002. (2002 Ocean Sciences Meeting, February 11-15, Honolulu, HI)
Meinen, C. S., M. J. McPhaden, and G. C. Johnson, "Vertical Velocities and Transports in the Equatorial Pacific During 1993-1999", AGU, 81 (OS71B-12), 2000. (2000 Fall Meeting, December 15-19, San Francisco, CA)
Meinen, C. S., and M. J. McPhaden, "Observations of Warm Water Volume Changes in the Equatorial Pacific and Their Relationship to El Nino and La Nina", AGU, 80 (OS22M-04), 2000. (2000 Ocean Sciences Meeting, January 24-28, San Antonio, TX)
Feely, R. A., C. E. Cosca, R. Wanninkhof, M. J. McPhaden, C. S. Meinen, J. Boutin, and J. Etcheto, "The Role of ENSO on the Phasing of the CO_2 Signal in the Equatorial Pacific", AGU, 80 (OS42J-02), 2000. (2000 Ocean Sciences Meeting, January 24-28, San Antonio, TX)
Meinen, C. S., and M. J. McPhaden, "Warm Water Volume Changes and Transports in the Tropical Pacific During the 1997-1998 El Nino", AGU, 79 (OS41H-01), 1998. (1998 Fall Meeting, December 6-10, San Francisco, CA)
Meinen, C. S. and D. R. Watts, "Absolute transport of the North Atlantic Current at 42.5°N and the circulation in the Newfoundland Basin", (NAt-04af), 1998. (The 1998 Conference of the World Ocean Circulation Experiment Ocean Circulation and Climate, May 24-29, Halifax, CANADA)
Meinen, C. S., D. R. Watts, and R. A. Clarke, "Transport of the North Atlantic Current (NAC) at 42.5°N", AGU, 79 (OS11J-02), 1998. (1998 Ocean Sciences Meeting, February 9-13, San Diego, CA)
Watts, D. R. and C. S. Meinen, "Empirical Determination of the Gravest Vertical Structure", AGU, 79 (OS41D-08), 1998. (1998 Ocean Sciences Meeting, February 9-13, San Diego, CA)
Meinen, C. S. and D. R. Watts, "On Topographic Rossby Waves in the Mid--Atlantic Bight", AGU, 75 (O42N-11), 191, 1994. (1994 Ocean Sciences Meeting, February 21-25, San Diego, CA)
Email: Christopher.Meinen @ noaa.gov
Dr. Christopher Meinen
NOAA/AOML/PHOD
4301 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami, FL 33149, USA