Background

I was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1968. After completing a B.Sc. degree in Oceanography from Inha University, Incheon, South Korea in 1991, I moved to Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia to pursue studies in tropical ocean dynamics under the guidance of Gabe Csanady. After my Ph.D. in 1995, I moved back to South Korea and spent six years as a senior research engineer for Samsung Heavy Industries. In 2002, I came to NOAA/AOML as a CIMAS/UM postdoc. I am curently working at NOAA/AOML as a CIMAS/UM scientist.

Research Interests

My research interests focus on understanding the mechanisms governing global atmosphere-ocean dynamics and their long-term impacts on the Earth's climate. Mathematical models such as Atmosphere-Ocean General Ciruclation Models and simple models are my preferred research tools. Currently, my research lies in the areas of Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and large-scale atmosphere-ocean processes conducive to extreme weather events.

Current and Pending Research Projects

Diagnostic and modeling studies on impacts, mechanisms and predictability of the Atlantic warm pool (NOAA, Current)

What causes the tropical Atlantic SST bias in CCSM3? (NSF, Current)

The southern subtropical anticyclones (NSF, Current)

Management and conservation of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus Thynnus) and other highly migratory fish In the Gulf of Mexico under IPCC climate change scenarios: a study using regional climate and habitat models (NASA, Current)

Work In Progress

DiNezio, P. N., B. P. Kirtman, A. C. Clement, S.-K. Lee, G. A. Vecchi and A. Wittenberg, 2012. Opposing changes in mean climate diminish the sensitivity of ENSO simulations to increasing greenhouse gases. Journal of Climate, In-revision.

Lee S.-K., R. Atlas, D. B. Enfield, H. Liu and C. Wang, 2012. Is there an optimal ENSO pattern that enhances large-scale atmospheric processes conducive to major tornado outbreaks in the U.S.? Journal of Climate, Submitted.

Liu, H., C. Wang, S.-K. Lee and D. B. Enfield, 2012. Atlantic warm pool variability in the IPCC twentieth-century climate simulations. Journal of Climate, In-revision.

Liu Y., S.-K. Lee, B. A. Muhling, J. T. Lamkin and D.B. Enfield, 2012. Significant reduction of the Loop Current in the 21st century and its impact on the Gulf of Mexico. Journal of Geophysical Research, In-revision.

Publications

[2011]

Lee S.-K., W. Park, E. van Sebille, M. O. Baringer, C. Wang, D. B. Enfield, S. Yeager, and B. P. Kirtman, 2011. What Caused the Significant Increase in Atlantic Ocean Heat Content Since the mid-20th Century? Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2011GL048856. [highlighted in Oct. 6, 2011 issue of Nature as Community Choice]

Lee, S.-K., D. B. Enfield and C. Wang, 2011. Future Impact of Differential Inter-Basin Ocean Warming on Atlantic Hurricanes. Journal of Climate, 24, 1264-1275.

Muhling, B. A., S.-K. Lee, J. T. Lamkin and Y. Liu, 2011. Predicting the Effects of Climate Change on Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) Spawning habitat in the Gulf of Mexico. ICES Journal of Marine Science, doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsr008.

Wang, C., H. Liu, S.-K. Lee and R. Atlas, 2011. Impact of the Atlantic Warm Pool on United States Landfalling Hurricanes. Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2011GL049265. [highlighted in Oct. 21, 2011 issue of Sciecne as Editor's Choice]

[2010]

Lee, S.-K., C. Wang and D. B. Enfield, 2010. On the Impact of Central Pacific Warming events on Atlantic Tropical Storm Activity. Geophysical Research Letters, 37, L17702, doi:10.1029/2010GL044459.

Lee, S.-K. and C. Wang, 2010. Delayed Advective Oscillation of the Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation. Journal of Climate, 23, 1254-1261.

Wang C. and S.-K. Lee, 2010. Is Hurricane Activity in One Basin Tied to Another? EOS, 91, 93-94, doi:10.1029/2009ES002729.

Wang, C., S.-K. Lee and C. R. Mechoso, 2010. Inter-Hemispheric Influence of the Atlantic Warm Pool on the Southeastern Pacific. Journal of Climate, 23, 404-418.

Wang, C., H. Liu and S.-K. Lee, 2010. The Record-Breaking Cold Temperatures During the Winter of 2009/10 in the Northern Hemisphere. Atmospheric Science Letters, doi:10.1002/asl.278.

[2009]

DiNezio, P. N., A. C. Clement, G. A. Vecchi, B. J. Soden, B. P. Kirtman and S.-K. Lee, 2009. Climate Response of the Equatorial Pacific to Global Warming. Journal of Climate, 22, 4873-4892.

Lee, S.-K., C. Wang and B. E. Mapes, 2009. A Simple Atmospheric Model of the Local and Teleconnection Responses to Tropical Heating Anomalies. Journal of Climate, 22, 272-284.

Wang C. and S.-K. Lee, 2009. Co-variability of Tropical Cyclones in the North Atlantic and the Eastern North Pacific. Geophysical Research Letters, 36, L24702, doi:10.1029/2009GL041469.

Wang, C. and S.-K. Lee, 2009. Reply to comment by Joseph J. Barsugli on "Global warming and United States landfalling hurricanes". Geophysical Research Letters, 36, L01706, doi:10.1029/2008GL035111.

[2008]

Lee, S.-K., D. B. Enfield and C. Wang, 2008. Why Do Some El Ninos Have No Impact on Tropical North Atlantic SST? Geophysical Research Letters, 35, L16705, doi:10.1029/2008GL034734.

Lee, S.-K. and C. Wang, 2008. Tropical Atlantic Decadal Oscillation and Its Impact on the Equatorial Atmosphere-Ocean Dynamics: A Simple Model Study. Journal of Physical Oceanography, Vol. 38, No. 1, 193-212.

Wang, C. and S.-K. Lee, 2008. Global Warming and United States Landfalling Hurricanes. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 35, No. L02708, doi:10.1029/2007GL032396.

Wang, C., S.-K. Lee and D. B. Enfield, 2008. Atlantic Warm Pool Acting as a Link between Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Activity. Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 9, Q05V03, doi:10.1029/2007GC001809. (In the special issue of "Interactions between climate and tropical cyclones on all timescales")

Wang, C., S.-K. Lee and D. B. Enfield, 2008. Climate Response to Anomalously Large and Small Atlantic Warm Pools During the Summer. Journal of Climate, 21, 2437-2450.

[2007]

Lee, S.-K., D. B. Enfield and C. Wang, 2007. What Drives Seasonal Onset and Decay of the Western Hemisphere Warm Pool?. Journal of Climate, Vol. 20, No. 10, 2133-2146.

Wang, C. and S.-K. Lee, 2007. Atlantic Warm Pool, Caribbean Low-Level Jet, and Their Potential Impact on Atlantic Hurricanes. Geophysical Research Letter, Vol. 34, No. L02703, doi:10.1029/2006GL028579.

Wang, C., S.-K. Lee and D. B. Enfield, 2007. Impact of the Atlantic Warm Pool on the Summer Climate of the Western Hemisphere . Journal of Climate, Vol. 20, No. 20, 5021-5040.

[2006]

Enfield, D. B., S.-K. Lee and C. Wang, 2006. How Are Large Western Hemisphere Warm Pools Formed?. Progress in Oceanography, Vol. 70, No. 2-4, 346-365.

Pelegri, J. L., J. H. Churchill, A. D. Kirwan, Jr., S.-K. Lee, R. E. Munn and N. R. Pettigrew, 2006. Gabriel T. Csanady: Understanding the Physics of the Ocean. Progress in Oceanography, Vol. 70, No. 2-4, 91-112.

Wang, C., D. B. Enfield, S.-K. Lee and C. W. Landsea, 2006. Influences of Atlantic Warm Pool on Western Hemisphere Summer Rainfall and Atlantic Hurricanes. Journal of Climate, Vol. 19, No. 12, 3011-3028.

[2005]

Enfield, D. B. and S.-K. Lee, 2005. The Heat Balance of the Western Hemisphere Warm Pool. Journal of Climate, Vol. 18, No. 14, 2662-2681.

Lee, S.-K., D. B. Enfield and C. Wang, 2005. Ocean General Circulation Model Sensitivity Experiments on the Annual Cycle of Western Hemisphere Warm Pool. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 110, No. C09004, doi:10.1029/2004JC002640.

[2004]

Thacker, C. W., S.-K. Lee and G. R. Halliwell Jr., 2004. Assimilating 20 years of Atlantic XBT Data into HYCOM: A First Look. Ocean modeling, Vol. 7, No. 2, 183-210.

[2001]

Lee, S.-K., J. L. Pelegri and J. Kroll, 2001. Slope Control in Western Boundary Currents. Journal of Physical Oceanography, Vol. 31, No. 11, 3,349-3,360.

Lee, S.-K., 2001. On the Structure of Supercritical Western Boundary Currents. Dynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans, Vol. 33, 303-319.

[1999]

Lee, S.-K. and G. T.Csanady, 1999. Warm Water Formation and Escape in the Upper Tropical Atlantic Ocean: Part I. A Literature Review. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 104, No. c12, 29,561-29,571.

Lee, S.-K. and G. T.Csanady, 1999. Warm Water Formation and Escape in the Upper Tropical Atlantic Ocean: Part II. A Numerical Model Study. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 104, No. c12, 29573-29590.

Lee, S.-K., 1999. Self-excited Variability of the East Korean Warm Current: A Quasi-Geostrophic Model Study. Journal of Korean Society of Oceanography , Vol. 34, No. 1, 1-21.

[1994]

Lee, S.-K. and G. T. Csanady, 1994. Instability Waves in the Gulf Stream Front and its Thermocline Layer. Journal of Marine Research, Vol. 52, 837-863.

Recent Photos

This photo was taken by Ms. Kay Chung on December 4 2010 in my office.

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