Background

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

Research Interests

My research interests focus on understanding the fundamental mechanisms governing tropical atmosphere-ocean dynamics and their impacts on the Earth's climate. Mathematical models such as Atmosphere-Ocean General Ciruclation Models and simple coupled models are my preferred research tools. Currently, my research lies in the areas of Atlantic climate variability, namely Atlantic warm pool, Atlantic-Nino, ENSO-teleconnections, and Atlantic meridional overturning circulation.

Current and Pending Research Projects

Diagnostic and Modeling Studies on Impacts, Mechanisms and Predictability of the Atlantic Warm Pool (NOAA/CPPA Current)

Improving Predictability of the Atlantic Warm Pool in Ocean Model for Assistance to Operational Hurricane Forecast (NOAA/JHT Current)

What Causes the Tropical Atlantic SST Bias in CCSM3? (NSF Current)

Publications

Lee, S.-K., D. B. Enfield and C. Wang, 2009. Future Impact of Differential Inter-Basin Ocean Warming on Atlantic Hurricanes. Climate Dynamics, Submitted.

Lee, S.-K. and C. Wang, 2009. Delayed Advective Oscillation of the Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation. Journal of Climate, Accepted.

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, In press.

Wang, C., S.-K. Lee and C. R. Mechoso, 2009. Inter-Hemispheric Influence of the Atlantic Warm Pool on the Southeastern Pacific. Journal of Climate, In press.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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, 2007. Impact of the Atlantic Warm Pool on the Summer Climate of the Western Hemisphere . Journal of Climate, Vol. 20, No. 20, 5021-5040.

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.

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, 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.

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

Lee, S.-K., D. B. Enfield, 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.

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

Thacker, C.W., S.-K. Lee, 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.

Lee, S.-K., J.L. Pelegri, 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.

Lee, S.-K., 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., 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.

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

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