
Research Highlights
Research Interests
Investigating variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and its impacts on weather and climate.
Understanding upper ocean heat content changes and its role in atmosphere-ocean interaction.
Investigating variability of the boundary currents, in particular the Gulf Stream, and their impacts on extreme weather events and long term climate changes.
Shenfu Dong, Ph.D.
Oceanographer, Physical Oceanography Division
305.361.4372
4301 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami, Florida 33149
“The importance of the ocean in climate change depends not only on the amount of heat that the ocean can release to the atmosphere, but also on its heat transport in redistributing energy contained in the ocean. To understand the role of the ocean in climate change, we need to examine the contribution of oceanic circulation to changes in upper-ocean heat content.”
Dr. Shenfu Dong is a physical oceanographer at the Physical Oceanography Division at NOAA’s AOML. She is a Principal Investigator of the State of Climate: Quarterly Reports of the Meridional Heat Transport in the Atlantic Ocean, the eXpendable BathyThermograph (XBT) Network, and Southwest Atlantic MOC (SAM) programs. These programs provide continuous ocean observations to monitor changes of key surface and subsurface currents and assess meridional heat transport in all ocean basins, and to help initialize and validate climate and weather numerical forecast models. Dr. Dong’s work involves analyzing and interpreting oceanographic and atmospheric data to understand interannual-to-decadal ocean and climate variability, their interaction and impacts on weather and climate, and to evaluate climate models for future model improvements.
Current Work
Gulf Stream variability and its impact on weather and climate.
Monitoring North and South Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.
Assessing ocean heat content changes in the Atlantic and its forcing and impacts.
Analysis of deep and abyssal temperatures from bottom-moored instruments.
Investigating air-sea interaction using in situ and satellite observations.
2004, Ph.D. Physical Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
1999, M.S. Physical Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
1996, M.S. Physical Oceanography, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
1994, B.S. Physical Oceanography, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Aguiar, W., S.-K. Lee, H. Lopez, S. Dong, H. Seroussi, D.C. Jones, and A.K. Morrison. Antarctic Bottom Water sensitivity to spatio-temporal variations in Antarctic meltwater fluxes. Geophysical Research Letters, 50(13):e2022GL101595, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL101595 2023
Ref. 4279 - Baker, J.A., R. Renshaw, L.C. Jackson, C. Dubois, D. Iovino, H. Zuo, R.C. Perez, S. Dong, M. Kersalé, M. Mayer, J. Mayer, S. Speich, and T. Lamon. South Atlantic overturning and heat transport variations in ocean reanalyses and observation-based estimates. In 7th edition of the Copernicus Ocean State Report (OSR7), K. Schuckmann et al. (eds.). State of the Planet, 1-osr7, 15 pp., https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-1-osr7-4-2023 2023
Ref. 4328 - Chidichimo, M.P., R.C. Perez, S. Speich, M. Kersalé, J. Sprintall, S. Dong, T. Lamont, O.T. Sato, T.K. Chereskin, R. Hummels, and C. Schmid. Energetic overturning flows, dynamic interocean exchanges, and ocean warming observed in the South Atlantic. Communications Earth & Environment, 4:10, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00644-x 2023
Ref. 4220
Outstanding Graduate Student Fellowship: Ocean University of China, 1995/1996
He Chongben Fellowship: Ocean University of China, China, 1994
Excellent Graduate Award: Ocean University of China, China, 1994
Outstanding Student Award: Shandong Province, China, 1993