Research Interests

• Investigating processes that influence ocean currents (from the sea surface down to the seafloor) and their role in redistributing heat, salt, and carbon around the planet

Current Work

• Characterize the variability of currents in the the South Atlantic ocean and their impact on regional processes and climate
• Characterize the variability of the global overturning circulation in the South Atlantic, and its impact on variability in the North Atlantic, and its impact on regional and global climate
• Examine how sea level pressure changes over the central North Pacific can be a precursor or trigger for El Nino events
• Examine tropical Atlantic currents, how they vary, and how they influence sea surface temperature, weather, climate, and ecosystems

Peer-Reviewed Publications

[2021]

[2020]

Chakravorty, S., R. C. Perez, B. T. Anderson, B. S. Giese, S. M. Larson, and V. Pivotti, 2020: Testing the trade wind charging mechanism and its influence on ENSO variability. J. Clim., 33, 7391-7411, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-19-0727.1.

Christophersen, J. A., G. Foltz, and R. C. Perez, 2020: Surface expressions of atmospheric thermal tides in the tropical Atlantic and their impact on open-ocean precipitation. J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 125, doi:10.1029/2019JD031997.

Foltz, G. R., R. Hummels, M. Dengler, R. C. Perez, and M. Araujo, 2020: Vertical turbulent cooling of the mixed layer in the Atlantic ITCZ and trade wind regions. J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 125, doi:10.1029/2019JC015529.

Kersale, M., C. S. Meinen, R. C. Perez, M. Le Henaff, D. Valla, T. Lamont, O. T. Sato, S. Dong, T. Terre, M. van Caspel, M. P. Chidichimo, M. van den Berg, S. Speich, A. R. Piola, E. J. D. Campos, I. Ansorge, D. L. Volkov, R. Lumpkin, S. Garzoli, 2020: Highly variable upper and abyssal overturning cells in the South Atlantic. Science Advances, 6, 32, eaba7573, doi:10.1126/sciadv.aba7573.

Meinen, C. S., R. C. Perez, S. Dong, A. R. Piola, and E. Campos, 2020: Observed ocean bottom temperature variability at four sites in the Argentine Basin: Evidence of decadal deep/abyssal warming amidst hourly to interannual variability during 2009-2019. Geophys. Res. Lett., 47, doi:10.1029/2020GL089093.

Volkov, D.L., C.S. Meinen, C. Schmid, B. Moat, M. Lankhorst, S. Dong, F. Li, W. Johns, S. Lozier, R. Perez, G. Goni, M. Kersale, E. Frajka-Williams, M. Baringer, D. Smeed, D. Rayner, A. Sanchez-Franks, and U. Send, 2020: Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and associated heat transport [in “State of the Climate in 2019"]. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 101 (8), S163–S169, doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-20-0105.1.

[2019]

Bourles, B., and Coauthors, 2019: PIRATA: A sustained observing system for tropical Atlantic climate research and forecasting. Earth and Space Sciences, 6, 577-616, doi:10.1029/2018EA000428

Foltz, G. R., and Coauthors, 2019: The tropical Atlantic observing system. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 206, doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00206.

Frajka-Williams, E., and Coauthors, 2019: Atlantic meridional overturning circulation: Observed transport and variability. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 260, doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00260.

Inoue, R., R.-C. Lien,J. N. Moum, R. C. Perez, and M. C. Gregg, 2019: Variations of equatorial shear, stratification, and turbulence within a tropical instability wave cycle. J. Geophys. Res., 124, 1858-1875, doi:10.1029/2018JC014480.

Kersale, M., R. C. Perez, S. Speich, C. S. Meinen, T. Lamont, M. Le Henaff, M. A. van den Berg, S. Majumder, I. J. Ansorge, S. Dong, C. Schmid, T. Terre, and S. L. Garzoli, 2019: Shallow and Deep Eastern Boundary Currents in the South Atlantic at 34.5S: Mean structure and variability. J. Geophys. Res., 124, 1634-1659, doi:10.1029/2018JC014554.

Perez, R. C., G. R. Foltz, R. Lumpkin, C. Schmid, 2019: Direct Measurements of Upper Ocean Horizontal Velocity and Vertical Shear in the Tropical North Atlantic at 4Ν, 23W. J. Geophys. Res., 124, 4133-4151, doi:10.1029/2019JC015064.

[2018]

Meinen, C. S., S. Speich, A. R. Piola, I. Ansorge, E. Campos, M. Kersale, T. Terre, M. P. Chidichimo, T. Lamont, O. T. Sato, R. C. Perez, D. Valla, M. van den Berg, M. Le Henaff, S. Dong, and S. L. Garzoli, 2018: Meridional Overturning Circulation transport variability at 34.5°S during 2009-2017: Baroclinic and barotropic flows and the dueling influence of the boundaries. Geophys. Res. Lett., 45, 4180-4188, doi:10.1029/2018GL077408.

[2017]

Meinen, C. S., S. L. Garzoli, R. C. Perez, E. Campos, A. R. Piola, S. Dong, M.-P. Chidichimo, and O. Sato, 2017: Characteristics and causes of Deep Western Boundary Current variability at 34.5S during 2009-2014. Ocean Science, 13, 175-194, doi:10.5194/os-13-175-2017.

[2016]

Rugg, A., G. R. Foltz, and R. C. Perez, 2016: Role of mixed layer dynamics in tropical North Atlantic interannual sea surface temperature variability. J. Clim., 29, 8083-8101, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-15-0867.1.

Elipot, S., R. Lumpkin, R. C. Perez, J. M. Lilly, J. Early, and A. Sykulski, 2016: A global surface drifter dataset at hourly resolution. J. Geophys. Res., 121, doi:10.1002/2016JC011716.

Lumpkin, R., L. Centurioni, and R. C. Perez, 2016: Assessing the global drifter array: Observing system requirements. J. Atmos. Ocean. Tech., 33, 685-695, doi://10.1175/JTECH-D-15-0255.1.

[2015]

Anderson, B. T., and R. C. Perez, 2015: ENSO and Non-ENSO induced charging and discharging of the equatorial Pacific. Clim. Dyn., 45, 2309-2327, doi:10.1007/s00382-015-2472-x.

Garzoli, S. L., S. Dong, R. Fine, C. Meinen, R. C. Perez, C. Schmid, E. van Sebille, and Q. Yao: The fate of the Deep Western Boundary Current in the South Atlantic. Deep Sea Res., 103, 125-136, doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2015.05.008.

Perez, R. C., M. O. Baringer, S. Dong, S. L. Garzoli, M. Goes, G. J. Goni, R. Lumpkin, C. S. Meinen, R. Msadek, and U. Rivero: Measuring the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. Mar. Tech. Soc. Journal, 49(2), 167-177, doi:10.4031/MTSJ.49.2.14. Please note: This article is for personal use only, and is not to be distributed in any format.

[2014]

Johns, E. M., B. A. Muhling, R. C. Perez, F. E. Muller-Karger, N. Melo, R. H. Smith, J. T. Lamkin, T. L. Gerard, and E. Malca, 2014: Amazon River water in the northeastern Caribbean Sea and its effect on larval reef fish assemblages during April 2009. Fisheries Oceanogr.,23, 472-494, doi:10.1111/fog.12082.

Perez, R. C., V. Hormann, R. Lumpkin, P. Brandt, W. E. Johns, F. Hernandez, C. Schmid, and B. Bourles, 2014. Mean meridional currents in the central and eastern equatorial Atlantic. Clim. Dyn., 43, 2943-2962, doi:10.1007/s00382-013-1968-5.

[2013]

Anderson, B. T., R. C. Perez, A. Karspeck, 2013. Triggering of El Nino onset through the trade wind-induced charging of the equatorial Pacific. Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 1212-1216, doi:10.1002/grl.50200.

Garzoli, S. L., M. O. Baringer, S. Dong, R. C. Perez, Q. Yao, 2013. South Atlantic meridional fluxes. Deep Sea Res. I, 71, 21-32, doi: 10.1016/j.dsr.2012.09.003.

Goes, M., G. J. Goni, V. Hormann, and R. C. Perez, 2013. Variability of the Atlantic off-equatorial eastward currents during 1993-2010 using a synthetic method. J. Geophys. Res., 118, 3026-3045, doi:10.1002/jgrc.20186.

Hormann, V., R. Lumpkin, and R. C. Perez, 2013. A generalized method for estimating the structure of the equatorial Atlantic cold tongue: Application to drifter observations. J. Atmos. Ocean. Tech., 30, 1884-1895, doi:10.1175/JTECH-D-12-00173.1.

Meinen, C. S., S. Speich, R. C. Perez, S. Dong, A. R. Piola, S. L. Garzoli, M. Baringer, S. Gladyshev, and E. Campos, 2013: Temporal variability of the meridional overturning circulation at 34.5S: Preliminary results from two boundary arrays in the South Atlantic. J. Geophys. Res., 118, 6461-6478, doi:10.1002/2013JC009228.

[2012]

Meinen, C. S., A. Piola, R. C. Perez, and S. L. Garzoli, 2012. Deep Western Boundary Current transport variability in the South Atlantic: Preliminary results from a pilot array at 34.5S. Ocean Science, 8, 1041-1054, doi:10.5194/os-8-1041-2012.

Perez, R. C., C. F. Lumpkin, W. E. Johns, G. Foltz, V. Hormann, 2012. Interannual variations of Atlantic tropical instability waves. J. Geophys. Res., 117, C03011, doi:10.1029/2011JC007584.

[2011]

Perez, R. C., S. L. Garzoli, C. S. Meinen, R. P. Matano, 2011. Geostrophic Velocity Measurement Techniques for the Meridional Overturning Circulation and Meridional Heat Transport in the South Atlantic. J. Atmos. Ocean. Tech., 28, 1504-1521, doi:10.1175/JTECH-D-11-00058.1.

[2010]

Perez, R. C., M. F. Cronin, and W. S. Kessler, 2010. Tropical cells and a secondary circulation near the northern front of the equatorial Pacific cold tongue. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 40(9), 2091-2106, doi:10.1175/2010JPO4366.1.

[2009]

Perez, R. C., and W. S. Kessler, 2009. The three-dimensional structure of tropical cells in the central equatorial Pacific ocean. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 39(1), 27-49, doi:10.1175/2008JPO4029.1.

[2005]

Perez, R. C., D. B. Chelton, and R. N. Miller, 2005. The effects of wind forcing and background mean currents on the latitudinal structure of equatorial Rossby waves. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 35(5), 666-682, doi:10.1175/JPO2714.1.

[Other]

Perez, R., M. Srokosz, and G. Danabasoglu, 2019: Atlantic overturning circulation questions abound, Eos, 100, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019EO114603.

Danabasoglu, G., M. F. de Jong, A. Karspeck, M. Lankhorst, M. Patterson, R. Perez, A. Schmittner, W. Weijer, S. Yeager, and R. Zhang, 2016: 2016 US AMOC Science Team Report on Progress and Priorities. A US CLIVAR Report, Report 2016-4, 178pp., doi:10.5072/FK2125WB5P.

Danabasoglu, G., R. Curry, A. Karspeck, C. Meinen, R. Msadek, M. Patterson, R. Perez, A. Schmittner, L. Thompson, and S. Yeager, 2015: 2014 US AMOC Science Team Annual Report on Progress and Priorities. Report 2015-1, US CLIVAR Project Office, 165 pp.

Ansorge, I. J., M. O. Baringer, E. J. D. Campos, S. Dong, R. A. Fine, S. L. Garzoli, C. S. Meinen, R. C. Perez, A. R. Piola, M. J. Roberts, S. Speich, J. Sprintall, T. Terre, M. A. Van de Berg, 2014: Basin-Wide Oceanographic Array Bridges the South Atlantic. EOS, 95, 53-54, doi:10.1002/2014EO060001.

Perez, R. C., 2014: Autobiographical sketches of women in oceanography. Oceanography Supplement, 27(7), 186.

Garzoli, S., P. Abrahamsen, I. Ansorge, A. Biastoch, E. Campos, M. Mata, C. Meinen, J. Pelegri, R. Perez, A. Piola, C. Reason, M. Roberts, S. Speich, J. Sprintall, R. Watts, and all of the SAMOC IV participants, 2012. South Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (SAMOC) - Fourth Workshop. CLIVAR Exchanges, No. 58, pp. 2-4 (Unpublished manuscript).

Thompson, L., R. C. Perez, and A. E. Shevenell, 2011. Closed ranks in oceanography. Nature Geoscience, doi:10.1038/ngeo1113.

Thompson, L., R. C. Perez, and A. E. Shevenell, 2011. Reply to "Not just family matters". Nature Geoscience, doi:10.1038/ngeo1165.

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