Offshore Wind Interactions with the Atmosphere and Ocean Environment

Abstract:

One major challenge in the ongoing push for the development of offshore wind in the United States is a thorough and effective understanding of how the environment will impact the wind farms, and how the wind farms may impact their surrounding environment. A key aspect is a full understanding of the offshore wind resource, given limited publicly available wind observations offshore. This talk will discuss the use of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to better assess the offshore wind resource, and how using this model allows us to better understand the various meteorological phenomena that drive that wind resource, such as sea breezes and wind ramp events. The second part of this talk will discuss the use of advanced observing and modeling technologies to better understand the potential impacts the constructed farms may have on the environment, such as fisheries impacts and marine mammal protection.

Bio:

Dr. Brodie is a meteorologist and physical oceanographer with a primary interest in the modeling of the complex coastal environment. His research focuses on using modeling tools to study climate change and working with these tools to further society’s use of renewable energy technologies to reduce its climatic influence. He uses a variety of observations (i.e. lidar, sodar, in situ meteorological buoys and masts) to study our dynamic coastal environment, with the goal of using these observations to improve the modeling of our region for advancing offshore wind energy, along with other coastal stakeholders. These improved models can also be used to study and improve the prediction of other coastal and atmosphere/ocean processes, such as sea breezes and tropical storms. He received a B.S. in Meteorology from Rutgers University, and a Ph.D. in Physical Ocean Science and Engineering from the University of Delaware.

 

Date: 
Thursday, February 20, 2020 - 4:00pm
Location: 
Kellogg Room (Rm. 118) E-lab 2
Year: 
2020
Semester: