Eleanor Frajka-Williams

Eleanor Frajka-Williams

Professor of Ocean Dynamics in a Changing Climate

Universität Hamburg

I am a physical oceanographer who uses ocean observations to investigate ocean dynamics and circulation in a changing climate, and the leader of the Experimental Oceanography working group at the Institute of Oceanography, Universität Hamburg. I have a particular interest in problems spanning scales (from micro- to large-scale) or spheres (biogeosphere, cryosphere, atmosphere), and in methods that leverage traditional observations with new platforms and satellite data.

Interests
  • Ocean dynamics in a changing climate
  • Observational methods and technology
Education

  • PhD in Physical Oceanography, 2009

    University of Washington

  • MSc in Applied Mathematics, 2009

    University of Washington

  • MSc in Oceanography, 2005

    University of Washington

  • AB in Applied Mathematics, 2002

    Harvard University

Publications

  1. Eleanor Frajka-Williams, N. Foukal, Gokhan Danabasoglu. Should AMOC observations continue: how and why?. Phil Trans A, 2023.
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  2. Leon Chafik, N. Penny Holliday, Sheldon Bacon, J. A. Baker, Damien G. Desbruyeres, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Laura C. Jackson. Observed mechanisms activating the recent subpolar North Atlantic Warming since 2016. Phil Trans A, 2023.
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  3. Louis Clement, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Nicolai von Oppeln-Bronikowski, I. Goszczko, Brad de Young. Cessation of Labrador Sea Convection Triggered by Distinct Fresh and Warm (Sub)Mesoscale Flows. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 2023.
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  4. Gerard D. McCarthy, K. Burmeister, Stuart A. Cunningham, A. Düsterhus, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, and others. Climate change impacts on ocean circulation relevant to the UK and Ireland. Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership, 2023.
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  5. Laura C. Jackson, Arne Biastoch, Martha W. Buckley, Damien G. Desbruyeres, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Ben I. Moat, Jon Robson. The evolution of the North Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation since 1980. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 2022.
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  6. D. Gwyn Evans, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Alberto C. Naveira Garabato. Dissipation of mesoscale eddies at a western boundary via a direct energy cascade. Scientific Reports, 2022.
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  7. B Berx, Denis L. Volkov, Johanna Baehr, Molly O. Baringer, Peter Brandt, K. Burmeister, Stuart A. Cunningham, MF de Jong, Laura de Steur, S Dong, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, others. Climate-Relevant Ocean Transport Measurements in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. Oceanogr., 2022.
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  8. Alberto C. Naveira Garabato, X. Yu, J. Callies, R. Barkan, Kurt L. Polzin, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, others. Kinetic Energy Transfers between Mesoscale and Submesoscale Motions in the Open Ocean’s Upper Layers. J. Phys. Ocean., 2022.
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  9. Alejandra Sanchez-Franks, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Ben I. Moat, David A. Smeed. A dynamically based method for estimating the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation at 26°N from satellite altimetry. Oc. Sci., 2021.
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  10. Carl P. Spingys, Alberto C. Naveira Garabato, Sonya Legg, Kurt L. Polzin, E. Povl Abrahamsen, Christian E. Buckingham, Alex Forryan, Eleanor Frajka-Williams. Mixing and transformation in a deep western boundary current: A case study. J. Phys. Ocean., 2021.
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  11. Gokhan Danabasoglu, F. S. Castruccio, R. J. Small, R. Tomas, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Matthias Lankhorst. Revisiting AMOC transport estimates from observations and models. Geophys. Res. Lett., 2021.
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  12. D. Gwyn Evans, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Alberto C. Naveira Garabato, Kurt L. Polzin, Alex Forryan. Mesoscale eddy dissipation by a zoo of submesoscale processes at a western boundary. J. Geophys. Res., 2020.
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  13. Brad de Young, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Nicolai von Oppeln-Bronikowski, Stephen Woodward. Technicalities: Exploring the Labrador Sea with autonomous vehicles. The Journal of Ocean Technology, 2020.
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  14. Bieito Fernandez-Castro, D. Gwyn Evans, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Clement Vic, Alberto C. Naveira Garabato. Breaking of internal waves and turbulent dissipation in an anticyclonic mode water eddy. J. Phys. Ocean., 2020.
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  15. Denis L. Volkov, Chris S. Meinen, others, Eleanor Frajka-Williams. Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and associated heat transport. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 2020.
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  16. Delphine Lobelle, Claudie Beaulieu, Valerie Livina, Florian Sevellec, Eleanor Frajka-Williams. Detectability of an AMOC decline in current and projected climate changes. Geophys. Res. Lett., 2020.
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  17. Ben I. Moat, David A. Smeed, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Damien G. Desbruyeres, Claudie Beaulieu, William E. Johns, Darren Rayner, Alejandra Sanchez-Franks, Molly O. Baringer, Denis L. Volkov, Laura C. Jackson, Harry L. Bryden. Pending recovery in the strength of the meridional overturning circulation at 26°N. Oc. Sci., 2020.
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  18. Eleanor Frajka-Williams, and others. Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation: Observed Transport and Variability. Frontiers in Mar. Sci., 2019.
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  19. Alberto C. Naveira Garabato, Jack Hooley, Tiago S. Dotto, Sheldon Bacon, M. Tsamados, A. Ridout, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, L. Herraiz-Borreguero, Paul R. Holland, H. D. B. S. Heorton, Mike P. Meredith. Phased response of the subpolar Southern Ocean to changes in circumpolar winds. Geophys. Res. Lett., 2019.
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  20. Freya K. Garry, Elaine L. McDonagh, Adam T. Blaker, Chris D. Roberts, Damien G. Desbruyeres, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Brian A. King. Model derived uncertainties in deep ocean temperature trends between 1990--2010. J. Geophys. Res., 2019.
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  21. Emma Worthington, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, G. D. McCarthy. Using GRACE and in situ bottom pressure recorders to evaluate external transports at 26°N. J. Geophys. Res., 2019.
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  22. Joel J.-M. Hirschi, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Adam T. Blaker, Bablu Sinha, P. Hyder, Andrew Coward, others. Loop Current variability as trigger of coherent Gulf Stream transport anomalies. J. Phys. Ocean., 2019.
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  23. P. Testor, Brad de Young, D. Rudnick, S. Glenn, D. Hayes, C. M. Lee, C. Pattiaratchi, others, Eleanor Frajka-Williams. OceanObs19: OceanGliders: a component of the integrated GOOS. Frontiers in Marine Science, 2019.
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  24. Alberto C. Naveira Garabato, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Carl P. Spingys, Sonya Legg, Kurt L. Polzin, Alex Forryan, E. Povl Abrahamsen, Christian E. Buckingham, Stephen M. Griffies, Stephen D. McPhail, Keith W. Nicholls, Leif N. Thomas, Mike P. Meredith. Rapid mixing and exchange of deep-ocean waters in an abyssal boundary current. PNAS, 2019.
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  25. Chris S. Meinen, William E. Johns, Ben I. Moat, Ryan H. Smith, Elizabeth M. Johns, Darren Rayner, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Rigoberto F. Garcia, Silvia L. Garzoli. Structure and variability of the Antilles Current at 26.5°N. J. Geophys. Res., 2019.
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  26. Francisco M. Calafat, Thomas Wahl, Fredrik Lindsten, Joanne Williams, Eleanor Frajka-Williams. Coherent modulation of the sea-level annual cycle in the United States by Atlantic Rossby waves. Nature Comm., 2018.
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  27. D. Gwyn Evans, N. S. Lucas, Victoria S. Hemsley, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Adrian Martin, Stuart C. Painter, Alberto C. Naveira Garabato, Mark E. Inall, Matthew R. Palmer. Annual cycle of turbulence estimated from Seagliders. Geophys. Res. Lett., 2018.
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  28. Tiago S. Dotto, Alberto C. Naveira Garabato, Sheldon Bacon, M. Tsamados, Paul R. Holland, Jack Hooley, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, A. Ridout, Mike P. Meredith. Variability of the Ross Gyre, Southern Ocean: drivers and responses revealed by satellite altimetry. Geophys. Res. Lett., 2018.
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  29. David A. Smeed, Simon A. Josey, William E. Johns, Ben I. Moat, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Darren Rayner, Chris S. Meinen, Molly O. Baringer, Harry L. Bryden, Gerard D. McCarthy. The North Atlantic Ocean is in a state of reduced overturning. Geophys. Res. Lett., 2018.
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  30. Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Matthias Lankhorst, J. Koelling, Uwe Send. Coherent circulation changes in the Deep North Atlantic from 16°N and 26°N transport arrays. J. Geophys. Res., 2018.
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  31. Bablu Sinha, David A. Smeed, Gerard D. McCarthy, Ben I. Moat, Simon A. Josey, Joel J.-M. Hirschi, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Adam T. Blaker, G. Madec. The Accuracy of Estimates of the Overturning Circulation from Basin Wide Mooring Arrays. Prog. Oceangr., 2018.
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  32. Lena M. Schulze Chretien, Eleanor Frajka-Williams. Wind-driven transport of fresh shelf water into the upper 30m of the Labrador Sea. Oc. Sci., 2018.
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  33. Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Claudie Beaulieu, Aurelie D. Duchez. Emerging negative Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation index in spite of warm subtropics. Scientific Reports, 2017.
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  34. Shane Elipot, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Chris W. Hughes, Sofia Olhede, Matthias Lankhorst. Observed basin-scale response of the North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation to wind stress forcing. J. Clim, 2017.
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  35. Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Jonathan Bamber, Kjetil Vage. Greenland Melt and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Oceanogr., 2016.
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  36. Aurelie D. Duchez, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Simon A. Josey, D. Gwyn Evans, Jeremy P. Grist, R. Marsh, Gerard D. McCarthy, Bablu Sinha, David I. Berry, Joel J.-M. Hirschi. Drivers of exceptionally cold North Atlantic Ocean temperatures and their link to the 2015 European heat wave. Env. Res. Lett., 2016.
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  37. Ben I. Moat, Simon A. Josey, Bablu Sinha, Adam T. Blaker, David A. Smeed, Gerard D. McCarthy, William E. Johns, Joel J.-M. Hirschi, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Darren Rayner, Aurelie D. Duchez, Andrew Coward. Major Variations in Sub-Tropical North Atlantic Heat Transport at Short (5 day) Timescales and their Causes. J. Geophys. Res., 2016.
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  38. Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Chris S. Meinen, William E. Johns, David A. Smeed, Aurelie D. Duchez, Adam J. Lawrence, David A. Cuthbertson, Harry L. Bryden, Gerard D. McCarthy, Molly O. Baringer, Darren Rayner, Ben I. Moat. Compensation between meridional flow components of the Atlantic MOC at 26°N. Oc. Sci., 2016.
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  39. Louis Clement, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Katy L. Sheen, J. Alex Brearley, Alberto C. Naveira Garabato. Generation of Internal Waves by Eddies Impinging on the Western Boundary of the North Atlantic. J. Phys. Ocean., 2016.
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  40. Victoria S. Hemsley, Timothy J. Smyth, Adrian P. Martin, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Andrew F. Thompson, Gillian Damerell, Stuart C. Painter. Estimating Oceanic Primary Production Using Vertical Irradiance and Chlorophyll Profiles from Ocean Gliders in the North Atlantic. Environmental Science Technology, 2015.
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  41. Eleanor Frajka-Williams. Estimating the Atlantic MOC at 26°N using satellite altimetry and cable measurements. Geophys. Res. Lett., 2015.
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  42. Gerard D. McCarthy, David A. Smeed, Williams E. Johns, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Ben I. Moat, Darren Rayner, Molly O. Baringer, Chris S. Meinen, Harry L. Bryden. Measuring the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation at 26°N. Prog. Oceangr., 2015.
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  43. Eleanor Frajka-Williams. Sustaining observations of an unsteady ocean circulation. Phil. Trans. Royal Soc., 2014.
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  44. Louis Clement, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Zoltan B. Szuts, Stuart A. Cunningham. Vertical structure of eddies and Rossby waves and their effect on the Atlantic MOC at 26.5°N. J. Geophys. Res., 2014.
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  45. Aurelie D. Duchez, Stuart A. Cunningham, Joel J.-M. Hirschi, Adam T. Blaker, Harry L. Bryden, C. Atkinson, Gerard D. McCarthy, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Darren Rayner, David A. Smeed. A new index for the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. J. Clim, 2014.
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  46. Aurelie D. Duchez, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Natalia Castro, Joel J.-M. Hirschi, Andrew Coward. Seasonal to interannual variability in density around the Canary Islands and their influence on the AMOC at 26°N. J. Geophys. Res., 2014.
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  47. Shane Elipot, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Chris W. Hughes, Josh Willis. The observed North Atlantic MOC, its meridional coherence and ocean bottom pressure. J. Phys. Ocean., 2014.
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  48. Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Peter B. Rhines, Charles C. Eriksen. Horizontal stratification during Deep convection in the Labrader Sea. J. Phys. Ocean., 2014.
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  49. David A. Smeed, Gerard D. McCarthy, Stuart A. Cunningham, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Darren Rayner, William E. Johns, Chris S. Meinen, Molly O. Baringer, Ben I. Moat, Aurelie D. Duchez, Harry L. Bryden. Observed decline of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation 2004 to 2012. Oc. Sci., 2014.
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  50. Stuart A. Cunningham, Chris D. Roberts, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, William E. Johns, W. Hobbs, M. D. Palmer, Darren Rayner, David A. Smeed, Gerard D. McCarthy. Atlantic MOC slowdown cooled the subtropical ocean. Geophys. Res. Lett., 2013.
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  51. Chris D. Roberts, J. Waters, K. A. Peterson, M. Palmer, Gerard D. McCarthy, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, K. Haines, D. J. Lea, M. J. Martin, D. Storkey, E. W. Blockley, H. Zuo. Atmosphere drives observed interannual variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation at 26.5N. Geophys. Res. Lett., 2013.
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  52. Charlotte Mielke, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Johanna Baehr. Observed and simulated variability of the AMOC at 26°N and 41°N. Geophys. Res. Lett., 2013.
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  53. Eleanor Frajka-Williams, William E. Johns, Chris S. Meinen, Lisa M. Beal, Stuart A. Cunningham. Eddy impacts on the Florida Current. Geophys. Res. Lett., 2013.
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  54. Gerard D. McCarthy, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, William E. Johns, Molly O. Baringer, Chris S. Meinen, Harry L. Bryden, Darren Rayner, Aurelie D. Duchez, Chris D. Roberts, Stuart A. Cunningham. Observed Interannual Variability of the Atlantic MOC at 26.5°N. Geophys. Res. Lett., 2012.
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  55. Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Charles C. Eriksen, Peter B. Rhines, Ramsey R. Harcourt. Determining Vertical Velocities from Seaglider. J. Atmos. Ocean. Tech., 2011.
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  56. Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Stuart A. Cunningham, Harry L. Bryden, Brian A. King. Variability of Antarctic Bottom Water at 24.5°N in the Atlantic. J. Geophys. Res., 2011.
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  57. Darren Rayner, Joel J.-M. Hirschi, Torsten Kanzow, William E. Johns, Paul G. Wright, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Harry L. Bryden, Christopher S. Meinen, Molly O. Baringer, Jochem Marotzke, Lisa M. Beal, Stuart A. Cunningham. Monitoring the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. Deep Sea Res. II, 2011.
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  58. Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Peter B. Rhines. Physical controls and interannual variability of the Labrador Sea spring phytoplankton bloom in distinct regions. Deep Sea Res. I, 2010.
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  59. Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Peter B. Rhines, Charles C. Eriksen. Physical controls and mesoscale variability in the Labrador Sea spring phytoplankton bloom observed by Seaglider. Deep Sea Res. I, 2009.
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Chapters

  1. Eleanor Frajka-Williams, J. Alex Brearley, J. D. Nash, C. B. Whalen. New technological frontiers in ocean mixing. Ocean Mixing: Drivers, Mechanisms and Impacts, 2022.
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  2. Eleanor Frajka-Williams. Topographic Eddies. Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences, 2019.
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Magazine

  1. K. R. Hendry, A. Annett, R. Bhatia, G. M. Damerell, S. Fielding, Y. L. Firing, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, others. Equity at sea: Gender and inclusivity in UK sea-going science. Ocean Challenge, 2020.
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  2. Eleanor Frajka-Williams. RAPID: Monitoring the meridional overturning circulation at 26°N. Ocean Challenge, 2011.
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  3. Kim Martini, Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Colleen Mouw. The Pattullo Conference: Building Community Through mentoring. Oceanography, 2009.
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Preprints

  1. Eleanor Frajka-Williams, F. Landerer, T. Lee. Fast response of deep ocean circulation to mid-latitude winds in the Atlantic. Geophys. Res. Lett. (rejected), 2018.
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  2. Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Eric Kunze, Jennifer A. MacKinnon. Bispectra of Internal Tides and Parametric Subharmonic Instability. ArXiv, 2014.
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  3. Eleanor Frajka-Williams. Convection in a Fluid Loop. Proceedings of the WHOI Geophysical Fluid Dynamics program, 2004.
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