Why and How Should Models and Data Work Together Well?

Tuesday, April 19, 2016
330 Gross Hall -  Noon

 Christopher Jones, PhD

Bill Guthridge Distinguished Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

 

 

Abstract:

 

In most environmental situations there are considerable data coming from observations. But there is often a mathematical model that captures the key features based on underlying physical laws. This, in turn, can generate a profusion of data from the computational output of running the model. Data assimilation is the mathematical subject that aims to optimize the information coming from these two distinct sources.  As models grow ever larger, however, the mathematical techniques are challenged by the so-called “curse of dimensionality.” I will discuss the underlying objectives and methodology of data assimilation in the context of the specific problem in ocean dynamics of optimizing the use of data from instruments that “go with the flow,” such as gliders and ARGO floats.

 


Biographical Sketch:

 

Chris Jones is an applied mathematician at UNC Chapel Hill who works on the dynamics of physical systems. His application areas have included neuroscience and nonlinear optics, but most recently, he has focused on climate and oceanography. He received his PhD in Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and has held positions at the Universities of Arizona, Maryland and Warwick (UK) as well as Brown University. He moved to UNC in 2002, where he is the Guthridge Distinguished Professor of Mathematics and a Chief Domain Scientist at RENCI. He is also currently Director of the NSF-funded Mathematics and Climate Research Network.