My research is mainly focussed on the fluid mechanics of physical processes in natural water bodies, including oceans, lakes, and estuaries. The following is a list of current research interests:
- Turbulent mixing in stable density stratification
- Shear flows, instability and wave interactions
- Double-diffusive convection
- Heat fluxes and eddy formation in the Arctic Ocean
- Turbulence measurements using ocean gliders
- Impacts of offshore wind farms on the coastal ocean
Additionally, I perform research using a variety of methods including field measurement, numerical simulation, and theoretical analysis.
- seit September 2013 Research scientist and group leader
Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht
- 2011 - 2013 Post-doctoral associate
Geology & Geophysics at Yale University
- 2009 - 2011 Post-doctoral researcher EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
- 2009 PhD University of British Columbia
- Schultze, L.K.P., Merckelbach, L.M., & Carpenter, J.R. (2020): Storm-induced turbulence alters shelf sea vertical fluxes. Limnology & Oceanography: Letters, in press
- Carpenter, J.R. & A. Guha (2019): Instability of a smooth shear layer through wave interactions. Physics of Fluids, 31, 081701, doi:10.1063/1.5116633
- Smyth, W.D & J.R. Carpenter (2019): Instability in Geophysical Flows. Cambridge University Press, doi:10.1017/9781108640084
- Merckelbach, L., Berger, A., Krahmann, G., Dengler, M. & J.R. Carpenter (2019): A Dynamic Flight Model for Slocum Gliders and Implications for Turbulence Microstructure Measurements. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 36, 281–296, doi:10.1175/JTECH-D-18-0168.1
- Scheifele, B., S. Waterman, L. Merckelbach & J.R. Carpenter (2018): Measuring the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy in strongly stratified, low energy environments: a case study from the Arctic Ocean. Journal of Geophysical Research -- Oceans, 123, doi: 10.1029/2017JC013731.
- Umlauf, L., P. Holtermann, C. Gillner, R. Prien, L. Merckelbach & J.R. Carpenter (2018): Diffusive convection under rapidly varying conditions. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 48, 1731-1747, doi: 10.1175/JPO-D-18-0018.1.
- Schultze, L.K.P., L. Merckelbach & J.R. Carpenter (2017): Turbulence and mixing in a shallow stratified shelf sea from underwater gliders. Journal of Geophysical Research -- Oceans, 122, doi: 10.1002/2017JC012872.
- Floeter, J., J.E.E. van Beusekom, D. Auch, U. Callies, J.R. Carpenter, T. Dudeck, S. Eberle, A. Eckhardt, D. Gloe, K. Hänselmann, M. Hufnagl, S. Janßen, H. Lenhart, K.O. Möller, R.P. North, T. Pohlmann, R. Riethmüller, S. Schulz, S. Spreizenbarth, A. Temming, B. Walter, O. Zielinski, C. Möllmann (2017): Pelagic effects of offshore wind farm foundations in the stratified North Sea. Progress in Oceanography, 156, 154–173, doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2017.07.003
- Carpenter, J.R., A. Guha & E. Heifetz (2017): A physical interpretation of the wind-wave instability as interacting waves. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 47, 1441-1455, doi:10.1175/JPO-D-16-0206.1
- Shibley, N., M.-L. Timmermans, J.R. Carpenter & J. Toole (2017): Spatial variability of the Arctic Ocean’s double-diffusive staircase. Journal of Geophysical Research – Oceans, 122, doi:10.1002/2016JC012419
- Carpenter, J.R., L. Merckelbach, U. Callies, S. Clark, L. Gaslikova & B. Baschek (2016): Potential impacts of o shore wind farms on North Sea stratification. PLOS ONE, 11(8), e0160830, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160830
- Hieronymus, M. & J.R. Carpenter (2016): Energy and variance budgets of a diffusive staircase with implications for heat flux scaling. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 46, 2553-2569, doi: 10.1175/JPO-D-15-0155.1
- Sommer, T., J.R. Carpenter & A. Wüest (2014): Double-diffusive interfaces in Lake Kivu reproduced by direct numerical simulations. Geophysical Research Letters, doi: 10.1002/2014GL060716.
- Carpenter, J.R. & M.-L. Timmermans (2014): Does rotation influence double-diffusive fluxes in polar oceans? Journal of Physical Oceanography, 44, 289-296, doi: 10.1175/JPO-D-13-098.1
- Sommer, T., J.R. Carpenter, M. Schmid, R.G. Lueck, M. Schurter & A. Wuest, Interface structure and flux laws in natural double-diffusive layerings, (2013), Journal of Geophysical Research - Oceans, 118, 6092-6106, doi: 10.1002/2013JC009166
- Sommer, T., J.R. Carpenter, M. Schmid, R.G. Lueck & A. Wuest (2013): Revisiting microstructure sensor responses with implications for double-diffusive fluxes. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 30, 1907-1923, doi: 10.1175/JTECH-D-12-00272.1
- Lawrence, G.A., E.W. Tedford & J.R. Carpenter (2013): Instability in stratified shear flow. Chapter 5 in J.G. Venditti, J. Best, M. Church & R.J. Riley (eds), Coherent Structures at the Earth's Surface, John Wiley & Sons, 63-72.
- Carpenter, J.R., E.W. Tedford, E. Heifetz & G.A. Lawrence (2013): Instability in stratified shear flow: Review of a physical interpretation based on interacting waves. Applied Mechanics Reviews, 64, 061001, doi: 10.1115/1.4007909
- Carpenter, J.R. & M.-L. Timmermans (2012): Deep mesoscale eddies in the Canada Basin, Arctic Ocean. Geophysical Research Letters, 39, L20602, doi: 10.1029/2012GL053025.
- Carpenter, J.R., T. Sommer & A. Wuest (2012): Simulations of a double-diffusive interface in the diffusive convection regime. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 711, 411-436, doi: 10.1017/jfm.2012.399
- Odermat, D., F. Pomati, J. Pitarch, J.R. Carpenter, M. Kawka, M. Schaepman & A. Wuest (2012): MERIS observations of phytoplankton blooms in a stratified eutrophic lake. Remote Sensing of Environment, 126, 232-239, doi: 10.1016/j.rse.2012.08.031
- Wuest, A., T. Sommer, M. Schmid & J.R. Carpenter (2012): Diffusive-type of double diffusion in lakes - a review. Chapter 14 in W. Rodi and M. Uhlmann (eds), Environmental Fluid Mechanics: Memorial Volume in Honour of Prof. Gerhard H. Jirka, IAHR Monographs, 271-284.
- Carpenter, J.R. & M.-L. Timmermans (2012): Temperature steps in salty seas. Physics Today, 65(3), 66-67, doi: 10.1063/PT.3.1485
- Carpenter, J.R., T. Sommer & A. Wuest (2012): Stability of a double-diffusive interface in the diffusive convection regime. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 42, 840-854, doi: 10.1175/JPO-D-11-0118.1
- Carpenter, J.R., N.J. Balmforth & G.A. Lawrence (2010): Identifying unstable modes in stratified shear layers. Physics of Fluids, 22, 054104, doi: 10.1063/1.3379845
- Carpenter, J.R., E.W. Tedford, M. Rahmani & G.A. Lawrence (2010): Holmboe wave fields in simulation and experiment. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 648, 205-223, doi: 10.1017/S002211200999317X
- Tedford, E.W., J.R. Carpenter, R. Pawlowicz, R. Pieters & G.A. Lawrence (2009): Observation and analysis of shear instability in the Fraser River estuary. Journal of Geophysical Research -- Oceans, 114, C11006, doi: 10.1029/2009JC005313
- Carpenter, J.R., G.A. Lawrence & W.D. Smyth (2007): Evolution and mixing of asymmetric Holmboe instabilities. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 582, 101-132, doi:10.1017/S0022112007005988
- Smyth, W.D., J.R. Carpenter & G.A. Lawrence (2007): Mixing in symmetric Holmboe waves. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 37, 1566-1583, doi: 10.1175/JPO3037.1