Hello I'm Jacopo!

I earned my Ph.D. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences from the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (ATOC) in August 2025 and currently work as a Professional Research Assistant in ATOC. In this role, I support the Argovis data platform through infrastructure development, database maintenance, outreach, and educational activities, and I lead climate-focused research projects that integrate in situ ocean observations with Earth system modeling. I also manage data workflows and research deliverables for international collaborations focused on ocean–atmosphere interactions and climate variability.

My doctoral research centered on air–sea interactions, extreme ocean events, and upper-ocean variability, drawing on observations, ocean reanalyses, and high-resolution climate models. In my first project, I used Argo float observations and HYCOM to assess upper-ocean changes during hurricane-strength wind events. I showed that the ocean’s salinity structure prior to a storm strongly influences whether the upper ocean freshens or becomes more saline, shaping density changes and post-storm air–sea interactions.

My second project examined global marine heatwaves (MHWs) using Argo, satellite SST, and the ECCO state estimate. I evaluated ECCO’s ability to represent MHW characteristics and used its physically consistent heat budget to identify dominant drivers. Atmospheric forcing emerged as the primary contributor globally, while ocean dynamics played key roles in equatorial regions, western boundary currents, and the Southern Ocean.

In my third project, I focused on the vertical structure of MHWs in the Caribbean Sea. Using high-resolution climate model output and reanalysis fields, I found that MHW intensity peaks in the subsurface and is linked to Rossby wave activity. Future projections show a decline in subsurface MHW intensity associated with a weaker thermocline, reduced currents, and lower eddy energy.

I grew up in Milan, Italy, and earned a B.S. in Environmental Sciences and Technologies from the Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca. During my undergraduate studies, I was a visiting student at CU Boulder, working with Professor Jennifer E. Kay on Arctic surface amplification and sea ice loss in large-ensemble climate simulations.