RESEARCH | Elisa Lovecchio

Research interests

Ocean physics and biogeochemistry
Biophysical interactions, especially in meso and submesoscale structures
Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems (EBUS)

Modeling, algorithms development,
large data handling, data analysis
In-situ data collection & analysis from ships and autonomous platforms
Non-linear climate dynamics

Projects

Current research at the National Oceanography Centre

Biogeochemical modeller @ NOC, UK

Current projects at NOC:

TiMBER: "Forecasting Tipping points In Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Responses", tipping point identification and EWS characterisation in coupled models
PARTITRICS: Synthesis and global scaling-up of particle transport and respiration processes in the mesopelagic.
AtlantiS: Mesoscale controls on the North Atlantic bloom variability.

Past projects at NOC:

ReBELS (2024): Fieldwork, "Resolving Biological carbon Export in the Labrador Sea".
GOCART and COMICS (2021-2024): Study of mesopelagic oxygen and particle variability in the Benguela OMZ using gliders, ship and satellite data, model reanalysis and a new Benguela physical-biogeochemical coupled model setup.
SUMMER (2022-2024) Diapycnal export of DOC & POC around South Georgia (South. Ocean); Active flux parameterisation for model and satellite applications.
TechOceanS (2023-2024) Scientific input for the planning of autonomous surveys with gliders & ALRs around the island of Gran Canaria (Canary Upwelling System).
PAP-SO Fieldwork (2023): Data collection for the PAP Sustained Observatory

For a full list of related publications and talks, please visit this page.

The influence of mesoscale variability on organic carbon export fluxes: bridging models and observations

2020-2021, Visiting Postdoc fellow @ NOCS, UK

SNSF Early Postdoc.Mobility

Mesoscale influence on oxygen concentrations and the export of organic material in the Benguela Upwelling System by combining glider data (GOCART project), ship data (COMICS project), satellite products, ocean reanalysis data and a new high-resolution physical-biogeochemical ocean model (ROMS + BEC) that I developed at NOC.

Advisor: Prof Stephanie Henson

Exploring the impact of changes in the biological pump on the shelf sea and ocean nutrient and redox state

2019, Postdoc fellow @ University of Exeter, UK

Funding: NERC

Implementation of a Biological Pump, Oxygen and Phosphorus (BPOP) model aimed at studying changes in the ocean biogeochemistry generated by the evolution of larger and heavier phytoplankton cells at the Neoproterozoic-Phanerozoic transition.

Advisor: Prof Tim Lenton

Related publication:
Lovecchio & Lenton 2019 https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-1865-2020

Long range offshore transport of organic carbon from the Canary Upwelling System, an eddy-resolving modeling study

2014-2018, PhD student @ ETH-Z, Switzerland

Funding: SNSF

Quantification of the total & mesoscale lateral transport of organic carbon from the coast of the Canary Upwelling System to the offshore North Atlantic gyre via high-resolution simulations. Development of model setup using the physical model ROMS coupled to the biogeochemical model NPZD on a full Atlantic basin telescopic grid. Eddy and filament identification. Study of the evolution of the tracers in mesoscale eddies through the calculation of 3D composites of eddy tracks.

Supervisors: Prof Niki Gruber, Dr Matthias Muennich, Dr Zouhair Lachkar

Examiner: Prof Javier Arístegui

Download full PhD Thesis

Related publications:
1) Lovecchio et al. 2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3337-2017
2) Lovecchio et al. 2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-5061-2018

3) Bonino & Lovecchio et al. 2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2429-2021

4) Lovecchio at al. 2022, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JC017691

Climate-vegetation interaction and the global hydrological cycle

2013, MSc Physics of Complex Systems @ University of Turin, Italy

Modeling the interaction between climate and vegetation via implementation of a 1D and 2D Energy Balance Model (Fortran) with two layers of atmosphere, two layers of soil and one kind of vegetation and the equations governing the exchange of water and heat between the layers. Study of the equilibria reached by the system starting from dry surface condition and moist deep soil as a function of initial vegetation cover and deep soil water content.

Supervisor: Prof Antonello Provenzale

Link to MSc Thesis (full text only in Italian)

From self-organized to extended criticality

2011, Research Associate @ Center for Nonlinear Science, University of North Texas, USA

Simulations of the dynamics of a network of cooperative integrate-and-fire neurons (language: C). Study of the statistics of neural avalanches to explore the issue of criticality and self-organization of complex networks.

Advisor: Prof Paolo Grigolini

Related publication:
Lovecchio et al. 2012, https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2012.00098