I am primarily interested in large-scale North Atlantic circulation and its role in climate. I also use analytical and observational approaches to study the dynamics of ocean boundary currents.
My other interests are polar oceanography, fjord-shelf exchange processes, autonomous observations, inverse methods, numerical modelling and internal waves.
Research Projects
AtlantOS
Peer-reviewed publications
2023
Fu Y, Lozier MS, Biló TC, Bower AS, Cunningham SA, Cyr F, de Jong MF, deYoung B, Drysdale LA, Fraser NJ et al. Seasonality of the Meridional Overturning Circulation in the Subpolar North Atlantic. Communication Earth & Environment
Jones, S. C., Fraser, N. J., Cunningham, S. A., Fox, A. D., and Inall, M. E.: Observation-based estimates of volume, heat, and freshwater exchanges between the subpolar North Atlantic interior, its boundary currents, and the atmosphere, Ocean Sci., 19, 169–192, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-169-2023, 2023.
2022
Fraser NJ, Cunningham SA, Drysdale LA, Inall ME, Johnson C, Jones SC, et al. (2022). North Atlantic Current and European Slope Current circulation in the Rockall Trough observed using moorings and gliders. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 127, e2022JC019291. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JC019291
Fox AD, Handmann P, Schmidt C, Fraser N, Rühs S, Sanchez-Franks A, Martin T, Oltmanns M, Johnson C, Rath W, Holliday NP, Biastoch A, Cunningham SA, Yashayaev I (2022) Exceptional freshening and cooling in the eastern subpolar North Atlantic caused by reduced Labrador Sea surface heat loss. Ocean Sci., 18, 1507–1533, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-1507-2022
2021
Fraser, NJ and Cunningham SA (2021) 120 years of AMOC variability reconstructed from observations using the Bernoulli inverse. Geophysical Research Letters (accepted).
Li F, Lozier MS, Bacon S, Bower AS, Cunningham SA, de Jong MF, deYoung B, Fraser NJ, Fried N, Han G, Holliday NP, Holte J, Houpert L, Inall ME, Johns WE, Jones S, Johnson C, Karstensen J, Le Bras IA, Lherminier P, Lin X, Mercier H, Oltmanns M, Pacini A, Petit T, Rickart RS, Rayner D, Straneo F, Thierry V, Visbeck M, Yashayaev I & Zhou-Show C (2021) Subpolar North Atlantic western boundary desity anomalies and the Meridional Overturning Circulation. Nature Communications 12: 3002 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23350-2
2020
Houpert L, Cunningham S, Fraser NJ, Johnson CL, Holliday NP, Jones S, Moat B and Rayner D (2020) Observed variability of the North Atlantic Current in the Rockall Trough from four years of mooring measurements. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 125 (10): e2020JC016403 https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JC016403
Huthnance, J, Inall, ME and Fraser, NJ. (2020) Oceanic density/pressure gradients and slope currents. Journal of Physical Oceanography 50 (6): 1643–1654 https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-19-0134.1
Skogseth, R, Olivier, L, Nilsen, F, Falck, E, Fraser, NJ, Tverberg, V, Ledang, AB, Vader, A, Jonassen, MO, Søreide, JE, Cottier, F, Berge, J, Ivanov, B and Falk-Petersen, S. (2020) Variability and decadal trends in the Isfjorden (Svalbard) ocean climate and circulation - an indicator for climate change in the European Arctic. Progress in Oceanography
2018
Fraser, NJ, Inall, ME, Jones, SC, Magaldi, MG and Haine, TWN. Wintertime fjord-shelf interaction in Kangerdlugssuaq Fjord, Southeast Greenland. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 123 (12) https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JC014435
Fraser, NJ, Skogseth, R, Nilsen, N and Inall, ME (2018) Circulation and exchange in a broad Arctic fjord using glider based observations. Polar Research, 37 (1) https://doi.org/10.1080/17518369.2018.1485417
Fraser, NJ and Inall ME (2018) Influence of barrier wind forcing on heat delivery towards the Greenland Ice Sheet. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 123 (4) https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JC013464
BSc (Hons) Marine Science
Module leader: BSc Marine Science - 'Introduction to Maths and Data Science'
Lecturer: BSc Marine Science - 'Advanced Mathematics and Programming'
Former Module leader: BSc Marine Science - 'Fundamentals of Marine Physics'
Current Reserch Sudents
Milo Bischof - PhD - University of Edinburgh
Sam Diabate - PhD - Maynooth University
Alumni Reseach Students
Arthur Kidner - BSc - UHI
Leanne Munro - BSc - UHI
Hector Stokes - BSc - UHI
Awards
Neil MacDougall Bursary for Practical Oceanography. SAMS 2012
Employment history
Since 2021: Senior Postdoctoral Research Associate. SAMS
Jan 2018 -2021: Postdoctoral Research Associate. SAMS
Summer 2011 and 2012: Summer Intern. SAMS
Education
2018 PhD 'Mechanisms for Wintertime Fjord / Shelf Heat Exchange in Greenland and Svalbard'. University of Edinburgh / SAMS
2013: MPhys Mathematical Physics. University of Edinburgh