Anouk De Brauwere, PhD-student at the department
of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry of the Vrije
Uiversiteit Brussel, has gained valuable contacts from experts in physical
oceanography, Matthias Tomczak (Flinders University, Adelaide)
and Steve Rintoul (CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research and
the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystem Cooperative Research Centre).
‘The past two year
of my PhD I have been working on a refinement of an oceanographical
method called Optimum MultiParameter analysis (or OMP analysis).
This method serves to evaluate the relative contributions of
mixing water masses to a given study area. We wanted to use
this method to model the mixing along some WOCE sections in
the Southern Ocean (especially the SR3 line between Tasmania
and Antarctica). By comparing these mixing results to real
data it is possible to say whether some quantities behave conservatively
or if alternatively they are probably involved in some production
or consumption process. We wanted to perform this test for
dissolved Barium.
In the months preceding my Australian visit, this work was
written down in two manuscripts submitted to Journal of Geophysical
Research (JGR) and Geophysical Research Letters (GRL). A few
days before my departure I received the review of the JGR manuscript.
The
first person I visited in Australia was Matthias Tomczak at
the Flinders University in Adelaide. He is designer of the
original OMP analysis, hence the most suitable person to discuss
about my methodological work. When I arrived, I discovered that
he had been reviewing my JGR manuscript. So clearly he knew what
I wanted to talk about. And since I had received the review just
a few days before leaving Belgium, I also knew his main concerns.
This enabled a very focused discussion, mainly concentrating
on how to modify the manuscript to make it acceptable for publication.
Although his review had been pretty thorough, he seemed rather
enthusiastic about some of the ideas presented in the text and
helped me see the potentials in a broader perspective. Matthias
Tomczak is retiring now, so I’m happy I got this ultimate
opportunity to meet him.
After Adelaide, I went to Hobart in Tasmania
to visit Steve Rintoul at the CSIRO and the Antarctic Climate
and Ecosystem Cooperative Research Centre. Steve Rintoul is
an expert in Southern Ocean oceanography, and in particular
has been working a lot on the same SR3 section. So he could
confirm the mixing features I computed, which also gave me
some confidence for the revision of the JGR paper. But I did
not only discuss with Steve Rintoul during my stay in Hobart.
I gave an informal seminar presenting my work to the members
of the CSIRO Oceanography department. Researchers specialised
in all kinds of domains participated in the discussion afterwards,
producing some ideas for future research. The atmosphere at
CSIRO was surprisingly open and interactive, which was very
inspiring for me. One of the scientists I discussed with is
Trevor McDougall, who revealed that he was reviewing our GRL
paper! Clearly I was in good company…
Acknowledgements
I’m very grateful to Be-Poles for granting me this travel
scholarship. It allowed me to discover how science is practiced
in other institutions. I was able to discuss with several experts
about my work, thus establishing valuable contacts abroad and
helping me to draw the path of my future research. ‘
