Karen Heywood

Last updated

Karen Heywood
Karen Heywood at sea (cropped).jpg
Born
Karen Joy Heywood
Nationality Britain
Alma mater University of Bristol (BSc)
University of Southampton (PhD)
Awards Georg Wüst Prize (2009)
Scientific career
Fields Physical oceanography [1]
Institutions University of East Anglia
Bangor University
Thesis A Lagrangian study of the diurnal heating of the Upper Ocean  (1986)
Doctoral advisor Neil Wells [2]
Website people.uea.ac.uk/k_heywood

Karen Joy Heywood is a British Antarctic oceanographer and Professor of Physical Oceanography at the University of East Anglia (UEA). [3] She is best known for her work developing autonomous measurements of the Southern Ocean. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Heywood attended the University of Bristol where she was awarded a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Physics[ when? ] followed by a PhD at the University of Southampton where her research investigated the heat budgets of mixed layers [2] and was supervised by Neil Wells  [ Wikidata ].

Career and research

Following her PhD, Heywood was a postdoctoral researcher at Bangor University, working on eddies caused by flow around the Indian Ocean island of Aldabra. [4]

In 1989 Heywood was appointed a lecturer at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in physical oceanography and promoted to professor in 2005, when she became the first female professor of oceanography in the UK. [5] Since then Heywood has trained more than 40 PhD students [6] in a personal mission to increase the number of observational oceanographers in the UK.

During the 1990s Heywood was heavily involved in the World Ocean Circulation Experiment serving as Chief Scientist of the A23 WOCE hydrographic section from Antarctica to Brazil in 1995. This sparked a lasting interest in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean water masses and formation processes, and Heywood has since led several projects in polar regions developing and maintaining a close collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey team.

Heywood has led the field in using autonomous underwater gliders and is currently leading the UEA Seaglider group as well as providing community leadership in observational oceanography and autonomous ocean observing.

She has participated in the following research cruises: [6]

Her work was exhibited at the Royal Society summer science fair in 2013. [7]

Honours and awards

Heywood received the Georg Wüst Prize in 2009 for her work in the southern ocean. [8] She was also awarded the Challenger Medal for 2016 in recognition of her major contribution to physical oceanography both in the UK and worldwide; particularly for her contribution to understanding physical oceanographic processes in the Antarctic, for her work in applying novel techniques to understanding ocean processes and for her wider work in developing UK marine science, particularly within SCOR (Scientific Committee for Oceanographic Research). [4]

The Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) presented its 2015 Oceanography Award to Heywood for her outstanding contribution to the field of oceanography. [9] In particular because she was an early advocate for the use of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) as carriers of sensors and samplers in experiments. Her work has used sea gliders in the Antarctic, including under icebergs. [10]

Heywood was named a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union in 2019 [11] and a Fellow of the Royal Society in May 2021. [12]

In 2020 the Heywood Glacier in Antarctica was named after her. [13] It is located at 72°45’S, 61°45’W. The citation says "Glacier about 18 km long and 3 km wide flowing north from the Wegener Range, Palmer Land, to the west of Heezen Glacier, to join Maury Glacier. Named for Professor Karen Heywood (b. 1961), Professor of Physical Oceanography, University of East Anglia. Leader of six oceanographic research cruises to Antarctica since 1995, including Pine Island Bay, the Weddell Sea and the Scotia Sea and a pioneer of the use of autonomous ocean gliders".

Heywood was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to oceanography. [14]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</span> Private, nonprofit research and education facility

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a private, nonprofit research and higher education facility dedicated to the study of marine science and engineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Oceanography Centre Southampton</span> Centre for research, teaching, and technology development in Ocean and Earth science

The National Oceanography Centre Southampton (NOCS) is a centre for research, teaching, and technology development in Ocean and Earth science. NOCS was created in 1995, jointly between the University of Southampton and the UK Natural Environment Research Council and is located within the port of Southampton at a purpose-built dockside campus with modern facilities. In 2010 the university and NERC components demerged, and the NERC-managed component became the National Oceanography Centre. The two components of NOCS continue close collaboration through the jointly run Graduate School, shared research facilities and laboratories, complementary research groups, and many joint research grants and publications. The university component “Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton” (OES) is part of the Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, (FELS). It was ranked 46th in the world for Earth and Marine Sciences by the QS World University Rankings in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Underwater glider</span> Type of autonomous underwater vehicle

An underwater glider is a type of autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) that employs variable-buoyancy propulsion instead of traditional propellers or thrusters. It employs variable buoyancy in a similar way to a profiling float, but unlike a float, which can move only up and down, an underwater glider is fitted with hydrofoils that allow it to glide forward while descending through the water. At a certain depth, the glider switches to positive buoyancy to climb back up and forward, and the cycle is then repeated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pine Island Glacier</span> Large ice stream, fastest melting glacier in Antarctica

Pine Island Glacier (PIG) is a large ice stream, and the fastest melting glacier in Antarctica, responsible for about 25% of Antarctica's ice loss. The glacier ice streams flow west-northwest along the south side of the Hudson Mountains into Pine Island Bay, Amundsen Sea, Antarctica. It was mapped by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) from surveys and United States Navy (USN) air photos, 1960–66, and named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) in association with Pine Island Bay.

The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is a marine science research and technology institution based across two sites, one in Southampton and one in Liverpool, England. It is the UK’s largest institution for integrated sea level science, coastal and deep ocean research and technology development. The Centre was established to promote co-operation with institutions across the UK marine science community, to better address key issues including sea level change, the ocean's role in climate change, computer simulation of the ocean's behaviour, and the long term monitoring and future of the Arctic Circle.

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is the United Kingdom's national polar research institute. It has a dual purpose, to conduct polar science, enabling better understanding of global issues, and to provide an active presence in the Antarctic on behalf of the UK. It is part of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). With over 400 staff, BAS takes an active role in Antarctic affairs, operating five research stations, one ship and five aircraft in both polar regions, as well as addressing key global and regional issues. This involves joint research projects with over 40 UK universities and more than 120 national and international collaborations.

The Centre for Polar Observation & Modelling (CPOM) is a Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Centre of Excellence that studies processes in the Earth's polar environments. CPOM conducts research on sea ice, land ice, and ice sheets using satellite observations and numerical models.

The Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) is an international learned society for marine science and technology with headquarters in London, England that was founded in 1966. There are branches in Aberdeen (Scotland), Houston (USA), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Newcastle (England), Perth (Australia), London (England), Melbourne (Australia), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Singapore, Norway (Bergen), China (Beijing) West Africa (Nigeria), the Middle East (UAE) and new branches in early stages of development in St John's Newfoundland & the Eastern Mediterranean to be based in Cyprus. Membership is open to individuals, companies, and institutions with a genuine interest in the broad field of underwater technology. SUT is registered as a charity in the UK, other branches are constituted as charities or 'not-for-profits' as per local legislation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Circumpolar deep water</span> Water mass in the Pacific and Indian oceans formed by mixing of other water masses in the region

Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) is a designation given to the water mass in the Pacific and Indian oceans that is a mixing of other water masses in the region. It is characteristically warmer and saltier than the surrounding water masses, causing CDW to contribute to the melting of ice shelves in the Antarctic region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corinne Le Quéré</span> French-Canadian climatologist (born 1966)

Marie Corinne Lyne Le Quéré is a Canadian scientist. She is Royal Society Research Professor of Climate Change Science at the University of East Anglia and former Director of Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. She is the chair of the French High Council on Climate and member of the UK Climate Change Committee. Her research focuses on the interactions between the carbon cycle and climate change.

RRS <i>Discovery</i> (2012) Royal Research Ship operated by the Natural Environment Research Council

RRS Discovery is a Royal Research Ship operated by the Natural Environment Research Council. The ship is the third such vessel to be built and named for the ship used by Robert Falcon Scott in his 1901-1904 expedition to the Antarctic.

<i>Boaty McBoatface</i> British autonomous underwater vehicle

Boaty McBoatface is the British lead boat in a fleet of three robotic lithium battery–powered autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) of the Autosub Long Range (ALR) class. Launched in 2017 and carried on board the polar scientific research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough, she is a focal point of the Polar Explorer Programme of the UK Government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In-Young Ahn</span> South Korean scientist

In-Young Ahn is a South Korean scientist. She is known for being the first South Korean woman to visit Antarctica and the first Asian woman to become an Antarctic station leader. She is a benthic ecologist and is currently working as a principal research scientist for the Korea Polar Research Institute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irene Schloss</span> Argentine antarctic researcher

Irene R. Schloss is an Antarctic researcher, best known for her work on plankton biology. She is a researcher at the Argentine Antarctic Institute and was a correspondent researcher of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina until July 2017. She became an independent researcher since August 2017 and an associate professor at the University of Quebec.

Kelly Kenison Falkner is an American chemical oceanographer, educator and public servant. She served as the Director of the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Office of Polar Programs (OPP). Her work in the position led her NSF colleagues to name the Falkner Glacier, in Victoria Land, Antarctica, after her.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amelia E. Shevenell</span> American marine geologist

Amelia E. Shevenell is an American marine geologist who specializes in high-latitude paleoclimatology and paleoceanography. She is currently a Professor in the College of Marine Science at the University of South Florida. She has made notable contributions to understanding the history of the Antarctic ice sheets and published in high-impact journals and, as a result, was awarded full membership of Sigma Xi. She has a long record of participation in international ocean drilling programs and has served in leadership positions of these organizations. Shevenell served as the elected Geological Oceanography Council Member for The Oceanography Society (2019-2021).

Anne Haour is an anthropologically trained archaeologist, academic and Africanist scholar. She is Professor in the Arts and Archaeology of Africa at the Sainsbury Research Unit for the Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom. She is a Fellow of the British Academy in Anthropology, Archaeology and Geography in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the social sciences, humanities and arts.

Mary Jane Perry is an American oceanographer known for the use of optics to study marine phytoplankton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert L. Dale</span> American pilot (1924–2020)

Robert Dale, known as Bob Dale, was an American aircraft pilot for the United States Navy from 1942 to 1966; and a pilot for the National Science Foundation from 1967 to 1975. For his efforts as a pilot in Antarctica as Lieutenant Commander, USN, and part of the Antarctic Operation Deep Freeze (1959–1960), Dale Glacier was named after him by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) in 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine Walker (US scientist)</span> American Earth and planetary scientist

Catherine Walker is an American Earth and planetary scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where she is on the scientific staff in the Department of Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering. Her research spans fracture mechanics and dynamics in ice, cryosphere change, physical oceanography, and geomorphology on Earth and other planets and moons using a variety of methodologies including remote sensing.

References

  1. 1 2 Karen Heywood publications indexed by Google Scholar OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. 1 2 Thomas, Karen Joy Heywood (1986). A Lagrangian study of the diurnal heating of the Upper Ocean. Soton.ac.uk (PhD thesis). University of Southampton. OCLC   499833386. EThOS   uk.bl.ethos.376187. Lock-green.svg
  3. "Karen Heywood - Research Database, The University of East Anglia". people.uea.ac.uk. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Prof. Karen Heywood - University of Liverpool". Liverpool.ac.uk. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  5. Anon. "Women in Oceanography: A Decade Later" (PDF). Tos.org. The Oceanography Society.
  6. 1 2 "Karen Heywood - Research Database, The University of East Anglia". People.uea.ac.uk. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  7. Anon (2013). "Salty ocean". Royalsociety.org. London: Royal Society. Archived from the original on 18 October 2017.
  8. Wolff, J.O., 2009. Heywood received the 2009 Georg Wüst Prize. Ocean Dynamics 59, 429–431 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-009-0200-y
  9. "SUT Award Winners | SUT | Society for Underwater Technology".
  10. "Subsea compression innovator presented with President's Award by SUT". Sut.org. Society for Underwater Technology. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  11. Bell, Robin; Holmes, Mary (2019). "2019 Class of AGU Fellows Announced". Eos. 100. doi: 10.1029/2019eo131029 . Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  12. "Royal Society elects outstanding new Fellows and Foreign Members". The Royal Society. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  13. "Latest News · Antarctic Place-names Committee".
  14. "No. 63714". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 2022. p. B13.