Megan Bickle

Background

I studied Maths and Physics at Manchester. I really enjoyed the fluid mechanics courses I was able to take after I finished I worked as an IT consultant before I decided to come back to academia. For the MSc project of the CDT I researched the resulting gravity current of impinging downdraughts.

Research Interests

My PhD is concerned with the interaction of environmental wind-shear and deep moist convection in the tropics, particularly focused on squall lines in the West African monsoon. In order to explore how wind-shear controls deep moist convection I am running idealised simulations using the CM1 model (developed by George Bryan, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Colorado, USA) with an initial profile based on observations from the African Monsoon and Multidisciplinary Analyses field campaign. My work to date has concentrated on how predicted changes in environmental wind shear vs changes in the environmental temperature and humidity profile under climate change could impact squall lines. Changes in the thermodynamic and wind profiles since the 1980s have also been applied to a current profile see the impact on squall lines in idealised simulations.

I am now working on explaining role of shear in the diurnal cycle of deep moist convection in the West African Monsoon.

Why I chose the CDT in Fluid Dynamics

It seemed a great way to both remind myself of and learn skills that would be needed for a PhD. In addition this programme provided opportunities to become specialised in areas that I have not previously had much exposure to. It also appreciated the focus on skills and experiences which were not purely academic.

Awards

Received the ESPRC Recognising Inspirational Scientists and Connector Award