Department
of OceanographyAssistant researcher in Physical Oceanography
My adviser is Mark Merrifield
My PhD thesis focused on the mixing induced by the ocean tides near the hawaiian ridge (html) (pdf).
As part of my work as a research assistant for the UH, I'm working on maintaining coastal waverider buoys around O'ahu, and I'm interested on improving the reporting and forecasting of waves conditions around the Hawaiian Islands with the help of nearshore numerical wave models.
More details about my professional life can be found here.
My initial interest
was ( and somewhat still is) the evolution of surface gravity waves.
I have not published anything, but wrote some draft papers (none of
this has been submitted, nor are ready to be, they are just here for
curiosity purposes) :
-Original
research plan : Wave transformation and wave-driven circulation in
Kailua Bay and Waimea Bay.
-Infragravity
: A little review of past research and some results from data we
collected around Hawaii
-Some results on wave propagation
and dissipation over the reef in Kailua Bay.
-J. Aucan and M. Merrifield : Boundary mixing associated with tidal and near-inertial internal waves, Journal of Physical Oceanography 2007, In Press.
-Becker J. M., Y. L. Firing, J. Aucan, R. Holman, and M. Merrifield : Video-based Observations of Nearshore Sand Ripples and Ripple Migration, JGR 112, 2007
-Caldwell P.C. and J. Aucan, 2007. An Empirical Method for Estimating Surf Heights from Deep Water Significant Wave Heights and Peak Periods in Coastal Zones with Narrow Shelves, Steep Bottom Slopes, and High Refraction. Journal of Coastal Research, 23(5)
-J. Aucan, D. Fee, and M. Garces : Infrasonic Estimation of surf Period, Geophysical Research Letters, 2006. (pdf file)
-M. Garces, J. Aucan, D. Fee, P. Caron, M. Merrifield, R. Gibson, J. Bhattacharyya, and S. Shah : Infrasound from large surf, Geophysical Research Letters, 2006. (pdf file)
-J. Aucan, Merrifield, M.; Luther, D. and P. Flament. : Tidal mixing events along the deep flanks of Kaena ridge, Hawaii. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 36, p.1202-1219, 2006.(pdf file)
-Garces M., Fee D., Carron P., Hetzer C., Aucan J. , Merrifield M., Gibson R. and J. Bhattacharryya : Multi parameter studies of surf infrasound, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, April 2005, Vol 117, p. 2452
-Milton Garcés, C. Hetzer, M. Merrifield, M. Willis and J. Aucan : Observation of surf infrasound in Hawai'i. Geophysical Research Letters, 2003. (pdf file)
-J. Aucan, P. V. Ridd : Tidal asymmetry in creeks surrounded by saltflats and mangroves with small swamp slopes. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 2000 (pdf file)
-J.
Aucan, M.
Merrifield and D. Luther :Mixing along deep boundaries at the Kaena
Ridge. Ocean Sciences meeting, Honolulu 2006.
-J.
Aucan, M.
Merrifield and D. Luther : Tidal mixing events on the deep flanks of
Kaena Ridge, Hawaii. Dynamic Planet 2005, Cairns Australia.
-J.
Aucan : Effect of
along-shore tidal currents on waves around an the island of O'ahu,
Hawaii, 8th international workshop on wave hindcasting and
forecasting, 2004, Oahu, Hawaii.
-J.
Aucan, M.
Merrifield and D. Luther : The bottom boundary layer over the flanks
of the Hawaiian ridge. European Geosciences Union General Assembly,
Nice, France 2004. (abstract's pdf)
-A french TV crew came to
Hawaií to do a subject on wave forecasting in Hawaii :
(Realplayer video).
-I also have
a big interest in teaching , and I occasionally volunteer for
teaching high
schools classes as a guest lecturer. This presentation was about
surface waves in the ocean, surfing waves, tsunamis and tides.
-I
wrote or collaborated for Freesurf
Magazine (a local surf publication) on local
buoys, offshore buoys, infrasound,
wave models and climate, and tidal
bores)
-Buoy
deployment, Waimea Bay 2004
-Buoy
deployment, Waimea Bay 2005
-Buoy
deployment, Waimea Bay 2007
-Surf
Infrasound experiment, Big Island
-Nov. 21
2003, Huge surf from the NE
-Mooring
Deployment cruise, HOME nearfield, R/V Wecoma, summer 2002
-Instruments deployments in Guam, PILOT
project