Sarah Gille

Sarah Gille is a Professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) within the University of California San Diego. She holds a joint appointment in the Climate, Atmospheric Science, and Physical Oceanography Department. Her research focuses on Southern Ocean dynamics, satellite oceanography, and air-sea interactions, with particular emphasis on climate change impacts and observational systems. Gille earned her B.S. from Yale University and her Ph.D. from MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program.

Her work integrates satellite remote sensing (e.g., altimetry, scatterometry) with in-situ measurements to study processes like wind-driven ocean circulation, heat transport in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, and submesoscale mixing. Key projects include the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS), Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM), and the Diapycnal and Isopycnal Mixing Experiment in the Southern Ocean (DIMES). She also investigates diurnal ocean variability and the role of small-scale currents in modulating surface waves and climate feedbacks.

Recent publications emphasize the Southern Ocean’s role in global climate, including warming trends, air-sea flux dynamics, and the impacts of ozone depletion. Gille collaborates on initiatives like the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission to advance fine-scale ocean surface topography observations. Her contributions address critical gaps in understanding high-latitude climate systems and improving coupled climate models.