Newcastle University

Research Interests

1. Understanding large scale ocean dynamics using measurements of sea level, bottom pressure and gravity.

2. The dynamics of the North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation.

3. Quantifying sea level rise.

4. The geodetic determination of the ocean's mean circulation, including optimal filtering strategies.

5. Ocean mixing and the relationship between the physics, chemistry and biology of the ocean.

Current Work

The development of a gravitationally self-consistent framework for the measurement and interpretation of sea level change. As one step towards this, presently I am working with data from the Argo array of profiling floats in order to determine the steric component of sea level variability due to changes in ocean density. As the Earth warms over the coming century this component is expected to make a significant contribution to the rise in global mean sea level. However, the vastness of the ocean means the accurate determination of steric sea level is hampered by a paucity of suitable observations. Therefore, my current focus is on understanding how to limit the effect of under-sampling on the measurement of steric sea level variability.

• Hughes CW, Tamisiea ME, Bingham RJ, Williams J. Weighing the ocean: Using a single mooring to measure changes in the mass of the ocean. Geophysical Research Letters 2012, 39, L17602.
• Bingham RJ, Hughes CW. Local diagnostics to estimate density-induced sea level variations over topography and along coastlines. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 2012, 117, C01013.
• Knudsen P, Bingham R, Andersen O, Rio MH. A global mean dynamic topography and ocean circulation estimation using a preliminary GOCE gravity model. Journal of Geodesy 2011, 85(11), 861-879.
• Bingham RJ, Knudsen P, Andersen O, Pail R. An initial estimate of the North Atlantic steady-state geostrophic circulation from GOCE. Geophysical Research Letters 2011, 38(1), L01606.
• Bingham RJ. Nonlinear anisotropic diffusive filtering applied to the ocean's mean dynamic topography. Remote Sensing Letters 2010, 1(4), 205-212.
• Bingham RJ, Hughes CW. Geostrophic dynamics of meridional transport variability in the subpolar North Atlantic. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 2009, 114(C12), C12029.
• Bingham RJ, Hughes CW. Signature of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation in sea level along the east coast of North America. Geophysical Research Letters 2009, 36, L02603.
• Bingham RJ, Haines K, Hughes CW. Calculating the Ocean's Mean Dynamic Topography from a Mean Sea Surface and a Geoid. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 2008, 25(10), 1808-1822.
• Hughes CW, Bingham RJ. An Oceanographer's Guide to GOCE and the Geoid. Ocean Science 2008, 4(1), 15-29.
• Bingham RJ, Hughes CW. Determining North Atlantic meridional transport variability from pressure on the western boundary: A model investigation. Journal of Geophysical Research 2008, 113, C09008.
• Bingham RJ, Hughes CW. The relationship between sea-level and bottom pressure variability in an eddy permitting ocean model. Geophysical Research Letters 2008, 35, L03602.
• Roussenov VM, Williams RG, Hughes CW, Bingham RJ. Boundary wave communication of bottom pressure and overturning changes for the North Atlantic. Journal of Geophysical Research 2008, 113(c8), C08042.
• Bingham RJ, Hughes CW, Roussenov V, Williams RG. Meridional coherence of the North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. Geophysical Research Letters 2007, 34, L23606.
• Bingham RJ. Causing a stir. Planet Earth 2007, (Winter), 30-31.
• Dewar WK, Bingham RJ, Iverson RL, Nowacek DP, St. Laurent LC, Wiebe PH. Does the marine biosphere mix the ocean?. Journal of Marine Research 2006, 64(4), 541-561.
• Bingham RJ, Hughes CW. Observing seasonal bottom pressure variability in the North Pacific with GRACE. Geophysical Research Letters 2006, 33, L08607.
• Bingham RJ, Haines K. Mean dynamic topography: intercomparisons and errors. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 2006, 364(1841), 903-916.
• Bingham RJ, Haines K. Decadal Ocean Bottom Pressure Variability and its Associated Gravitational Effects in a Coupled Ocean- Atmosphere Model. In: Gravity, Geoid and Space Missions. 2005, Porto, Portugal: Springer: Berlin Heidelberg.
• Haines K, Hipkin R, Beggan C, Bingley R, Hernandez F, Holt J, Baker T, Bingham RJ. Combined Use of Altimetry and In Situ Gravity Data for Coastal Dynamics Studies. Space Science Reviews 2003, 108(1-2), 205-216.
• King MA, Bingham RJ, Moore P, Whitehouse PL, Bentley MJ, Milne GA. Lower satellite-gravimetry estimates of Antarctic sea-level contribution. Nature 2012, 491(7425), 586-589.