Geography

UF Geography Associate Professor and Meteorologist Dr. Corene Matyas was recently interviewed by The Guardian about the impact of Tropical Cyclone Idai on Mozambique:

Corene Matyas, an associate professor at the University of Florida with expertise in the patterns of cyclonic rainfall, says this is possible but cautions that a complex computer simulation model would be needed to assess exactly how Cyclone Idai impacted the ocean.

“[T]he storm passing over the waters causes mixing and can change salinity levels at different depths,” says Matyas.

“In some cases, the surge of freshwater from rainfall takes more than a week to reach the ocean and impact sea life, and salinity levels can remain altered for several weeks – especially near the surface, as fresh water is less dense than salt water.”