Physical oceanography uses the laws of physics to study the structure and dynamics of ocean circulation and water properties, water mass formation, waves, tides, turbulence, and other physical phenomena. We study diverse systems such as hydrothermal vent plumes, estuaries, and the Gulf Stream and use a combination of traditional and novel observational techniques together with mathematical and computer modeling. A better understanding of the physics of the oceans is important for many interdisciplinary problems such as investigating the factors affecting the global carbon cycle, the ocean’s ecosystems, the dynamics of fish populations, and larval transport.
