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Physical Oceanography

Description

mapThe Physical Oceanography Program supports research on a wide range of topics associated with the structure and movement of the ocean, with the way in which it transports various quantities, with the way the ocean's physical structure interacts with the biological and chemical processes within it, and with interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere, solid earth and ice that surround it.

The Physical Oceanography Program regularly reviews proposals jointly with Marine Geology and Geophysics Program (Sediment transport processes); Biological Oceanography (Physical mechanisms controlling recruitment and euphotic zone mixing and productivity); Chemical Oceanography (Radioactive tracers, oceanic carbon cycling, air-sea physical/chemical exchange); Oceanographic Technology (New instrumentation to study physical processes in the ocean); Atmospheric Sciences (Ocean-atmosphere interaction on a variety of scales); Mathematical Sciences (Development of numerical models and modeling techniques for oceanography, statistical analysis tools).

Targeted programs are usually supported for a definite time period, and address large-scale, possibly interdisciplinary, problems that require broader resources than are normally available through the regular review process.

Physical Oceanography Related Programs: The research topics supported by the Program include, but are not limited to:
  • Oceanic circulation transport of heat, momentum, fresh-water and dissolved chemical constituents
  • Mixing processes such as double diffusion, convection, and turbulence
  • The ocean's role in climate
  • Barotropic and baroclinic tides
  • Surface and internal waves
  • The dynamics of the coastal zone including estuarine processes
  • Small-scale transport processes such as diffusion and conduction
  • Physical properties of seawater
Physical oceanography research problems are tackled by combining a variety of approaches including:
  • Field experiments
  • Analysis of field and historical data
  • Numerical modeling
  • Laboratory studies
  • Analytic and theoretical modeling
Regions of interest range from the deep ocean, to the continental slope, the continental shelf, the surf zone, estuaries, and the Great Lakes. Boundary processes such as air-sea interaction, benthic circulation processes, and the influence of topography are also considered.

Target Dates and Deadlines

Target dates for proposal submission are 15 February and 15 August.

Program Contact(s)

Eric Itsweire
Program Director
Phone: 703.292.8582
Fax: 703.292.9085
Email: eitsweir@nsf.gov

Pierre Flament
Associate Program Director
Phone: 703.292.8582
Fax: 703.292.9085
Email: pflament@nsf.gov

B. Mete Uz
Associate Program Director
Phone: 703.292.8582
Fax: 703.292.9085
Email: buz@nsf.gov

Emilie Flemer
Science Assistant
Phone: 703.292.8582
Fax: 703.292.9085
Email: eflemer@nsf.gov

Jeannie Belsches
Program Assistant
Phone: 703.292.7576
Fax: 703.292.9085
Email: jbelsche@nsf.gov





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Tel: 703.292.8580 | FAX: 703.292.9085

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