Physical oceanographers seek to understand the physical processes that govern the circulation of the ocean and the coupled atmosphere- ocean system.
PO students obtain a broad background from courses in the physical circulation of the ocean, the nature of wave motion, and geophysical fluid dynamics. Advanced courses reflect theoretical modeling / observational strengths at GSO/URI: air-sea interaction; large-scale ocean circulation; eddies, waves, and instabilities; small-scale mixing and turbulent processes; ocean heat-fluxes and storage; climate change.
Research opportunities exist for students to apply state-of-the-art techniques in: satellite remote sensing; computer modeling of atmosphere and ocean processes; laboratory modeling of geophysical fluid dynamics; observational studies in air-sea interaction, mixing processes, or large-scale circulation --- often using unique instruments developed at GSO/URI. We attempt to engage students in ongoing research as soon as they arrive.
The Physical Oceanography Homepage contains more detailed information about the current activities of this group.
We are seeking graduate applicants with majors in Physics, Engineering, or Mathematics who have studied physics through upper level classical mechanics and electricity & magnetism (ideally including partial differential equations).
Program Requirements
Master of Science: OCG 501, 510, and any two of OCG 605, 610, 613; OCG
695; participation in a
regular ocean research cruise; thesis. Candidates for M.S. degrees
must satisfactorily complete 30 credits (24 course credits and 6
research credits).
Doctor of Philosophy: OCG 501, 510, 605, 613,
695; six credits of OCG 600
level courses (excluding problems and research courses and OCG 695);
any six credits of OCG 500-600 level courses outside of the physical
oceanography discipline; participation in a regular ocean research
cruise; comprehensive examination; dissertation. A Ph.D. qualifying
examination is required of all doctoral students. This requirement is
satisfied by completing, with a grade of B or better, OCG 501, 510,
605 and 613. Ph.D. candidates must satisfactorily complete 72 credits
(42 course credits and 30 research credits).
In consultation with the individual's program committee, the student
elects additional courses from those in the course list and from
offerings of related departments, such as ocean engineering, in other
colleges of the University. Electives serve to strengthen the
student's grasp of oceanography and of the sciences basic to
oceanography, and are a preparation for individual research.
Deficiencies in basic undergraduate science courses must be made up
without graduate credit.
There is no general requirement for proficiency in foreign language,
but the individual student's major professor may require the
demonstration of ability in one or more foreign languages.
Faculty
Peter Cornillon, ocean
engineering, remote sensing oceanography
Kathleen
Donohue, ocean circulation
David
Farmer, acoustical oceanography
Isaac Ginis, structure and
dynamics of the coupled ocean-atmosphere system
Tetsu Hara, surface waves, air-sea
interaction
David L. Hebert, small-scale
mixing processes
Hans Thomas Rossby, ocean
circulation and instrumentation
Lewis Rothstein, geophysical
fluid dynamics, equatorial dynamics
D. Randolph Watts, dynamics and
variability of ocean currents and water masses
Mark Wimbush, turbulence, tides
and waves
Marine Research Scientists
Igor
Belkin, ocean fronts from in situ and sattelite data
Dan Codiga, fluid dynamics and water quality of estuarine and coastal systems
Yiyong Luo, ocean circulation
internal gravity waves
Jae-Hun Park , dynamics of
internal gravity waves
Georgi Sutyrin, theoretical
geophysical dynamics
Vitalii Sheremet, geophysical fluid dynamics
David Ullman, coastal oceanography from remote sensing
