Physical Oceanography

The Physical Oceanography Division is comprised of scientists, engineers, and technical support staff that aid NOAA’s mission by observing and studying ocean and climate dynamics, the physical drivers of ecosystem variability, and the impacts of natural and anthropogenic activities on marine resources. We study how ocean changes affect climate, marine ecosystems, and coastal and inland communities. We also share and build on the current state of knowledge by maintaining valuable, long-term datasets of changes over time.

Research Themes

Global Ocean Observing System

AOML works with partners around the world to develop and maintain key components of these systems of observing technologies, known collectively as the Global Ocean Observing System. The resulting observations have been shown to improve weather forecasts and advance our knowledge of climate fluctuations.

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Meridional Overturning Circulation

The overturning circulation is one of the primary ways that the oceans move heat, salt, carbon and nutrients throughout the global oceans. Changes in the AMOC over time have a pronounced impact on a variety of socially important weather and climate phenomena, on the blue economy, and on commerce. AOML scientists have shown that these changes predict precipitation changes around the world.

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Ocean Observations for the Blue Economy

AOML scientists have developed several tools and reporting systems in conjunction with our partners to reduce ship strikes for endangered right whales, track larval distributions for better stock assessments, and provide information to track bluefin tuna fisheries.

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The Ocean and Extreme Weather

Scientists at AOML are working to extend the forecast for extreme weather events (such as heatwaves, tornadoes, and hurricanes). Improved forecasts serve to provide emergency managers, government officials, businesses, and the public with better advanced warning to minimize catastrophic loss of life and damage to critical infrastructure.

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Featured Projects

More Research Projects

Saildrone

A close up of a white and orange PIES mooring being tested with an acoustic transducer on the side.

South Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (SAMOC)

A white PIES lowered into the ocean off the side of a ship.

Southwest Meridional Overturning Circulation (SAM)

Featured Projects

Half of a yellow underwater glider pops out of the ocean after deployment.

Hurricane Gliders

Global Drifter Program

PIRATA

Two men outstretched over the side of the ship in orange life jackets and long sleeve orsnge tee shirts throw a human-sized yellow instrument with a block rod at the top filled with sensors into the whitewater and the ocean filling the picture

Argo

Western Boundary Time Series

Tropical Atlantic Variability

More PHOD Research Projects

Tropical Atlantic Variability

South Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

Southwest Atlantic MOC

Saildrone

Featured Projects

Hurricane Gliders

Featured Publications

An open book and orange, pink, blue and green icons of science coming out of the book

Aristizábal Vargas, M.F., H.-S. Kim, M. Le Henaff, T. Miles, S. Glenn, and G. Goni, 2024: Evaluation of the ocean component on different coupled hurricane forecasting models using upper-ocean metrics relevant to air-sea heat fluxes during Hurricane Dorian (2019). Frontiers in Marine Science, 12:1342390.

Bilo, T., R.C. Perez, S. Dong, W. Johns, and T. Kanzow. Weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation abyssal limb in the North Atlantic. Nature Geoscience.

Campos, E.J.D., C.B. Rocha, M. Goes, S. Dong, H. Lopez, and G.J. Goni, 2024: A deep learning approach to estimate ocean salinity with data sampled with expendable bathythermographs. Applied Ocean Research, 148:103997.

Pita, I., M. Goes, D.L. Volkov, S. Dong, G. Goni, and M. Cirano, 2024: An Argo and XBT observing system for the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and meridional heat transport (AXMOC) at 22.5°S. Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans, 129(1):e2023JC020010.

Looking for more scientific literature? Visit our Publication Database.

Recent News

The R/V Thomas Thompson at the dock in Fremantle, Australia benath the night sky with the glimmer of the moonlight trickling from above and the yellow lights of the ship beaming like stars stolen from the darkness above

May 2, 2024

Floating ice, freezing temperatures: Four facts about the I08S GO-SHIP cruise to Antarctica

Floating ice, freezing temperatures: Four facts about the I08S GO-SHIP cruise to Antarctica

Floating ice, freezing temperatures, and streaks of lights in the night sky. The I08S GO-SHIP cruise successfully concluded on April 1st.

April 18, 2024

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is weakening in the deep sea of the North Atlantic Ocean, study finds

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is weakening in the deep sea of the North Atlantic Ocean, study finds

Just in! A new study, which analyzed mooring observations and hydrographic data, found the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) abyssal limb in the North Atlantic has weakened over the past two decades contributing to sea level rise in the region.

Two NOAA scientists deploy a large CTD into the ocean.

February 13, 2024

From Mississippi to Australia: 3 Research Cruises Depart to Improve Understanding of the Atlantic and Southern Ocean

From Mississippi to Australia: 3 Research Cruises Depart to Improve Understanding of the Atlantic and Southern Ocean

Scientists at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) are gearing up for a busy season at sea with three research cruises departing in the month of February. The A13.5 Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO-SHIP) cruise, the I08S GO-SHIP cruise, and the Prediction and Research Moored Array in the Tropical Atlantic (PIRATA) Northeast Extension cruise will all depart in February to collect samples from the surface to the depths of the ocean and improve our understanding of ocean circulation, carbon uptake, biological conditions, and climate variability.

Project Highlight

Saildrone

For the third year, NOAA and Saildrone Inc. will deploy Saildrones, uncrewed surface ocean observation platforms powered by solar, wind and wave energy, to track Atlantic hurricanes. These robots provide information about the ocean and atmosphere, including sea surface temperature, salinity, surface air temperature, humidity, pressure, wind direction and speed, and wave height. Twelve saildrones, more than ever before, will be on patrol this summer in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, with several providing collocated observations alongside underwater gliders.

To learn more about the partnership between Saildrone Inc. and NOAA, click the button below.

Saildrone StoryMap

Saildrone_St-Lucia — A saildrone is ready for deployment in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands for the 2023 hurricane season. Photo Credit: NOAA AOML

products

Physical Oceanography Products

NOAA Wave Ensemble Reforecast A unique 20-year global wave reforecast has been released.

As part of a funded climate project to extend marine hazard information to week two and beyond, with a focus on oceanic waves, the principal investigator, Dr. Ricardo Martins Campos, has concluded a 20-year wave reforecast using GEFSv12 wind forcings. The reforecast information, along with a more detailed description, is available at the web sites below. We are happy to have generated a long wave reforecast dataset by joining the efforts of multiple centers, including OPC, EMC, CPC, and AOML/CIMAS.

https://registry.opendata.aws/noaa-wave-ensemble-reforecast/

https://noaa-nws-gefswaves-reforecast-pds.s3.amazonaws.com/index.html

Sargassum Inundation Reports Assesses the risk of Sargassum coastal inundation in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico regions

Since 2011, large accumulations of Sargassum is a recurrent problem in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and tropical Atlantic Ocean. These events can cause significant economic, environmental and public health harm. AOML developed experimental Sargassum Inundation Reports (SIR) to provide an overview of the risk of Sargassum coastal inundation in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico regions. SIR is the result of the collaboration between the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (NOAA/AOML), NOAA/CoastWatch/OceanWatch, and USF. To view the reports, click here.

For anyone who would like to contribute with a report of Sargassum sighting, please go to this page.

Ocean Observations Viewer Providing real-time ocean observations with in-situ sampling

In situ and satellite observations, and some derived products to assess ocean and atmosphere conditions prior, during, or after tropical cyclones. To visit the Ocean Observations viewer, click here.

Physical Oceanography Data

Data from buoys, satellites, and instruments on the sea floor can be accessed on our Data page or by clicking the links below.

Argo Data: Broad-scale global array of temperature and salinity profiling floats.

Satellite Data: Sea height anomaly, sea surface and water column temperature, and surface currents.

Global Drifter Data: Global surface currents, drifter-derived climatology, and seasonal current animations.

State of the Observing System Data: The State of the Ocean Observing System is our evaluation of how well essential ocean and climate variables are being measured.

XBT Data: Temperature, structure, and time-dependent ocean properties of the Atlantic Subtropical Gyre.

Florida Current Transport Time Series: Submerged cables provide voltage differential to measure daily transport

Science Seminars

The Physical Oceanography Division at AOML hosts seminars to share its latest work and strengthen collaborations for an Earth Systems approach to research. Watch seminars from previous years on Youtube.

Upcoming Seminars

There are no upcoming seminars at this time.

Contact

Rick Lumpkin

Director, Physical Oceanography Division

| Rick Lumpkin, Ph.D.

Director, Physical Oceanography Division

Renellys Perez

Deputy Director, Physical Oceanography Division

| Renellys Perez, Ph. D.

Deputy Director, Physical Oceanography Division

See the Divisional Directory