Research in Physical Oceanography

High latitude (Arctic and Antarctic) and low latitude (equatorial) ocean dynamics are a major focus for the Physical Oceanography group who's overarching goal is the study of the ocean's role in the global climate system. A number of the faculty have active research programs in the Arctic and North Atlantic regions, including studies of such phenomena as the North Atlantic Oscillation, ocean-atmosphere interaction, and the dynamics of sea ice. Other faculty specialize in low-latitude problems, including tropical Atlantic variability and the forecasting of the El Nino climate oscillation. These efforts, especially El Nino, led to the creation of Columbia University's NOAA-funded International Research Institute for Climate Prediction (IRI), a large group focussed on improving seasonal climate forecasts and studying climate impacts on society, based at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, that continues to collaborate closely with the faculty. Other areas of faculty research include Southern Ocean and global observational oceanography, global and regional ocean dynamics and coastal oceanography. Recent years have seen an increase in research in human impact (e.g. Epidemiology, hydro-energy generation, agricultural) and in ties with atmospheric scientists at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies studying air-sea interactions and global climate change.