GSO seismologists advanced the science of detecting and analyzing pressure waves caused by earthquakes, landslides, and nuclear explosions through development of a novel modeling approach called full-wave seismic analysis. This method extracts much more information from these phenomena than captured by older, standard ray-tracing methods. GSO’s high-powered computer clusters allow detection of small seismic events […]
Continue reading "Oceanographic Analysis, Assays, and Techniques"Tag: Physical Oceanography
Climate Change
The effects of climate change now and in the future is the subject of several physical oceanography studies at GSO. By documenting temporal variations of ocean fronts (observed gradients in sea surface temperatures using satellite sensors) and the large-scale current velocities (Gulf Stream speed using current profilers), GSO scientists are able to observe any change […]
Continue reading "Climate Change"Hurricanes and Tsunamis
Tropical cyclones (hurricanes) routinely invading our shores are of great concern to residents who live in coastal regions. Mathematical models incorporating ocean data along with atmospheric data developed by GSO scientists improve the reliability and accuracy of the hurricane prediction models used by NOAA’s National Hurricane Center and the Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center. These […]
Continue reading "Hurricanes and Tsunamis"Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions
The atmosphere is primarily comprised of nitrogen and oxygen. Understanding the remaining compounds and gasses, including greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, is critical for addressing air quality concerns. GSO atmospheric chemists utilize airplane-based sensors to measure these minor components as key inputs to transport models defining the residence time (length of time […]
Continue reading "Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions"Ocean Currents
Fronts visible on the ocean’s surface exhibit a strong gradient in sea surface temperature (SST), visible in satellite SST data and chlorophyll-a distribution, allow scientists to study their effects on the global ocean. As a result, large currents such as the Gulf Stream are well characterized and imaged for a better understanding of north-south global […]
Continue reading "Ocean Currents"Microbial and Planktonic Diversity
GSO scientists characterize the genetic diversity and distribution of planktonic populations globally over time, space, and in different marine ecosystems. This provides an understanding of basic processes of speciation, selection, and adaption, and how plankton respond to their environments. Examining physical influences on phytoplankton form and function shows how small-scale turbulence affects cell and colony […]
Continue reading "Microbial and Planktonic Diversity"From Data Collection to Modeling
Modeling of fish populations and their trophic interactions is an essential element for defining targets for sustainable fisheries, and estimating benefits of rebuilding stocks. The effects of seasonal migrations of interacting fish species and population feeding habits are modeled by GSO fisheries biologists to better explore the consequences of different harvest strategies and changes in […]
Continue reading "From Data Collection to Modeling"