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Physical Oceanography

Research

Physical Oceanography is the study of the dynamical flows and evolving properties of ocean water. At UNCW, we use satellite observations and measurements within the water column combined with numerical models to better understand the processes that drive ocean variability from local to global scales.

Research in Action

Wrightsville Beach inlet Complex Adaptive Systems The Complex Adaptive Systems Lab (CASL) at UNCW uses tools developed in the study of nonlinear dynamical systems to investigate ocean and coastal systems that are heavily impacted by human actions. Learn More
Outer Banks coastline of North Carolina Ocean Salinity & Global Freshwater Cycles Climate change is impacting the upper ocean, not just by raising the temperature, but by changing the salinity. Changing ocean salinity is indicative of a shifting of the global movement of fresh water and patterns of rainfall and evaporation. Dive In
Aerial view of Masonboro Island Coastal & Estuarine Hydrodynamics Coastal and Estuarine systems are society’s gateway to the ocean. At UNCW, we are interested in the physical processes operating in coastal and estuarine regions, including the Great Lakes, their impact on ecosystems, and how they might adjust in a changing climate. Explore

More Research

Coastal & Estuarine Hydrodynamics 

Physical Oceanography Research

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Come aboard our research vessel in the Arctic, as UNCW researchers study the effects of melting ice ion the ecosystem.

Contact Us

Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography

Phone: (910) 962-3462
Fax: (910) 962-7014

DeLoach Hall 210
601 S. College Road
Wilmington, NC 28403