Texas A&M University · Department of Oceanography
Ocean Dynamics from Space
We study how the ocean moves and exchanges heat, mass, and carbon—resolving fine-scale dynamics with satellite observations, in situ data, models, and machine learning.
The lab
Reading the ocean from orbit.
The ocean holds 97% of Earth’s water and stores vast amounts of heat, regulating weather and climate on every timescale. We investigate the dynamics that move mass, heat, and tracers through it—combining SWOT and legacy altimetry with in situ campaigns, high-resolution simulations, and modern machine learning.
Undergraduate researchers are welcome. If you’re curious about satellite oceanography, get in touch.
- Focus
- Ocean finescales
- Satellite data
- >250 TB
- Supported by
- NASA & NAS
What we work on
Research areas
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SWOT
Wide-swath altimetry resolving sea surface height at unprecedented resolution.
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Ocean eddies
Meso- and submesoscale eddies that drive vertical transport of heat and tracers.
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Machine learning
Feature detection, reconstruction, and data assimilation for ocean science.
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Geophysical fluid dynamics
Theory and modeling of instabilities, jets, and energy pathways.
Featured in Nature
SWOT unveils global submesoscale ocean dynamics
Wide-swath satellite altimetry resolves the small-scale flows that shape how the ocean transports heat and carbon—featured on the cover of Nature.
Archer, M., Wang, J., Klein, P. et al. Nature 640, 691–696 (2025).
Updates