Brian Arbic

I am a physical oceanographer. I am primarily interested in the dynamics and energy budgets of oceanic mesoscale eddies (the oceanic equivalent of atmospheric weather systems), the large-scale oceanic general circulation, and tides. I have also studied paleotides, tsunamis, and the decadal variability of subsurface ocean temperatures and salinities. My primary tools are numerical models of the ocean. I use both realistic models, such as the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) being used as a U.S. Navy ocean forecast model, and idealized models. I frequently compare the outputs of such models to oceanic observations, taken with a variety of instruments. Comparison of models and observations helps us to improve our models as well as our ideas about how the ocean works. My research has often been interdisciplinary, involving collaborations with scientists outside of my discipline, such as glaciologists, geodynamicists, and marine geophysicists.