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Research Subjects

・Ocean-atmosphere fluxes of momentum, heat and freshwater, and their variability
・Formation, subduction, mixing and dissipation of major surface water masses
・Elucidation of characteristics of variation in North Pacific subtropical gyre
・Mesoscale/submesoscale ocean processes and their effects on ocean currents,atmosphere-ocean fluxes and water mass processes
・Effects of upper ocean physical processes on material cycle and biogeochemical processes
・Multi-decadal scale variations in the North Pacific region
Overview of Research

We regard identification of climate changes having a variety of time scales as the most important of research objectives. We strive to identify mechanisms of the change and hope to estimate future changes. Among other goals, we shall concentrate on phenomena in which the ocean plays essential roles.
To be specific, our wide spectrum of research subjects covers ocean-atmosphere fluxes of momentum and heat at the sea surface, oceanic mixed layer processes, large-scale processes involving interaction between the ocean, atmosphere and land in the Pacific Ocean or around the globe--the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event for example--and variation of surface water masses such as subtropical mode water. Our methodology is versatile as well, including ocean monitoring by research vessels and voluntary observation ships, analyses of archived data of the ocean and atmosphere, including Argo (an global array of profiling floats) data, and investigation through numerical modeling. In the field of geophysical fluid dynamics, we pursue their theoretical aspects. It is distinctive about our policy that we examine ocean phenomena from a perspective of general circulation on the scale of oceanic basins. We conduct investigations of the atmosphere, in addition to investigations of the oceans, on large geometric scales and for long durations as external forcing affecting the oceans. We also conduct studies on relations between mesoscale/submesoscale and large-scale processes and between physical and material cycle/biogeochemical processes.
In our ideal model of the research group, the faculty members and students are pursuing their own research subjects, with their interests and activities mutually overlapped, which promotes the group's research activity as a whole.
We are participating in a variety of large research projects both domestic and international. As of Summer 2015, we are collaborating in studies of "Mid-latitude North Pacific ocean structure and transport and theie variations" (Japan Agency for Marine--Earth Science and Technology, 1994-present), International Argo program (Japan Agency for Marine--Earth Science and Technology and others, 2000-present), an "Analysis of Trends and Factors in Fishery Resources" (Fisheries Research Center, 2004-present), "Atmosphere and ocean circulation analyses based on isentropic frameworks" (Meteorological Research Institute and others, 2015-), and other projects.
Faculty (Researches)

Prof. SUGA Toshio
Ventilation of the surface/intermediate ocean,Impacts of physical processes on material cycle/biogeochemical processes

Assoc. Prof. KIZU Shoichi
High density monitoring between Japan and Hawaii Assessment of instrumental bias for better ocean thermometry

Assoc. Prof. SUGIMOTO Shusaku
Status and elucidation of variations in the North Pacific with a 10-20 year period

Home Page:
http://pol.gp.tohoku.ac.jp/en/