Overview
These complex oceanic motions occur over a wide variety of space and time scales including:
- Grand persistent currents, like the Gulf Stream and the wind-driven ocean gyres
- Transient eddies and waves of all sizes and speeds from surface gravity waves, to slower internal waves beneath the sea surface, to planetary-scale Rossby waves
- Estuary and rivers outflows onto the continental shelf
- Coupled ocean-atmosphere interactions, both local and global
Physical oceanography has important applications in global climate and coastal studies. It is also a key element in interdisciplinary studies of primary production, hydrothermal vents, and oceanic flux and storage of carbon dioxide.
Air and water
There are similarities in how the atmosphere and the ocean move and, as such, physical oceanography has much in common with meteorology. As in the atmosphere, relatively intense frontal systems exist in the oceans. Mixing and stirring occurs across these oceanic fronts, caused by a variety of physical processes ranging...
- From instabilities of large-scale currents such as the Gulf Stream that generate long-lived "rings," much as atmospheric storm systems are spawned from the Jet Stream
- To salt fingers, no bigger than a centimeter, which produce efficient vertical exchanges of salt and heat between different water masses
Understanding the interactions between the atmosphere and the ocean is also a key challenge for physical oceanographers. The ocean and atmosphere drive each other in as yet poorly understood ways, with a multitude of consequences.
From lab to field
Physical oceanographers employ a wide variety of scientific skills and approaches, from the most descriptive to the most theoretical, to explain oceanic motions. Want to be both a theorist and an experimentalist? This field is one of the few areas of physics in which you can achieve that goal. In fact, students in the Physical Oceanography program of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have the opportunity, and indeed are encouraged, to develop skills and experience in both approaches.
Programme Structure
Courses include:
- From instabilities of large-scale currents such as the Gulf Stream that generate long-lived "rings," much as atmospheric storm systems are spawned from the Jet Stream
- To salt fingers, no bigger than a centimeter, which produce efficient vertical exchanges of salt and heat between different water masses
Key information
Duration
- Full-time
- 60 months
Start dates & application deadlines
Deadline: 15 December
Language
Interested in an IELTS preparation course? Get started here
Delivered
Disciplines
Earth Sciences Oceanography View 25 other PhDs in Oceanography in United StatesAcademic requirements
We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.
English requirements
Interested in an IELTS preparation course? Get started here
Other requirements
General requirements
- In the application, you will be asked to supply the names and email addresses of three people to submit letters of recommendation on your behalf
- Transcripts
- You will be required to describe the grading system(s) used at all colleges and universities you have attended. Explain the specific meaning of any numeric values, letter grades, and rankings
- English Language Proficiency (IELTS or TOEFL)
- Statement of Objectives
Tuition Fee
-
International
57590 USD/yearTuition FeeBased on the tuition of 57590 USD per year during 60 months. -
National
57590 USD/yearTuition FeeBased on the tuition of 57590 USD per year during 60 months.
Living costs for Cambridge
The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.
Funding
In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.
Scholarships Information
Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Physical Oceanography.
Available Scholarships
You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility