NRL Scientists Present Latest Research Findings at American Geophysical Fall Meeting

Photo By U.S. Naval Research Laboratory | COAMPS® 27-hour forecast, July 5, 2023, over The Yellow Sea of the horizontal visibility at the surface in kilometers (top left figure). Red colors are for fog (less than 1 km, green for mist (between 1 and 2km), blue for haze (between 2 and 10km). Some of the most important factors that affect the visibility are the surface temperature (top right figure), dew point depression (bottom left figure), and difference between the air and water temperature (bottom right figure). Areas of low visibility coincide with cooler water temperature (patches of blue in top right), air being closer to humidity saturation (patches of dark green in bottom left), and air being warmer than the water (patches of red in bottom right). Yellow triangles represent waypoints of a research vessel during the ONR-sponsored FATIMA project field campaign over the Yellow Sea in the June and July 2023, for which NRL Marine Meteorology Division provided COAMPS forecasts. (U.S. Naval Research Laboratory/Marine Meteorology Division)  

UNITED STATES

12.08.2023

Story by Mary Hamisevicz 

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

WASHINGTON –U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) scientist, Sasa Gabersek, Ph.D., will present findings from the Air-Sea Interaction Affecting Fog Formation experiment over the Yellow Sea at this year’s American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, December 11-15.

Marine fog affects land, air, and water-based transportation in coastal regions: reduced visibility makes it challenging to navigate safely and increases risk of collision, traffic congestion, and accidents. Specifically, military operations related to reduced visibility such as visual observation and target acquisition, logistics and resupply, surveillance and reconnaissance are disrupted.

“This project explores fog and turbulence interaction in the atmospheric layer closest to the ocean,” said Gabersek. “The goal is to enhance visibility forecasts for the Navy by identifying current shortcomings and implement improvements by using the measurements gathered during the field experiment.”

Dr. Gabersek will deliver the recent results of his experiment to a larger audience and meet in-person with co-investigators for the first time after the field campaign that took place in June and July of 2023 over the Yellow Sea.

“The life cycle of the marine fog over the Yellow Sea is a very complex process, where both oceanic and atmospheric phenomena play important roles,” said Gabersek. He will discuss essential processes at the sea-surface and their effects on fog life-cycle. The next step in the research is to select various fog cases, evaluate forecasts, identify and implement possible improvements, and test them.

Over forty NRL scientists and engineers will showcase their research on a wide variety of topics focusing on machine learning, geospace dynamics, and optical gas sensing and ocean predictions systems. This annual event is the most influential event in the world dedicated to the advancement of Earth and space science to better understand our planet and environment, and our role in preserving its future. It is a results-oriented gathering rooted in celebrating and advancing positive individual and collective outcomes.

About the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

NRL is a scientific and engineering command dedicated to research that drives innovative advances for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps from the seafloor to space and in the information domain. NRL is located in Washington, D.C. with major field sites in Stennis Space Center, Mississippi; Key West, Florida; Monterey, California, and employs approximately 3,000 civilian scientists, engineers and support personnel.

For more information, contact NRL Corporate Communications at [phone] or [e-mail].

• Date Taken: 12.08.2023
• Date Posted: 12.08.2023 15:05
• Story ID: 459535
• Location: US