Professor Marshall, a physical oceanographer, joined the faculty in July 1991 after spending seven years teaching in the Department of Physics at Imperial College, England, where he received his PhD in 1980 in dynamical oceanography. He did postgraduate work in atmospheric physics at Oxford University and Imperial College before joining the faculty there. He is presently on leave from his appointment at London University where he is a Reader in Physics. Professor Marshall is known for his work in modelling the large-scale oceanic circulation and in analyzing both theory and observations of the persistent structures in the atmosphere. His research has focused on the interaction between geostrophic turbulence in the atmosphere and ocean and its influence on large-scale flows.
Geostrophic turbulence is linked to the earth's rotation.
In recent years he has been studying convective elements of the ocean circulation and the deep circulation. Professor Fricke joined the Department of Ocean Engineering in 1990. His research interest is in using ocean acoustics to explore the underside of sea ice. He will use the fellowship to develop instrumentation for under-ice exploration with an autonomous underwater vehicle. This will involve calibrating existing instrumentation for under-ice conditions and developing prototypes for deployment in the Arctic.