Ongoing research focuses on turbulent flows near an air-water interface, a free surface.
This topic is increasingly important due to the use of remote sensing for monitoring of climatic change and weather, and for surveillance of the ocean surface. The generation of waves by, and the interaction of ambient waves with, subsurface turbulence plays a key role in determining the features which are ultimately observed. Current efforts involve the examination of turbulent shear flows beneath free-surfaces. The goals are to develop the basic understanding and tools necessary to explain and predict both the subsurface flow and the surface disturbances near a moving surface ship. Also under investigation is the interaction of ambient surface waves with currents and turbulence, and the resulting effect on radar signatures.