Dr. Carpenter feels that this lack of theoretical development is precisely what makes the Geophysical Fluid Flow Cell so valuable. It will give the people who are developing theories of these very complex phenomena insights into how to go about interpreting and predicting problems of atmospheric organization and pattern formation. Atmospheres are not the only fluid systems that the Geophysical Fluid Flow Cell can explore. The currents of Earth's oceans, core, and mantle, as well as the flows in stars can be modeled in similar ways. The experiment that completes the set of four fluid physics experiments scheduled to fly on USML-2 is the Surface Tension Driven Convection Experiment.
Surface tension is a force that is always present in liquid phe- nomena.
Temperature differences across a liquid's surface will cause variations in surface tension. Where the liquid is warmed, surface tension decreases and molecules move to the cooler areas where surface tension is greater. As the molecules on the surface move, they drag the fluid below with them. This pattern of movement based on surface tension is called thermocapillary flow. In a microgravity environment, like that of USML-2, thermocapillary flows can be fully revealed with no interference from gravitational forces.