9458349 Hara This NYI award to Tetsu Hara is to support his research on small scale ocean dynamics. He will use field and laboratory data of capillary-gravity wave spectra acquired by a state-of-the-art scanning laser slope gage to develop new theories and numerical models to explain the detailed physical mechanism by which surface waves impact the wind stress and the air-sea gas flux. His teaching plan includes the development of an new graduate course on "Physics of the Air-Sea Interface, which will provide the foundation and technique to understand the basic fluid dynamics which control the air-sea mass/heat/momentum flux and organize seminars on air-sea flux. He also acts as a faculty mentor during a summer undergraduate research program.
