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Masumoto Lab
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A lab that explores the mechanisms of ocean currents and climate variability through numerical simulation.
AboutAbout the lab
Exploring the mechanisms of ocean and climate variability
The Masumoto Lab studies ocean variability and the climate variability in which the ocean plays an important role.
The ocean, which covers 70% of Earth's surface, nurtures a great deal of life and regulates Earth's climate.
The movement of seawater and the transport of heat and materials are key to how the ocean does this, and much about them is still not understood.
The lab mainly uses numerical simulation, and also incorporates analysis of existing data and observations.
Key terms
- Indian Ocean Dipole
- A climate phenomenon in the tropical Indian Ocean in which sea surface temperature anomalies in the east and the west are of opposite sign
- Ocean general circulation model
- A computational framework that reproduces the three-dimensional distribution of ocean currents, temperature, and salinity on a computer
- Upwelling
- The rising of cold water from depth to near the sea surface, driven by factors such as wind
NewsLab news
Prof. Masumoto selected as a 2026 Japan Geoscience Union (JpGU) Fellow
Paper co-authored with a graduate published in Journal of Oceanography
Paper co-authored with a graduate published in Ocean Dynamics
Doctoral student wins 3rd place in the Outstanding Young Scientist Award at IWMO 2024
ResearchResearch themes
The lab focuses on the movement of seawater, heat, and materials within the ocean, and seeks to clarify the mechanisms of ocean variability and of the climate variability it is involved in. Its main method is numerical simulation using tools such as ocean general circulation models, combined with observational data for comprehensive analysis.
*Illustrative imageOcean and Climate Variability in the Indian and Pacific Oceans
Focusing on the warm waters stretching from the eastern Indian Ocean to the western Pacific, the lab investigates why the surface currents are the way they are and how they vary. Using high-resolution ocean general circulation models, it explores the mechanisms of interannual variability such as El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole, as well as decadal climate variability.
*Illustrative imageMechanisms of Ocean Variability
The lab uses high-resolution ocean models and other tools to study the mechanisms of ocean variability, which is important for climate. Subjects include upwelling regions where cold water rises to the surface, variability of the Indonesian Throughflow connecting the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and the effects of planetary-scale waves and mesoscale eddies.
MembersFaculty
The Masumoto Lab consists of faculty, secretarial staff, and doctoral and master's students.As of 2026
- ProfessorYukio MasumotoPublications ↗
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images.
- Top image: “Timor Sea (MODIS )” MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC / Public domain (cropped)
- Ocean and Climate Variability in the Indian and Pacific Oceans: “Sstanom 199711 krig” Image based on data from the IRI/LDEO Climate Data Library / Public domain (cropped)
- Mechanisms of Ocean Variability: “Southern Indonesia (MODIS)” MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Miura Lab): “Tropical Cyclone Robyn” NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Tozuka Lab): “El Niño Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly- January, 1997, through December, 1997 (SVS156 - sst 2d)” NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio - Greg Shirah, Antonio Busalacchi / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Ocean General Circulation Lab): “Global Sea Surface Currents and Temperature (hd video) ( )” NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from Greenbelt, MD, USA / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Sato Lab): “ISS-47 Earth’s limb during a starry night pass above the Indian Ocean” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
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