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Ocean and Climate Physics Lab
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The lab studies how interactions between the atmosphere and the ocean drive changes in Earth's climate.
AboutAbout the lab
Interactions between sea and sky that drive climate
The Ocean and Climate Physics Lab studies the motions of the atmosphere and ocean that shape Earth's climate.
It examines phenomena at a range of scales, from regional to ocean-basin to global, and from day-to-day weather changes to climate changes over about a hundred years.
The lab analyzes satellite observation data and the results of large-scale numerical simulations to discover new phenomena and explain their mechanisms.
It also pursues interdisciplinary research with other fields, such as mathematical science and biogeochemistry.
Key terms
- Air-sea interaction
- The mutual influence of the ocean on the atmosphere and of the atmosphere on the ocean
- Kuroshio Extension
- The ocean current formed when the Kuroshio leaves Japan's coast off the Boso Peninsula and flows eastward
- Decadal variability
- Slow shifts in the climate state that unfold over roughly ten to a hundred years
ResearchResearch themes
Earth's climate arises from the interplay of the atmosphere, ocean, land surface, and snow and ice. The lab focuses on the atmosphere and the ocean, aiming to discover and explain a wide range of phenomena.
*Illustrative imageMid-latitude air-sea interaction
The lab investigates how the ocean at mid-latitudes affects atmospheric variability. By combining satellite observations of wind and rainfall with high-resolution coupled atmosphere–ocean simulations, it has shown the influence of the Gulf Stream on the troposphere and that the Kuroshio in the East China Sea intensifies rainfall during the Baiu rainy season.
*Illustrative imageDecadal variability of the atmosphere and ocean
The lab studies climate transitions that unfold over ten to a hundred years. It has shown that the North Pacific atmosphere and ocean exhibit a 50-year variability and that this variability is synchronized with a 20-year variability.
*Illustrative imageAtmosphere and ocean dynamics
The lab seeks to understand the mechanisms of atmospheric and oceanic motion themselves through theory and simple models. It has shown that variability of the Kuroshio Extension is caused by waves generated by Earth's rotation, and that this variability also changes sea level along the coast of Japan.
*Illustrative imageRegional climate variability
The lab examines variability in Japan's climate in relation to the ocean. It found that in the East China Sea during the Baiu season, rainfall over the Kuroshio varies on a daily cycle, and showed that the same phenomenon occurs over the Gulf Stream.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Ocean and Climate Physics Lab include faculty, administrative staff, graduate students in doctoral and master's programs, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- Project ProfessorShoshiro Minobe
- Associate ProfessorYoshinori Sasaki
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: “Spring Bloom Colors the Pacific Near Hokkaido” Norman Kuring / Public domain (cropped)
- Mid-latitude air-sea interaction: “Infrared imagery of Gulf Stream off the Virginia Capes (2268-445)” NOAA / Public domain (cropped)
- Decadal variability of the atmosphere and ocean: “ISS-48 Clouds over southern Pacific Ocean (1)” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Atmosphere and ocean dynamics: “SST Gulf stream” NASA (data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite= / Public domain (cropped)
- Regional climate variability: “A rain shaft pierces a tropical sunset as seen from Man-of-War Bay - NOAA” 作者不詳 / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (海洋・海
氷動態分野): “Mackenzie Bay, Antarctica ( )” NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from Greenbelt, MD, USA / Public domain (cropped) - Related lab (北極域学創成部門 北極域研究ユニット): “Calving Front of Kangerdlugssup Glacier” NASA/Michael Studinger / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (気象学研究室): “Northern Japan, especially the island of Hokkaido, is home to some of the snowiest cities in the world (stormy-snowy-winter-for-hokkaido)” Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (環オホーツク観測研究センター): “Swirls of Sea Ice approaching Hokkaido, Japan (MODIS )” MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC / Public domain (cropped)
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