Oceanography

Type of degree: B.S.

Brief overview of program: The Naval Academy has one of the most extensive undergraduate oceanographic and meteorological facilities in the country. The oceanographic laboratory complex includes traditional physical, biological, geological and chemical "wet" laboratories, in addition to three advanced computer laboratories for oceanographic and meteorological applications. The course of study features the use of a 108-foot Yard Patrol Craft (YP686), fully instrumented for near and off-shore data collection. The vessel docks at the Hendrix Pier Laboratory for instrumentation by the technical staff and embarking/debarking the scientific party. A comprehensive suite of sensors includes CTDs, rosettes, profiling fluorometer, side-scan sonar, subbottom profiler, hull mounted and portable acoustic Doppler current profilers, etc. The Naval Academy also maintains a state-of-the-art meteorological laboratory. The computerized MetLab features the capability to ingest, process, and display a variety of meteorological products including NOAA/NCEP and FNMOC weather products, on-line access to world-wide meteorological and oceanographic data, real-time satellite imagery and radar data. Additionally, a fully automated roof-mounted weather station is linked to classroom monitors to display and computers to archive local observations. The Oceanography Department is heavily involved with AMS education programs, annually hosting the Maury Project summer workshop and is involved in mentoring for two AMS distance-learning courses (Water in the Earth System and DataStreme-Ocean).

Website: Click here for program website

Program Point of Contact: Dr. David R. Smith

Email: drsmith@usna.edu