Dear Colleague:

Dear Colleague,

The physical oceanography program at NSF is responsible for funding a broad range of proposals in all subfields of physical oceanography. This non-targeted support ensures the systemic health of our discipline. However, given the rapidly changing setting in which we conduct our research, it is imperative to begin a community discussion on how our field can continue to thrive. Toward this end, an NSF-sponsored workshop will be held in mid-December 1997 for the purpose of providing a forum for communication among the investigators operating within the physical oceanography program. Science ideas on the role of the ocean in climate received broad community discussions at the Ocean CLIVAR workshop held in June 1996. It is our intent to focus this workshop on the other aspects of Physical Oceanography and to examine the synergy between individual and small group projects and large coordinated programs.

With this letter we are soliciting your input in order to structure our workshop discussions. As a starting point, the steering committee believes that an assessment of past research and future opportunities is needed to foresee and defend against pressures which could endanger basic "discovery-driven" research by individuals and small groups. We also sense an array of societal problems that our accumulated tools and understanding of the ocean can address. However, a strategy is needed to allow the increased application of these tools to coexist with strong basic science.

Below is a list of questions on which we seek your input. The list is intended to initiate, but not constrain, your response.

1. What is physical oceanography?

2. What are the most significant accomplishments in physical oceanography over the past two decades?

3. What are the current and emerging scientific questions in physical oceanography that we might expect to answer in 10 or 20 years?

4. What are the unique and successful aspects of NSF core research?

5. Are the interactions among the elements of PO (analytic, experimental, numerical and observational) adequate?

6. Will interactions with atmospheric sciences, biology, chemistry and geology be a driving force on core PO? If so how?

7. What are the interactions and balance between the core physical oceanography program and large programs? How should they evolve in the future?

8. How do advances in PO benefit other parts of ocean sciences?

9. What pressing societal problems can PO contribute to?

10. What infrastructure (e.g., ships, instrumentation, computer, people) will be required to answer these questions?

11. Other comments or advice?

We strongly encourage you to participate in this process. The success of the workshop will depend on the response of the community at large. We are interested in having input from a diversity of researchers so that all aspects of, and approaches to, physical oceanography are represented. Diversity in age, gender, size of institution and geographic location is also important.

Your input will be most useful if it arrives by mid-August. Please send your comments and ideas to the following e-mail address: apropos@joss.ucar.edu.

We are also constructing a meeting homepage at:

http://www.joss.ucar.edu/joss_psg/project/oce_workshop/apropos.

We will be providing further details concerning the organization of the meeting and the responses from the community on this web site.

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