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12 EXPANDING THE USES OF NA VAL OCEAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 



and prediction, atmospheric modeling and prediction, high-latitude dynamics, 

 tactical environmental support, marine geology and geophysics, and marine me- 

 teorology. 



Acoustic modeling and tomography/imaging play important roles in the de- 

 velopment of active and passive systems for mine and antisubmarine warfare. 

 Electro-optical and electromagnetic (EO/EM) clutter models, automatic target 

 recognition, and techniques related to adapting space sensor information are used 

 in algorithms for environmental models. Nonacoustic undersea sensors and re- 

 lated signal processors are under development for application to undersea, mine, 

 and expeditionary warfare. New technology related to ship tracking is being 

 developed. Coastal ocean models and enhanced bathymetric mapping techniques 

 aid in coastal operations and navigation. New acoustic sources and arrays allow 

 better environmental characterization and target recognition. The development 

 of specialized research platforms, including remotely operated vehicles, should 

 result in increased capabilities in littoral areas. The development of technologies 

 for undersea and shallow water acoustic sensors will aid in tactical data acquisi- 

 tion, offensive mining, mine countermeasures, and explosive ordnance disposal. 

 New optical technologies are being used to examine ocean surface and marine 

 boundary layers for three-dimensional modeling of the dynamics of marine popu- 

 lations, fate and transport of pollutants, and natural environmental changes in the 

 ocean. 



COMPUTER MODELING 



ONR, primarily through activities at NRL, has developed an impressive 

 ability to provide real-time predictions for the Navy using global, regional, and 

 (to a lesser extent) coastal modeling. Predictions using high-resoiution, coupled 

 atmospheric-ocean models are being developed. These models can predict circu- 

 lation and atmospheric conditions in selected local areas (e.g., off the west coast 

 of the United States). They make use of the most powerful computational plat- 

 forms available. A wealth of software has been developed to (1) visualize model 

 predictions, (2) manage large volumes of data, (3) integrate the data with the 

 model predictions (e.g., data assimilation), (4) efficiently transfer and tailor the 

 data to the user's needs, and (5) verify the model predictions. These integrated 

 modeling and data management systems represent the state of the art. 



The primary academic application for atmospheric and oceanic circulation 

 models involves research into global and regional oceaji circulation and meteo- 

 rology. Research into air-sea interaction and its influence on long-term climatic 

 change represents another important academic application. In the commercial 

 sector the most important user groups include environmental and engineering 

 consulting companies (e.g., firms interested in pollutant transport and fate model- 

 ing, circulation, physical forcing on offshore structures, dispersion of routine 

 discharges, and disposal of wastes at sea), data brokers and value-added suppliers 



