University of Washington, Applied Physics Laboratory

Decades of acoustic and oceanographic studies yielded an understanding of the world's deep oceans, and now APL-UW scientists are developing expertise in coastal and small-scale oceanography and the new physics required for tactical superiority in shallow water environments. Our scientists and engineers make important contributions to understanding the earth's climate cycles with satellite and in situ sensing of ocean winds, currents, and air-sea fluxes; observations of Arctic sea ice, its variations and effects on mid-latitude oceans; and ocean tomography that reveals how the abyssal ocean mixes and sequesters carbon. APL-UW continues to lead research in the basic and applied physics of sound—from sonars used to probe the geology of the deep ocean floor to hand-held high-frequency focused ultrasound devices to image and stop internal bleeding without surgery.