Emma Borgsmiller

I’m an experimental physical oceanographer and PhD candidate at the University of Delaware. My research centers on air-sea interaction with a particular focus on wind-wave dynamics and the processes that control the exchange of momentum and energy between the atmosphere and the ocean.

Much of my work takes place in laboratory wave tanks, where controlled wind and wave conditions allow me to isolate and study the fine-scale physics of the air–sea interface. Using advanced measurement techniques such as Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF), I investigate the detailed structure of airflow and turbulence above wind-generated waves. These methods make it possible to visualize and quantify flow fields that are otherwise extremely difficult to measure directly in the ocean.

I completed my BSc (2022) as a double major in Marine Science and Meteorology at the University of Miami. While there I gained research experience in the air-sea interaction saltwater tank (ASIST) and with processing data collected on research cruises (Surface Wave Dynamics Experiment (SWADE), Deep Ocean Gas Exchange Experiment (DOGEE), and Gas Exchange Experiment (GasEx)). My undergraduate research thesis was on the skewness of air temperature and humidity near the air-sea interface

Some research photos