There are approximately 10 EOAS faculty are associated the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Institute (GFDI) with postdoctoral fellows and graduate students using the facility for research. There are extensive laboratory facilities for simulating large-scale atmospheric and oceanic motions at the GFDI.
The mission of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Institute is to promote and stimulate theoretical, numerical, field and laboratory experimental studies of fluid-dynamic phenomena in nature. Examples of this include, but are not limited to, studies of earth and planetary systems, atmospheres, oceans, stellar and planetary interiors, rivers and lakes, groundwater, surface processes, fluid dynamics of combustion and natural and prescribed fires, geophysics, astrophysics. The Institute seeks also to apply this knowledge to solve problems important to society.