Physical and Dynamical Oceanography

CLIM712

Bohua Huang

Course Summary

CLIM712 gives an introduction to the climatology of the world ocean circulation and its associated physical and dynamical processes. It starts from a discussion of the physical properties of seawater and a description of the three-dimensional structures of the observed oceanic temperature and salinity distribution as well as its major seasonal and interannual variability. Then, the heat and salt budgets of the world oceans are examined, with emphasis on the physical processes that are responsible for the heat and freshwater exchanges with the atmosphere. Some general principles and basic concepts of ocean dynamics are introduced. These principles are applied to understand the patterns of the large-scale circulation of the ocean, including the wind-driven circulation and thermohaline circulation. The special topics include the formation of western boundary currents (such as the Gulf Stream), ocean wave dynamics, and the role of turbulent mixing within the ocean.

Overall, this course provides background knowledge of the world oceans that are useful to students in physical oceanography, meteorology, and climate studies.

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Course Requirement

• Attending class (advance notice of absence)
• Homework: 4-5 assignments
• Mid-term exam (close book)
• Final exam (open book)
• (Project or term paper)

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Major Topics

• Properties of seawater
• T-S forcing and conservation laws
• Global T-S distribution
• Fluid dynamics on rotating sphere
• Description of large-scale gyres
• Barotropic dynamics of large-scale gyres
• Mixing, turbulence, surface layer
• Large-scale overturning and thermohaline circulation
• Surface gravity waves (nonrotating and rotating)
• Tides
• Internal gravity waves
• Rossby waves, instability and mesoscale eddies
• Coastal processes: currents, fronts, estuaries
• El Nino

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Course References

Text books:

• Pond, S., and G.L. Pickard, 1983: Introductory Dynamical Oceanography. 2nd edition, 329pp, Butterworth-Heinemann.
• Talley, L.D., G.L. Pickard, W.J. Emery, and J.H. Swift, 2011: Descriptive Physical Oceanography, An Introduction. 6th edition, 555pp, ELSEVIER.

Other titles of interest:

• Mellor, G.L., 1996: Introduction to Physical Oceanography, 260pp, AIP Press.
• Knauss, J.A., 1997: Introduction to Physical Oceanography, 309pp, 2nd edition, Prentice-Hall.

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Useful Websites for Physical Oceanography Courses

• M. Tomczak: Introduction to Physical Oceanography
• F. Webster: Introduction to Physical Oceanography
• R. H. Stewart: Introduction to Physical Oceanography

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Course Outline

1. Composition
2. Equation of state
3. Measurement: T, S, pressure

1. Surface profiles
2. Vertical profiles
3. Static stability
4. Annual cycle and interannual variability

1. heat flux components
2. heat flux distribution
3. evaporation, precipitation, runoff
4. box models

1. Coriolis force
2. equations of motion
3. geostrophy
4. Ekman layers

1. wind patterns and gyres
2. western and eastern boundary currents
3. polar currents
4. equatorial currents

1. vorticity dynamics
2. gyres and western boundary currents
3. Sverdrup, Stommel, and Munk

1. descriptive Kelvin-Helmholtz instability
2. surface mixed layer dynamics
3. sources of subsurface mixing

1. thermohaline structure and meridional overturning
2. advective-diffusive balance and overturning
3. Stommel-Arons patterns
4. subduction and shallow cells

1. short and long nonrotating SGWs
2. Poincare and Kelvin waves
3. nonlinear effects

1. tidal forcing
2. equilibrium theory
3. forced response

1. two-layer fluid
2. rotational effects
3. continuous fluid

1. Rossby wave dynamics
2. observations of eddies

1. air-sea feedbacks
2. equatorial waveguide
3. ENSO description

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