Advanced Oceanography, 7.5 hp
This course presents central aspects of physical oceanography, with emphasis on the global circulation and processes that are essential for it.
Description of the course
The course contains theories for the wind-driven circulation (in both one and several layers), and for the global overturning circulation and how it is forced by small-scale mixing. The different roles played by temperature and salinity in the circulation is also studied. Other topics are tropical circulation, internal waves, hydraulics, vortex dynamics and water mass analysis.
How is the course organized?
The course consists of lectures.
Lecture topics
- Basic equations, Ekman transport, Sverdrup transport
- Wind-driven circulation, ventilated thermocline
- Equatorial waves
- Tropical circulation, ENSO
- Mixing driven upwelling (Sandström 1908, Munk 1966)
- Abyssal circulation
- Water mass transformation (Lumpkin &Speer 2007; de Lavergne et al 2017)
- Python lab: water mass analysis
- Stream functions
- Internal waves (Polzin et al 1997)
- Hydraulics (Whitehead 1998)
- Ice
- Nonlinear equation of state, potential density (Nycander et al 2015)
- Python lab: buoyancy flux
- Vortex dynamics
Examination
Take-home problems.
Schedule
The course does not run every year. A detailed schedule is announced in connection with each course instance.
Course literature
- G. K. Vallis: Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics (2nd ed.), 946 pp.
- Research articles
Responsible teacher - contact
Jonas Nycander (jonas@misu.su.se)
Senast uppdaterad: 20 september 2024
Sidansvarig: MISU