MASC 448: Ocean Dynamics and Regional Oceanography

Ocean mass-heat budgets. Ocean fluid dynamics – Differential equations describing fluid dynamics. Equations for fluid motion in a rotating frame of reference. Coriolis Effect, The Ekman boundary layer and transport, Ekman pumping, geostrophy, Rossby and Kelvin waves, Westward intensification, Sverdrup balance. Deep sea processes. Shelf and nearshore processes: Transitional and shallow water waves, wave induced currents, shallow sea circulation and stratification, tides in shallow seas, local upwelling dynamics, fronts in shallow seas, shallow sea water masses. Regional Oceanography: Water mass formation, Oceanography of the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic and Antarctic oceans. Oceans and climate: El Nino and Southern Oscillation (ENSO).