ATOC 5051, Spring 2010 — Notes & Calendar

ATOC 5051: Introduction to Physical Oceanography

Or, Notions for the Motions of the Oceans. This is a core course for graduate students covering the basic tools needed for oceanography. Observational, dynamical, numerical, and descriptive methods are discussed and used to get a sense of the historical and contemporary understanding of the motions of the oceans.

You can access the syllabus, proceedings, class notes, and reading.

ATOC5051, Spring 2010

Intro to Physical Oceanography, or Notions for the Motions of the Oceans

Reading Assignment 3: Week 5

This reading assignment introduces the effects of the Earth's rotation in conjunction with friction

  1. Geoff Vallis's Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics, Chapter 2.12.
  2. Cushman-Roisin and Becker's Introduction to GFD Chapters 4.1-4.6, Chapters 8.1-8.7.
  3. Rotating Flow Movie (Needs Realplayer).

The reading quiz is due by class time. It can be accessed through CULearn.

Optional additional reading may be useful for the assignment:

  1. Fundamentals-Boundary Layers (Needs Realplayer).
  2. Tomczak and Godfrey's Regional Oceanography: An Introduction, Chapter 4: Ekman
  3. Chapters 8 and 9 of Robert H. Stewart's Introduction to Physical Oceanography: Equations of Motion with Viscosity, Response of the Upper Ocean to Winds.
  4. Joe Pedlosky's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Chapters 1, 4.
  5. The rest of Vallis Chapter 2.
  6. Cushman-Roisin and Beckers's Introduction to Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Chapters 2, 3, 4, 11, 15.