Syllabus: ATM OCN 761
Dynamics of Ocean Circulation (3 credits)
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Time and
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Textbook(s)
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Homework (50%)
Final term paper (50%)
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Grading
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Course Description
Theories of general oceanic circulation: Sverdrup flow, western boundary layer; thermocline circulation, recirculation theory, ventilated thermocline theory; thermohaline circulation, abyssal flow, thermohaline instability and multiple equilibria. Prereq: Atm Ocn 610, 660.
Course Content
This course introduces the dynamics of the general oceanic circulation with the focus on the physical principles. We will learn how the global ocean water moves around, and what controls these water motion. This course also serves as a steppingstone for future study on the ocean-atmosphere interaction and climate variability. The course has four parts.
In the first part, we will discuss observations and background dynamic knowledge.
In the second part, we will study the ocean circulation in a homogeneous fluid. We will discuss the classical wind-driven ocean circulation and the dynamics of western boundary current.
In the third part, we will study the upper ocean circulation in the presence of stratification and discuss the mechanism that determines the vertical structure of the upper ocean. We will study the theory of modern theories of thermocline dynamics, including the ventilated thermocline and potential vorticity homogenization theory. We will also study the wave adjustment in the upper ocean.
In the last part, we will study the theory for buoyancy-driven thermohaline circulation, abyssal circulation and the classical Stommel-Arons model.
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