Oceanography and Meteorology
Syllabus
Basics of oceanography and meteorology.
• ocean dimensions, shapes and bottom material, planetary distribution of winds
• basics of chemical composition of water, definition of salinity
• equation of state of sea-water, gas equation of state, air as a mixture of gases, density of dry and moist air
• adiabatic processes, virtual temperature, physical properties of sea-water, spreading of sound and light
• conservation laws (conservation of volume of water mass, mass of dissolved matter, conservation of internal energy, 1st lay of thermodynamics)
• El Niño and La Niña
• Coastal wind, surface wind-driven current, sea-level variability, hydrostatic equation, influence of air-pressure on the sea-level
Basics of physical oceanography and dynamic meteorology.
• stratification of the column of fluid, static stability, buoyancy frequency in the air and ocean
• the continuity equation
• equations of motion in a rotating co-ordinate system (Earth), the Coriolis force
• influence of stratification on motion
• turbulent flow, Reynolds stress, eddy viscosity
• special cases of steady currents: geostrophic current, thermal wind relation, friction in a current, wind-driven current, Ekman transport, upwelling/downwelling, gradient wind, cyclones/anticyclones, cyclostrophic winds, inertial motion, fronts in the atmosphere/ocean
• unsteady motions: ageostrophic winds, divergencies/convergences, geostrophic adjustments
• potential vorticity , topographic and planetary waves, hydrostatic waves and tides.
Goals and competencies
Basic knowledge is achieved about the composition and dynamics of oceans and atmosphere and about their coupling; study of processes that influence life and economy in the sea and coastal zone, as well as their influence on climatic changes. The course develops competences that are basics for the treatment of marine, maritime and ecological issues in coastal zone and oceans.
Basic literature
- Pond, Stephen ; Picard, George L. (1997) Introductory dynamical oceanography. Butterworth-Heinemann
- Pickard, George Lawson and Emery, William J. (1996) Descriptive physical oceanography : an introduction. Butterworth-Heinemann.
- Ahrens, Donald C. (1994) Meteorology today : an introduction to weather, climate, and the environment. West Publishing Company.
- Tolmazin, David (1992) Elements of dynamic oceanography. Chapman & Hall.
- Pugh, David T. (1996) Tides, surges and mean sea-level. Wiley.