OVERVIEW

The course provides the foundations for understanding ocean dynamics and the main processes that occur in the oceans. The course is divided into two parts: the first addresses theoretical topics, such as the application of the equations of geophysical fluid dynamics to the ocean; the second consists of computer-based exercises in which the knowledge acquired in the first part will be applied through the development of simple Python models.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course introduces the fundamentals of geophysical fluid dynamics as applied to the ocean and guides students, step by step, through the formulation and analysis of a shallow-water circulation model in a wind-driven basin.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The main objective is to provide students with a solid understanding of the principal physical processes governing ocean dynamics, with particular reference to the structure and general circulation of the oceans, surface and deep currents and the mechanisms that generate them, and the role of Earth’s rotation and buoyancy forces in ocean dynamics. Students will be provided with the tools needed to analyse the main mechanisms of heat transport, to understand vertical and horizontal mixing processes, and to recognize and describe the main wave phenomena occurring in the ocean, such as surface gravity waves, internal waves and Rossby waves, together with the physical mechanisms underlying them. Finally, students will be able to apply the theoretical knowledge acquired through the development and use of simple numerical models in Python.

PREREQUISITES

Basic course of Fluid Mechanics

TEACHING METHODS

The course will be taught in a traditional format: the theoretical part will consist of lectures, while the practical part will be carried out through computer-based exercises, with the aim of exploring in greater depth some of the topics introduced in the first part.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Theoretical part – Lectures
• Review of basic fluid dynamics
• Role of Earth’s rotation
• Shallow-water equations
• Stability/instability and mixing in the oceans
• Geostrophic approximation
• Vorticity in the oceans / conservation of vorticity
• Wind-driven circulation

Practical part – Computer-based exercises
The exercises are designed to complement the contents of the theoretical part through the implementation of simple Python models, with reference to the following topics:

• Dispersion relation for waves in the shallow-water model
• Ekman transport
• Conservation of vorticity – Rossby waves
• Wind-forced currents and gyre formation 

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• P. K. Kundu, Fluid Mechanics, Fifth Edition, Elsevier, 2014.
• R. H. Stewart, Introduction to Physical Oceanography, Texas A&M University, 2008.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The examination is structured in two parts: a practical computer-based exercise aimed at assessing the ability to apply the theoretical concepts learned, and an oral examination during which the theoretical understanding of the topics covered in the course will be assessed.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

By the end of the course, students will have acquired the fundamental theoretical concepts needed to explain both large-scale and local-scale ocean motions, transport and mixing within the oceans, as well as the ability to develop simple numerical models for the simulation of specific oceanic phenomena.