625-362 Oceanography and Air-Sea Interaction

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Objectives:

On completion of this subject, students should:

• have an appreciation of the broad-scale structure and dynamics of the world's oceans;

• comprehend the interaction of the atmosphere and ocean and the implications for climate.

Content:

Bathymetry, salinity, temperature and density distributions in the world's oceans. Survey of instruments used to determine and monitor oceanic structure and the methods of their deployment. Remote sensing of the world's oceans. The oceanic current system including the general circulation, wind-driven, thermohaline and boundary currents. The role of currents and eddies in maintaining the energy and momentum balance of global climate. The different characteristics of the Pacific, Atlantic and Southern Oceans. Heat and salt budgets. Turbulence and mixing in the atmospheric boundary layer. The nature and quantification of fluxes of heat, moisture and momentum at the air-sea interface. The implications of these for the atmosphere, and particularly the hydrological cycle. The role played by the ocean in global climate and climate change.

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