Ocean Dynamics

In this course the response of the ocean to transient and steady winds and buoyancy forcing will beanalyzed in tropical and extra-tropical regions. The steady circulation (horizontal gyres,thermohaline circulation and ventilated thermocline) will be derived. A hierarchy of models, fromsimple analytical to realistic numerical models will be presented to study the role of the waves,convection, instabilities and other physical processes in the circulation of the oceans.

Basic knowledge of fluid mechanics, analysis and physics of basic and intermediate levels.

First module
no. 1 Basic Equations
Readings My notes, Cushman-Roisin, Mellor
no. 2 Ekman layers, Friction and Geostrophic Flow
Readings My notes, Cushman-Roisin, Mellor
no. 3 Sverdrup’s theory
Readings Pedlosky, Chapter I
no. 4 The western boundary-layer equation: Stommel’s and Munk’s solution
Readings Pedlosky, Chapter II
no. 5 Equatorial Adjustment. The equatorial jet and planetray waves
Readings Philander, Chapter III
no. 6 Equatorial Adjustment.Vertical Modes. The equatorial undercurrent.
Readings Philander, Chapter IV

The second module provides an overview over the major biogoechemical cycles and their interactions with the ocean dynamics and the basic functioning of the marine eocsystem. The impacts of climate change on the ocean and the major implications for the marine ecosystem with consequence for the human society will be discussed, including topics such as oceanic carbon sequestration, ocean acidification and marine productivity and biodiversity.

- The major biogeochemical cycles
- Marine ecosystems in a dynamic ocean
- The ocean carbon pump
- Ocean acidification
- Climate change impacts on marine ecosystem function and services
- Modelling the marine ecosystem under climate change

First module
J. Pedlosky, Ocean Circulation Theory, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heildelberg, 1996.
S. G. Philander. El Nino, La Nina, and the Southern Oscillation. Academic Press, 1990.
A. Gill, Atmosphere-Ocean Dynamics, Academic Press, INC., London , 1982.
B. Cushman-Roisin, Intoduction to Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Prentice Hall, 1994.
G. K. Vallis, Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics: Fundamentals and Large-scale
Circulation, Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Second module
Sarmiento, J.L., Gruber, N., 2006. Ocean Biogeochemical Dynamics. Princeton University Press.
Mann, K.H., Lazier, J.R.N., 2006. Dynamics of marine ecosystems, 3rd ed. Wiley-Blackwell.
Gattuso, J.-P., Magnan, A., Billé, R., Cheung, W.W.L., Howes, E.L., Joos, F., Allemand, D., Bopp, L., Cooley, S.R., Eakin, C.M., Hoegh-Guldberg, O., Kelly, R.P., Pörtner, H.-O., Rogers, A.D., Baxter, J.M., Laffoley, D., Osborn, D., Rankovic, A., Rochette, J., Sumaila, U.R., Treyer, S., Turley, C., 2015. Contrasting futures for ocean and society from different anthropogenic CO2 emissions scenarios. Science 349, aac4722. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aac4722
Drinkwater, K.F., Beaugrand, G., Kaeriyama, M., Kim, S., Ottersen, G., Perry, R.I., Poertner, H.-O., Polovina, J.J., Takasuka, A., 2010. On the processes linking climate to ecosystem changes. Journal of Marine Systems 79, 374–388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2008.12.014
Pörtner, H.O., Karl, D.M., Boyd, P.W., Cheung, W.W.L., Lluch-Cota, S.E., Nojiri, Y., Schmidt, D.N., Zavialov, P.O., 2014. Ocean Systems., in: Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Field, C.B., V.R. Barros, D.J. Dokken, K.J. Mach, M.D. Mastrandrea, T.E. Bilir, M. Chatterjee, K.L. Ebi, Y.O. Estrada, R.C. Genova, B. Girma, E.S. Kissel, A.N. Levy, S. MacCracken, P.R. Mastrandrea, and L.L.White (Eds.)]., Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 411–484.

English

Attendance is required. Daily preparation is also required. The assignments are set out in the course syllabus. Academic honesty is an important part of university training. While students may discuss assignments with their classmates and others, they are expected to make sure any written material they submit is their own work. Students are expected to know how to cite the work of others and present a bibliography of the research texts that were used.

Participation 20%
Students are expected to play an active role in seminars and prepare the required readings in advance

Presentation of a short paper 40%
Each student will be required to present an extended abstract (max 4 A4 pages, figures included) on a particular issue approved in advance by the instructor. The oral presentation of the chosen topic will be scheduled by the instructor. Each individual oral presentation shall last 30 minutes and will be followed by discussion with other students and the instructor.

Final exam 40%
Written/Oral exam