OC4331 Mesoscale Oceanography, Fall 2002
(last updated: 3 December 01)
This page is intended to share information and provide a
convenient reference for course materials. It will evolve as the course
progresses. Look under general information topics for the course description
and syllabus and for assignments.
General Information
Final Projects instructions
and topics list
VITAL STATISTICS
INSTRUCTOR: Prof. Jeffrey D. Paduan (Code OC/Pd)
OFFICE: Spanagel 348
PHONE: 656-3350
OFFICE HOURS: Afternoons, by phone, by email
QUARTER: Summer 01
LECTURE
WHERE: Spanagel 310
WHEN: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thur 1100-1150
PROPOSED GRADING
Journal Notebooks and Lab Excercise(s) 25%
Midterm Exam 25%
Final Exam 25%
Project Presentation 25%
(Student Presentations during week 11)
SPECIAL DATES
Monday, 8 October: Columbus Day Holiday
9-19 October: No Class-Instructor Away
Monday, 12 November: Veterans Day Holiday
Thursday, 22 November: Thanksgiving Holiday
Week 11: Student Presentations
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1) To acquaint you with typical scales and behaviours of mesoscale
ocean variability (e.g. oceanic eddies, fronts, and meandering jets)
2) To acquaint you with the many ways in which mesoscale features
influence ocean circulation, climate, and operational activities.
3) To encourage you to read contemporary, professional literature
critically.
4) To help you to translate the phenomenology of mesoscale features
into requirements for ocean observing systems and models.
Catalog Description:
OC4331 MESOSCALE OCEAN VARIABILITY ( 4 - 0 )
Contemporary knowledge of ocean mesoscale eddies, fronts, meandering currents;
baroclinic and barotropic instabilities; kinematics, dynamics and energetics
from observations, theories and models. PREREQUISITE: OC4211
SYLLABUS-OC4331, Summer 01
General Topic Subtopics Week
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Introduction General Circ. versus "eddies" 1
Eddy Paradox (Gill/Ped)
1 1/2 Layer Model
MODE Eddy time/length scales 1/4
Sampling Methods/Problems
Objective Techniques/Pitfalls 4/5
Analysis Computer Lab Assign
Isolated Self and topo. interactions 5
Vorticies Propagation on beta-plane
Gulf Stream Cold Core Rings 6
Rings Warm Core Rings 6/7
(OTIS)
Instability Hydrodynamic Instability 7
Theory Barotropic Instability
Exam-1 All of the above 7
Northeast STORMS Drifter Examples 8
Pacific Eddies Niiler & Hall Mooring
Eastern Bndry California Current Examples 8/9
Current Eddies Squirts and Jets vs. Eddies
Fronts FASINEX Experiment 9
SUBDUCTION Experiment
Retrograde/Prograde
Sub Coherent Mesoscale Vorticies 10
Exam-2 Material after Exam-1 10
Student Presentations/SOFs 11
Mail to: Jeffrey
D. Paduan