OC4331 Mesoscale Oceanography, Summer 99
(last updated: 30 August 99)

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.

 

NOTE: There will be class on Mon-Tues, 30-31 August!

General Information

VITAL STATISTCS

SYLLABUS

CLASS CALENDAR

Objective Analysis Lab

Reading Assignments for course journals

Final Projects instructions and topics list


VITAL STATISTICS

INSTRUCTOR:	Prof. Jeffrey D. Paduan  (Code OC/Pd)
OFFICE:		Spanagel 348
PHONE:		656-3350
OFFICE HOURS:	0830-0930, M-Th

QUARTER:	Summer 99

LECTURE
	WHERE:	Spanagel 316
	WHEN:	Mon, Tues, Wed, Thur 1100-1150

PROPOSED GRADING
		Journal Notebooks and Lab Excercise(s)		25%
		2 Midterm Exams					25% each
		Final Project					25%
		(no Final Exam)

SPECIAL DATES
		Monday,   6 Sept:	Labor Day Holiday

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 99


General Topic	Subtopics				Week
------------------------------------------------------------------
Introduction	General Circ. versus "eddies"		1
		Eddy Paradox (Gill/Ped)
		1 1/2 Layer Model

MODE		Eddy time/length scales			1/2
		Sampling Methods/Problems

Objective	Techniques/Pitfalls			2
Analysis	Computer Lab Assign

Gulf Stream	Cold Core Rings				3
Rings		Warm Core Rings				3/4

OTIS		Navy Operational Mapping		4
		DAMEE Ex., FNMOC Lecture

Northeast	STORMS Drifter Examples			4
Pacific Eddies	Niiler & Hall Mooring

Exam-1		All of the above			5

Eastern Bndry	California Current Examples		5
Current Eddies	Squirts and Jets vs. Eddies

Fronts		FASINEX Experiment			6
		SUBDUCTION Experiment
		Retrograde/Prograde

Instability	Hydrodynamic Instability		6/7
Theory		Barotropic Instability

Instability	1.5 Layer BT Instability		7/8
Theory (cont)	Baroclinic Instability
		Energy Considerations

Isolated	Self and topo. interactions		9
Vorticies	Propagation on beta-plane

Satellite Alt	Finding eddies with altimeters		9
		Data assimilation examples

Sub Coherent Mesoscale Vorticies			10

Exam-2		Recent Material				10

Student Present	2/day on above topics			10/11

Catch-up/Review	SOFs					11

Mail to: Jeffrey D. Paduan