EOSC 471 · Waves, Currents, and Mixing in the Ocean

Course Description

Use of observations, theory and model results to solve physical oceanographic problems including applications to transport and mixing of pollutants or nutrients.

Learning Goals

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. use observations, theory and/or model results to solve physical oceanography problems;
2. use computational analysis to visualize and to extract quantitative results from observations and model results
3. use fluid dynamical scaling to determine what processes are important and to characterize flows using non-dimensional numbers
4. and, in addition by the end of the course, students will have an acquired appreciation of current research topics in physical oceanography

Instructors

Susan Allen and Rich Pawlowicz

Course Content

 EOSC 471  specializes in physical oceanography (in comparison with EOSC 470 and 472 which focus on biological and chemical oceanography respectively).  It builds on the broad third-year oceanography courses and prepares students for their capstone project course, EOSC 473.

EOSC 471 is focused on tools such as the analysis of observations and model results and their application to physical oceanography. Students in oceanography (all branches), atmospheric science and environmental science will benefit from the exposure to these current tools as they are used across fields and outside academia in environmental consulting.

The complicated prerequisite structure is to give access to as many students as possible but ensuring that they have

1. skills with scientific programming on a common platform (EOSC 211)
2. basic force balances in the ocean (same as atmosphere) (EOSC 372 or ATSC 201 or GEOB 200)
3. calculus (first year integral and differential calculus) (required by EOSC 211)
4. physics of waves (first year, first course)

The course will encompass three topics (currently Surface Ocean & Wave/Sea Interaction, Large Scale Overturning, Mixing & Stirring and Coastal Oceanography of the West Coast of Canada) to provide students with the opportunity to combine observations, theory and model results to solve problems related to ocean waves, currents and mixing. Applications to transport and mixing of chemical/biological tracers (e.g. nutrients, pollutants, larval fish) will be included.

Lecture Topics (2021)

Labs

This course will be taught in a one hour + two hour format, with the two-hour block in a computer lab.

A significant component of the course will be three mini-projects. Two of these projects will be group based. Each project will be allocated 2 hours initial time in the computer laboratory to ensure students have access to the materials and tools they need and to facilitate group dynamics.