Sciences and Teaching of Natural Systems

CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SEAWATER. Definition of the main hydrological parameters: temperature, salinity, density. Sea ice: properties and formation processes. Typical distributions of hydrological characteristics in the global ocean: spatial and temporal variability. WATER, SALT AND HEAT BALANCE EQUATIONS IN OCEAN BASINS. Knudsen relations, example budgets for Mediterranean and Black Sea. INTRODUCTION TO OCEAN DYNAMICS. Equation of continuity. Equations of motion; main forces involved in ocean dynamics; Coriolis force. Scaling analysis of the equations of motion and their most important approximations: traditional approximation, geostrophic balance and relative degeneracy. Ekman spiral, drift currents. LARGE-SCALE OCEAN CIRCULATION. Prevailing winds on the globe at the sea level. Wind-induced circulation at global scale: subtropical and subpolar gyres, Antarctic circumpolar current. Potential vorticity and its conservation. Westward intensification. Thermohaline circulation: thermocline theories; formation of intermediate and deep waters. Vorticity in the open ocean, deep western bounday currents. The oceanic conveyor belt. Mediterranean amalogues of large-scale ocean circulation mechanisms.

Basics of calculus and classical physics

G.L.PICKARD, W.J.EMERY: Descriptive Physical Oceanography, Pergamon Press; R.H.STEWART: Introduction to Physical Oceanography, available online; M.TOMCZAK, J.S.GODFREY: Regional Oceanography, Pergamon Press.

Attendance is strongly recommended, even though not mandatory.

Profit will be assessed through an oral examination designed to test the knowledge acquired during the course. In order to proceed to the core of the exam students will be asked an initial question on a geostrophic situation.

Frontal teaching will be carried out at the blackboard and/or using multimedial sources and materials