Course Description
An overview of physical processes on estuaries and continental shelves, with emphasis on how those processes affect the coastal ocean biology, chemistry, and geology. Effects of global change on the coastal ocean are included.
Athena Title
ESTUA COAST OCEAN
Prerequisite
MARS 8030 or permission of department
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Physical processes in estuaries and continental shelves play a significant role on biological, chemical and geological processes on the coastal ocean. The objective of this course is to gain working knowledge of the mechanisms controlling the physical circulation, and how the circulation influences the shelf and estuarine ecosystems. Students will participate on field work and analysis of data. Students will be required to make an oral presentation to the class.
Topical Outline
Introduction and overview; importance of coastal oceanography to marine ecosystem; Sampling the coastal ocean, new techniques Waves Deep and shallow-waver waves; Wave energy; Longshore currents, rip currents, and sediment resuspension and transport; Role of waves on cross-isobath transport; Tsunamis Tides Generating forces; Tidal currents; Tidal analysis and prediction; Shallow water effects, tidal mixing and rectification; Tidal fronts Estuaries Classification; Types of circulation; Lateral circulation; Flushing time; Transport of materials (pollutants, larvae) Shelf Circulation Wind forcing, buoyancy forcing; Fronts, upwelling, downwelling and ecosystem implications; Cross-shelf transport and retention mechanisms, implications for biological processes; Pathways that pollutants take through the coastal ocean; Hypoxia; Mixed layer; Coastal-trapped waves; Influence of the Gulf Stream on the Georgia shelf Examples: US East Coast (South/Middle Atlantic Bight) US West Coast (California Current System) Low-Frequency variability Global change; El Nino; La Nina, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, North Atlantic Oscillation, and their effects on the coastal ocean
Syllabus