Descriptive Oceanography

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Objectives

1. To acquire knowledge on qualitative description and basic fundamentals of oceanographic processes in the areas of Biological Oceanography / Chemistry / Physics, as well as its application to the marine environment.

2. To introduce some Meteorological concepts to students since these are fundamental to the perception of oceanic processes.

3. Deepen some issues related to the Ocean, so that students stay with a general sense of the recent developments of scientific research in these areas and at different scales (global to regional), as well as fit within a perspective of its importance for the marine studies in the Azores region.

4. It is intended also that together with other disciplines of the Master course, the students acquire new knowledge on the development of techniques (quantification) and concepts (explanation) leading to oceanographic multidisciplinary research.

Program

1. Classes 1.2-Introduction to Oceanography. Meteorology concept. Scales of atmospheric and oceanic phenomena.

2. Class 3-Geography of the Oceans.

3. Classes 4 to 7 - Mathematics Concepts-Review. Seawater properties: density; temperature; salinity; pressure; vertical stratification in the ocean; turbulence. Types of clinas the ocean. Heat transfer forms, light and sound in the oceans.

4. Classes 9 and 10-Composition of seawater. Iron Hypothesis. Components of the climatic system. Main generating mechanisms of oceanic movements. Coriolis force.

5. Classes 11 and 12-Thermohaline circulations and induced by the wind. Types of forcing mechanisms in the Ocean. "Eddies" and Gyres (subtropical). Oceanographic instrumentation.

6. Class 13 Barotropic and baroclini flows. Eulerian and Lagrangian movements. Water masses.

7. Classes 14 and 15-Waves and Tides. Sverdrup model (and more recent) and the development of blooms, temporal and spatial patterns of variation.

Teaching Methodologies

The mode of transmission of the syllabus, which is theoretical and presential, shall be made through the slide show, including if it is deemed necessary, the use of videos. Classes are taught in order to encourage the interrogation and discussion of the issues with students in a learning perspective of science not in the form of memorization but understanding and question. At the end it will be available the most relevant supporting documentation through the learning platform "Moodle" and Dropbox. All classes will be available to students in "pdf" format where summaries are also incorporated. In each lecture specific literature on the topics presented. hall be provided to students.

Bibliography

Geral/General:

Bigg, G. R., The Oceans and Climate, edited by Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 266 pp., 1996.

Longhurst, A., Ecological Geography of the Sea, edited by Academic Press, London, UK, 398 pp., 1998.

Mann, K.H., and J. R. N. Lazier, Dynamics of Marine Ecosystems – Biological Physical Interactions in the Oceans, edited by Blackwell Science, Massachusetts, USA, 394 pp., 1996.

Open University, Ocean Circulation, edited by Open University and Pergamon Press, Milton Keynes, UK, 238 pp., 1989.

Parsons, T. R., M. Takahashi, and B. Hargrave, Biological Oceanograhic Processes, edited by Pergamon Press, Oxford, UK, 330 pp., 1984.

Pinet, P. R., Invitation to Oceanography, edited by OceanLink, Web Enhanced Edition, 508 pp., 1998.

Summerhayes, C. P., and S. A. Thorpe, Oceanography edited by Manson Publishing, London, UK, 352 pp., 1996.

Code

0200903

ECTS Credits

4

Classes

  • Seminário - 2 hours
  • Teóricas - 28 hours

Evaluation Methodology

  • 1st Frequency: 50%
  • 2nd Frequency: 50%