Welcome to SEA 2003F

Introduction to Physical Oceanography and Marine Disasters

About me!

Senior Lecturer in Oceanography at UCT BSc in England University of Plymouth MSc and PhD - University of Cape Town

TOPP secret weapon 2

Elephant Seals

1,000,000+ TD profiles since 2000 Now CTDs, Pala, 06, Science 313

Professor Frank Shillington HOD - Oceanography, Room 125 R W James Building Senior Lecturer and SEA2003F course convenor Dr Isabelle Ansorge Resource Centre Mrs Nadia Jabaar Admin Assistant Ms Rachmat Harris Tutorials Tuesday SCI-lab C 2-5pm starting 16th February

www.sea.uct.ac.za

Why Study the Ocean?

The role of the ocean on weather and climate is often discussed in the news

Who has not heard of El Nio and changing weather patterns?

Who has not heard of El Nio and changing weather patterns?

Everybody gets the blame from time to time for something trivial: squeezing the toothpaste from the middle of the tube or eating the last biscuit in the tin. But a retired naval pilot from Nipomo in California is being accused of the greatest feat of global manipulation ever. And all because his name is Al Nino.

or The Atlantic hurricane season and storm surges?

or The Boxing Day Tsunami?

or Unseasonal weather patterns

Yet, what exactly is the role of the ocean? And, why do we, or should we, care?

Why is Oceanography important?

Climate and extreme weather

Rainfall in Africa

ENERGY

coral reefs

coralline algae

coccolithophores

foraminifera

pteropods

ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION AND BIODIVERSITY

AGRICULTURE

Observing the Ocean -2Platforms TOPP secret weapon

Elephant Seals

1,000,000+ TD profiles since 2000 Now CTDs, Pala, 06, Science 313

Observing the Ocean - ARGO

TOPP secret weapon 2

Elephant Seals

1,000,000+ TD profiles since 2000 Now CTDs, Pala, 06, Science 313

Mean Circulation in the Ocean

Mean Circulation in the Ocean

How do we define the science of Oceanography?

What phenomena do physical oceanographers study?*

surface and internal waves, air-sea exchanges, turbulence and mixing, acoustics, heating and cooling, wave and wind-induced currents, tides, tsunamis, storm surges, large-scale waves affected by earth's rotation, large-scale eddies, general circulation and its changes, coupled ocean-atmosphere dynamics for weather and climate.

What forces act on the ocean?

wind, evaporation, precipitation, heating and cooling seasons waves tides, Earthquakes - tsunamis.

Reading suggestions

Descriptive Physical Oceanography: An Introduction. by

George Pickard and William Emery (Pdf available form me)

Introduction to Physical Oceanography. by Robert Stewart

G. L. Pickard, Descriptive Physical Oceanography . S. Pond and G. L. Pickard, Introductory Dynamical Oceanography.

Regional Oceanography: An Introduction. by Matthias

Tomczak and Stuart Godfrey.

Modis 8-day composite of Chlorophyll-a concentration for 2-10 February 2004

OFFSHORE MOVEMENT

BLOOM

UPWELLING

CARBON BURIAL

Week 1

Large scale bathymetry Origins of Ocean basins Marine Sedimentation Assignment Practice Quiz Week 2 Wind and ocean circulation Assignment Critical thinking exercise Week 3 and 4 Vertical structure of the ocean Sea water properties Equation of state Formation of water types Heat and salt budgets Sea ice

Assignment Practice Quiz (week 1) and Critical thinking exercise (week 2)

Week 5 Satellite remote sensing of the global ocean Winds Waves Sea surface temperature (SST) Chlorophyll

Week 6

Waves Wind wave generation Wave propagation Large scale wave forecasting Tsunamis
Tides Global Tides South African tides El Nino and the southern oscillation index Equatorial currents Atlantic Ocean equatorial currents Indian Ocean equatorial currents Monsoon currents - Somali current Hurricanes and tropical storms

Week 7 TEST APRIL 2ND Week 8 Week 9

Week 10

Sub tropical oceans-wind driven gyres Eastern boundary currents (Benguela, Canary, Humbolt, California) Sub tropical oceans-wind driven gyres Western boundary currents (Agulhas, Gulf Stream, Kuroshio, Brazil, Australian) Southern Ocean Circulation in the Southern Ocean Frontal systems Life in the Freezer International Polar Year

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

Revision