Dynamical oceanography

FaculteitFaculty of Science

NiveauMaster

Studiejaar2026-2027

Beschrijving

Course goals

Main focus: Physical processes responsible for the present-day ocean and shelf sea circulation

By the end of the course, the student is able to:

capture the complexity of the large-scale wind-driven and thermohaline-driven ocean circulation in a series of mathematical frameworks, and understands under what assumptions these frameworks are valid
describe the effect of salinity, temperature, pressure on density; and how stratification impacts 3D ocean flows
model and describe the physical concepts of ocean-atmosphere coupled processes and ocean adjustment processes related to El Nino
value how ocean circulation is a key driver for climate and marine ecology
critically assess the suitability of different observational approaches
design an oceanographic expedition strategy, accounting for ship time, instrument constraints, and environmental conditions
use techniques from science communication to translate recent, technical advancements in physical oceanography to a broader audience

Content

The ocean circulation is driven by wind-forcing and by density differences, the latter arising through gradients in temperature and salinity. This course focuses on understanding the physical processes that determine the spatial pattern and magnitude of the currents and their variability. After a recapitulation of basic principles of geophysical fluid dynamics, the theory of the steady homogeneous wind-driven ocean circulation will be presented. It leads to an explanation of the presence of strong western boundary currents in midlatitude ocean basins (i.e., the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean). Subsequently, the midlatitude theory is extended to include transient phenomena (waves, eddies and instabilities). Next, a basic view of the processes governing the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is presented. The ocean's vertical density distribution serves as an introduction to the theory of the planetary density driven (or thermohaline) circulation. Finally, the impact of ocean currents in storing and redistributing anthropogenic carbon and heat is discussed, as well as the role these currents have in transporting organisms and (plastic) litter, thereby shaping marine ecosystems.
A key aspect of the course is the planning and execution of a ‘Virtual Ship’ expedition, where groups of students learn how to prepare and analyse the data of a measurement campaign in specific regions of the ocean.

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