Ocean Circulation Theory

This book describes the advances made in the last decade and a half in the theory of the ocean circulation. Based on an advanced graduate level course it represents fundamental insights into the structure of the physical theory of the large-scale dynamics of the oceans. Topics of particular interest are: theory of the wind-driven circulation, the thermocline, the equatorial circulation and the abyssal circulation. The author has attempted throughout to blend analytical and numerical results to achieve as deep a physical understanding of the dynamics of the large-scale circulations as possible. The results of the theories are compared with observations and the success or inadequacies of the theories are highlighted.

---

The waters of the earth are gathered in shallow, irregular, interconnecting basins. Heated by the sun and driven by the wind, the oceans circulate endlessly. The general circulation of the ocean is the persistent pattern of this flow on the scale of the basins. It is the heart and soul of physical oceanography, and the explanation and prediction of the flow from the principles of fluid dynamics is the chief goal of the physical oceanographer. Along with the pattern of the motion, the associated fields of pressure, temperature, salinity, and density are also necessary components of a complete theory for the ocean circulation since they are dynamically linked to the motion of the oceans. The physical problem posed by the general circulation of the oceans is a difficult one both experimentally and theoretically. From the point of view of theoretical fluid mechanics the difficulty springs fundamentally from the recirculating character of the circulation. The fluid is gathered into a single, though highly contorted basin.