Descriptive Physical Oceanography (eBook)

Front Cover 1
Descriptive Physical Oceanography:An Introduction 4
Copyright 5
Contents 6
Preface 8
Chapter 1 -Introduction to Descriptive Physical Oceanography 10
1.1 -Overview 11
1.2 -Space and TimeScales of Physical Oceanographic Phenomena 12
Chapter 2 -Ocean Dimensions, Shapes, and Bottom Materials 16
2.1 -Dimensions 16
2.2 -Plate Tectonics and Deep-Sea Topography 18
2.3 -Seafloor Features 23
2.4 -Spatial Scales 23
2.5 -Shore, Coast, and Beach 24
2.6 -Continental Shelf, Slope, and Rise 26
2.7 -Deep Ocean 26
2.8 -Sills, Straits, and Passages 28
2.9 -Methods for Mapping Bottom Topography 28
2.10 -Bottom Material 29
2.11 -Ocean Basins 30
Chapter 3 -Physical Properties of Seawater 38
3.1 -Molecular Properties of Water 38
3.2 -Pressure 39
3.3 -Thermal Properties of Seawater: Temperature, Heat, and Potential Temperature 41
3.4 -Salinity and Conductivity 43
3.5 -Density of Seawater 46
3.6 -Tracers 55
3.7 -Sound in the Sea 58
3.8 -Light and the Sea 63
3.9 -Ice in the Sea 69
Chapter 4 -Typical Distributions of Water Characteristics 76
4.1 -Introduction 76
4.2 -Temperature Distribution of the Oceans 78
4.3 -Salinity Distribution 92
4.4 -Density Distribution 101
4.5 -Dissolved Oxygen 107
4.6 -Nutrients and Other Tracers 108
4.7 -Age, Turnover Time, and Ventilation Rate 111
4.8 -Optical Properties of Seawater 115
Chapter 5 -Mass, Salt, and Heat Budgets and Wind Forcing 120
5.1 -Conservation of Volume and Mass 120
5.2 -Conservation of Salt 124
5.3 -Three Examples of the two Conservation Principles 126
5.4 -Conservation of Heat Energy the Heat Budget
5.5 -Geographic Distribution and Temporal Variation of the Heat-Budget Terms 142
5.6 -Meridional Heat Transport 147
5.7 -Buoyancy Fluxes 149
5.8 -Wind Forcing 151
Chapter 6 -Data Analysis Concepts and Observational Methods 156
6.1 -Oceanographic Sampling 158
6.2 -Observational Error 159
6.3 -Basic Statistical Concepts 160
6.4 -Variation in Space: Profiles, Vertical Sections, and Horizontal Maps 169
6.5 -Variation in Time 174
6.6 -Multidimensional Sampling 182
6.7 -Water Property (Water Mass) Analyses 188
Glossary 194
Chapter 7 -Dynamical Processes for Descriptive Ocean Circulation 196
7.1 -Introduction: Mechanisms 196
7.2 -Momentum Balance 197
7.3 -Temperature, Salinity, and Density Evolution 201
7.4 -Mixing Layers 203
7.5 -Response to Wind Forcing 205
7.6 -Geostrophic Balance 209
7.7 -Vorticity, Potential Vorticity, Rossby and Kelvin Waves, and Instabilities 216
7.8 -Wind-Driven Circulation: Sverdrup Balance and Western Boundary Currents 220
7.9 -Wind-Driven Circulation: Eastern Boundary Currents and Equatorial Circulation 225
7.10 -Buoyancy (Thermohaline) Forcing and Abyssal Circulation 227
Chapter 8 -Gravity Waves, Tides, and Coastal Oceanography 232
8.1 -Introduction 232
8.2 -General Properties of Waves 232
8.3 -Surface Gravity Waves 233
8.4 -Internal Gravity Waves 241
8.5 -Large-Scale Continental Shelf and Coastal-Trapped Waves 246
8.6 -Tides 246
8.7 -Water Properties in Coastal Regions: River Runoff 252
8.8 -Estuaries 252
8.9 -Coral Reefs 253
8.10 -Adjacent Seas 253
Chapter 9 -Atlantic Ocean 254
9.1 -Introduction and Overview 254
9.2 -Forcing 258
9.3 -North Atlantic Circulation 259
9.4 -Tropical Atlantic Circulation 272
9.5 -South Atlantic Circulation 277
9.6 -Depth Dependence of the Atlantic Ocean Circulation 282
9.7 -Meridional Overturning Circulation in the Atlantic 289
9.8 -Atlantic Ocean Water Masses 290
9.9 -Climate and the Atlantic Ocean 310
Chapter 10 -Pacific Ocean 312
10.1 -Introduction and Overview 312
10.2 -Wind and Buoyancy Forcing 315
10.3 -North Pacific Circulation 316
10.4 -South Pacific Circulation 331
10.5 -Pacific Ocean Mesoscale Eddy Variability 336
10.6 -Depth Dependence of the Pacific Ocean Circulation and Meridional Overturn 337
10.7 -Tropical Pacific Circulation and Water Properties 341
10.8 -El Niño/ La Niña and The Southern Oscillation (ENSO) 355
10.9 -Pacific Ocean Water Masses 359
10.10 -Decadal Climate Variability and Climate Change 371
Chapter 11 -Indian Ocean 372
11.1 -Introduction and Overview 372
11.2 -Wind and Buoyancy Forcing 374
11.3 -Monsoonal and Tropical Ocean Circulation 376
11.4 -South Indian Ocean Subtropical Circulation 379
11.5 -Indonesian Throughflow 388
11.6 -Red Sea and Persian Gulf Outflows 390
11.7 -Intermediate and Deep Circulation 393
11.8 -Water Masses 396
11.9 -Climate and the Indian Ocean 408
Chapter 12 -Arctic Ocean and Nordic Seas 410
12.1 -Introduction 410
12.2 -The Nordic Seas 411
12.3 -Baffin Bay and Hudson Bay 419
12.4 -Arctic Ocean: Circulation and Ice Drift 421
12.5 -Arctic Ocean Water Masses 426
12.6 -Arctic Ocean Transports and Budgets 437
12.7 -Sea Ice in the Arctic 439
12.8 -Climate Variations and the Arctic 444
Chapter 13 -Southern Ocean 446
13.1 -Introduction 446
13.2 -Forcing 448
13.3 -Southern Ocean Fronts and Zones 450
13.4 -Southern Ocean Circulation and Transports 458
13.5 -Southern Ocean Water Masses 464
13.6 -Eddies in the Southern Ocean 475
13.7 -Sea Ice in the Southern Ocean 477
13.8 -Climate Variability in the Southern Ocean 479
Chapter 14 -Global Circulation and Water Properties 482
14.1 -Global Circulation 483
14.2 -Global Mass Transports and Overturning Circulation 489
14.3 -Heat and Freshwater Transports and Ocean Circulation 500
14.4 -Global Property Distributions 503
14.5 -Eddy Variability and Diffusivity 510
14.6 -Climate and the Global Ocean 519
References 522
Index 554
Color Plates 566