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Introduction to Physical Oceanography

Second Edition

John A. Knauss

 “Physical oceanography” encompasses a broad range of subjects, from heat transfer to sound and optics. Knauss brings all these disparate fields together in this comprehensive text. He strikes a balance between purely descriptive texts and mathematically rigorous ones, assuming readers only have knowledge of elementary calculus and physics. This results in a straightforward, readable book that makes the material accessible both to readers specializing in physical oceanography and those from other disciplines who need to understand the fundamental principles of physical oceanography.
 

$48.95 list, 309 pages

10-digit ISBN: 1-57766-429-9

13-digit ISBN: 978-1-57766-429-1

© 1997

Table of Contents

1. Overview

What We Observe in the Ocean / Ocean Circulation / Waves / How the Ocean Is Observed / A Word about Units

2. A Stratified Ocean

The Equation of State / Potential Temperature / Stability / Some Consequences of a Stratified Ocean / T-S Diagrams

3. The Transfer of Heat Across the Ocean Surface

Sun’s Radiative Energy (Q_s) / Back Radiation (Q_b) / Evaporation (Q_e) / Sensible Heat Loss (Q_h) / Variation in Incoming Radiation / Local Heat Balance: The Seasonal Thermocline / Surface Temperature of the Ocean / Sea Ice and Halocline Formation

4. Global Balances: The Conservation Equations

Global Heat Balance / Global Water and Salt Balance / The Conservation Equations / Mixing, Stirring, Turbulence, and Diffusion / Box Models and Mixing Times

5. Equations of Motion

Acceleration / Pressure Gradient / Coriolis Force / Gravity: Equal Potential Surfaces / Friction / Equations of Motion / Vorticity

6. The Effect of the Earth’s Rotation

Rossby Number / Geostrophic Flow / Margule’s Equation / Barotropic and Baroclinic Fluids / Inclined Plane with Friction / Available Potential Energy / Wind Stress: Ekman Transport / Upwelling: Ekman Pumping / The General Circulation: A First Look / The General Circulation: Western Boundary Currents / Terminal Velocity

7. Major Ocean Currents

Western Boundary Currents: The Gulf Stream and Kuroshio / Eastern Boundary Currents: The California Current System / Equatorial Currents / El Niño Southern Oscillation / Antarctic Circumpolar Current / Currents of the Indian Ocean

8. The Distribution of Temperature and Salinity

Thermohaline Circulation and Core Analysis / The Mediterranean Outflow / Basins and Sills: The Role of Bottom Topography in Determining Temperature and Salinity Distributions / Formation of Water Types (Water Masses) / Characterization of Water Masses / Vertical Mixing / Deep Western Boundary Currents / Mesoscale Eddies / Microstructure: Energy Dissipation / Langmuir Circulation

9. Wind-Generated Waves

Wave Characteristics / Particle Motion / Wave Energy and Wave Dispersion / Wave Spectrum and the Fully Developed Seas / Stokes Waves and Capillary Waves / Wave Formation, Propagation, and Dissipation / Longshore Currents and Rip Currents

10. Tides and Other Waves

Tsunami / Seiches / Edge Waves / Very Long Waves: The Coriolis Effect / Internal Waves / Tidal Forces / Equilibrium and Dynamic Theory of Tides / Ocean Tides / Tidal Currents

11. The Coastal Ocean and Semienclosed Seas

Convective Flow in an Estuary / Types of Estuaries / Estuarine Circulation / Estuarine Residence Time / Coastal Processes / Semienclosed Seas

12. Sound and Optics

Some Definitions Used in Underwater Sound / Sound Velocity: The Deep Sound Channel / Transmission Loss / Absorption and Scattering / Ambient Noise / Refraction and Reflection / Underwater Optics

Appendix 1: Selected Reading

Appendix 2: Units—Definitions, Abbreviations, and Conversions

Appendix 3: Some Useful Values