Ocean Science/Earth Science 512:

 Fall 2000

 Introduction to Chemical and Physical Oceanography

  (3 units)



TTh 9:00-10:20, Discussion TTh 10:20-10:50 (not exactly what is in course schedule)


 Professor Hammond  email: dhammond@usc.edu Office Hours: MWF 10-12 or by appointment
 Office SCI 325B  telephone: x05837


Catalogue Description:
Principles of physical, chemical, and geological oceanography including discussions of air-sea interaction, biogeochemical cycling and the role of the ocean in modulating climate and atmospheric composition; discusion section section will cover formulation of basic calculations that illustrate these principles. Pre-requisite: CHEM 105bL, MATH 126.

Lecture Topics: This list will be modified slightly based on the interests of those enrolled. Oceanography is a very inter-disciplinary science, and the objective of this course will be to review diverse topics that are pertinent to understanding the basic dynamics of ocean circulation and chemistry, necessary to understand the role of the ocean in past or potential global change.

History & Morphology of the Oceans
Plate Tectonics
Sea Salt, Geochemical Cycles & Residence Time
Water, Air, Ice, and Salt
Density & Pressure in the Oceans
Salinity, Temperature & Density; Property-property plots
Climatology
Temperature Structure of the Ocean
Mixing Processes in the Ocean
Light and Sound in the Oceans
Satellite Oceanography
Measurements in the Ocean
Currents & Their Role in Global Climate
The Vertical Distribution of Bioactive Elements
Dissolved Gases, A.O.U. & Redfield Ratios
Radiocarbon & Box Models
Carbonate Equilibria (Alkalinity, pH, and Speciation)
Carbon & Atmospheric pCO2
Deep Sea Sediments & Sediment Traps
Material Transport Processes
Sediment Transport
The Use of Radioisotopes for Oceanography
The Atmosphere & the Oceans
Climate Change & Paleooceanography
Estuaries
Oceanography of the Southern California Bight

Grading: Exam I = 35%, Exam II = 35%, Prob. Sets = 30%

FINAL EXAM THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17 - 11:00 A.M.

Text: Wells, N. (1997) The Atmosphere and Ocean, 2nd ed., Wiley, 394 pp.

Selected Chapters from other books and class notes.


Lecture Schedule

 Date  Topic  Reading
 Aug. 29  Introduction: Origin of Oceans and Atmosphere  p. 28-35
 Aug. 31  Morphology of the Oceans and Plate Tectonics  Any Intro Geol text
 Sept. 5  Sea salt, Geochemical cycles& Residence Time  
 Sept. 7  Salinity, Temperature & Density Distributions  p. 38-58
 Sept. 12  Atmospheric Structure and Circulation  Ch. 3
 Sept. 14  Water in the Atmosphere  Ch. 4
 Sept. 19  Global Heat Budgets  Ch. 5
 Sept. 21  Oceanic and Atmospheric Water Budgets
 Sept. 26  Currents and Current Measurements  Ch. 6
 Sept. 28  Currents and Geostrophic Flow  Ch. 7
 Oct. 3  Waves and Tides  Ch. 8
 Oct. 5  Currents and Scales of Motion  
 Oct. 10  Mixing Processes in the Ocean  Ch. 9
 Oct. 12  Climate  Ch. 10
 Oct. 17  Exam  
 Oct. 19  Light and Sound in the Oceans  TBA
 Oct. 24  Measurements from Space  
 Oct. 26   Measurements from Space  
 Oct. 31  Vertical Distribution of Bioactive Elements  
 Nov. 2  Dissolved Gases, AOU and Redfield Ratios  
 Nov. 7  Property-Property plots, T-S, Water masses, & Abyssal Circulation  
 Nov. 9  Radiocarbon and Box models  
 Nov. 14  Carbonate Equilibria  
 Nov. 16  Carbon Budgets and Atmospheric pCO2  
 Nov. 21  Deep Sea Sediments and Sediment Traps  
 Nov. 23  Thanksgiving  
 Nov. 28  Estuaries  
 Nov. 30  El Nino-Southern Oscillation  
 Dec. 3  Use of Stable Isotopes in Oceanography  
 Dec. 7  Climate Change and Paleoceanography