Nov 30, 2024  
2021 - 2022 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
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2021 - 2022 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

MSCI 401A - Fundamentals of Marine Science, Physical Oceanography

Credits: (2)
Prerequisite(s): MSCI 330  or BIOL 330  or GEOL 330 , and MATH 111  or permission of instructor
This course provides an introduction to the various types and scales of motion in the ocean, the global heat budget, major water masses, and processes controlling distributions of temperature and salinity. Discussions on phenomena associated with water motion will include global circulation, wind-driven circulation in ocean basins, tides, coastal upwelling, storm surge, waves, turbulence, and circulation in estuaries. Underlying dynamics governing water motion will be presented, elucidating the role of the rotation of the earth. The El Nino/La Nina oscillation will be examined as a key example of large-scale ocean-atmosphere interactions. MSCI 401A requires co-registration with the relevant MSCI 401R .