Fundamentals Of Estuarine Physical Oceanography

This book provides an introduction to the complex system functions, variability and human interference in ecosystem between the continent and the ocean. It focuses on circulation, transport and mixing of estuarine and coastal water masses, which is ultimately related to an understanding of the hydrographic and hydrodynamic characteristics (salinity, temperature, density and circulation), mixing processes (advection and diffusion), transport timescales such as the residence time and the exposure time. In the area of physical oceanography, experiments using these water bodies as a natural laboratory and interpreting their circulation and mixing processes using theoretical and semi-theoretical knowledge are of fundamental importance. Small-scale physical models may also be used together with analytical and numerical models. The book highlights the fact that research and theory are interactive, and the results provide the fundamentals for the development of the estuarine research.

The rapidly developing field of oceanography has necessitated the publication of a fifth edition of this classic textbook. The revised version provides an introduction to descriptive (synoptic) oceanography and contains updated information on topics such as the heat budget, instruments and in particular, the use of satellites. The sections on equatorial oceanography, sea-ice physics, distribution and El Nino have been completely rewritten. The book is further supplemented by text on thermohaline circulation, mixing and also coral reef oceanography.

Estuaries is a comprehensive introductory text emphasizing the physical processes involved in the mixing of sea and river water and the transport of fine sediments within the complex estuarine topographic context. The theoretical and mathematical formulation of these processes are treated at a fairly elementary level, and are used to develop a foundation for more extensive study. The second edition retains the classical approaches to the tidally averaged circulation and mixing conditions but broadens them to consider recent advances in the understanding of processes occurring within the tide. The scope has also been widened to include more detail on the morphology of estuaries and their development, the fluxes of suspended fine sediments, and the generation and maintenance of turbidity maximum. The book provides an excellent introduction for research students in oceanography, environmental science, geography, geology, and water and coastal engineering. It will also be useful as a reference book for those working in water quality, morphological modelling and estuarine environmental management.

For decades, previous editions of John Knauss’s seminal work have struck a balance between purely descriptive texts and mathematically rigorous ones, giving a wide range of marine scientists access to the fundamental principles of physical oceanography. Newell Garfield continues this tradition, delivering valuable updates that highlight the book’s resourceful presentation and concise effectiveness. The authors include historical and current research, along with a 12-page color insert, to illuminate their perspective that the world ocean is tumultuous and continually helps to shape global environmental processes. The Third Edition builds a solid foundation that readers will find straightforward and lucid. It presents valuable insight into our understanding of the world ocean by: • Encompassing essential oceanic processes such as the transfer of heat across the ocean surface, the distribution of temperature and salinity, and the effect of the earth’s rotation on the ocean. • Providing sensible and well-defined explanations of the roles played by a stratified ocean, global balances, and equations of motion. • Discussing cogent topics such as major currents, tides, waves, coastal oceans, semienclosed seas, and sound and optics.

"This book is intended as a graduate-level textbook and professional reference on the physical oceanography of the continental shelf and slope. Defined as water deeper than about three meters and shallower than a kilometer, this region of the ocean is important for a variety of scientific and practical reasons, from its high biological productivity and role in distributing outflows from the continents to its heavy usage in transportation and recreation. In recent years, research on the coastal ocean has expanded as the study of both short- and long-term anthropogenic change has become increasingly urgent. Yet there is no comprehensive treatment of the dynamics of this critical region. The book covers a range of topics involving currents and water properties, including turbulent boundary layers, wind driving, tides, buoyancy currents, waves, instabilities, and connections with the open, deep ocean. Brink's approach-informed by over a decade teaching the corresponding course in Woods Hole/MIT's joint program-centers on the dynamics of particular processes and combinations of processes, but also includes copious observational examples. Intended to be accessible to graduate students in a range of oceanographic specialties, the book assumes 2-3 years of university-level math and at least an introductory course in quantitative physical oceanography"--

Elements of Physical Oceanography provides a broad look at most of the topics of concern to Physical Oceanography without treating any part of the subject matter completely or exhaustively. This book originated in a set of lecture notes for an introductory course in Physical Oceanography given by the author in the Department of Oceanography and Meteorology at Texas A&M University. The book is organized into three parts. Part I on descriptive oceanography covers topics such as nature of oceanographic data, the chemical nature of the ocean, the temperature of the ocean, and temperature-salinity relationships. Part II on oceanic movements discusses accelerations arising from mass distribution and the Earth’s rotation, geostrophic and wind driven currents, waves, and tides. Part III covers various topics such as sound propagation, the heat budget of the ocean, and estuaries. This book aims to provide the non-physical oceanographer with insight into the physical nature of the environment influencing his chosen studies. The physical oceanographer will be somewhat less than satisfied with the treatment and will wish to read the publications referred to and to follow the suggestions for additional reading.