Introduction to Geophysical Fluid Dynamics

4 units · Undergraduate upper division (100-199)

Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Requisites: courses 101, 103, or equivalent courses in fluid mechanics or transport phenomena. Intermediate course on atmospheric and ocean dynamics. Topics include vorticity and potential vorticity, waves, quasi-geostrophic theory, barotropic and baroclinic instability, Ekman layer. Study combines theory and rotating tank experiments. Letter grading.