OCEA0015-1 : Principles of interdisciplinary study of sea systems

Study Programmes 2015-2016

OCEA0015-1

Principles of interdisciplinary study of sea systems

Duration :

20h Th, 20h Pr

Number of credits :

Master in oceanography (120 ECTS)		3

Lecturer :

Marilaure Grégoire

Language(s) of instruction :

French language

Organisation and examination :

Teaching in the second semester

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Course contents :

The course focuses on the description and understanding of the interactions between marine physical and biogeochemical processes from the small to the large space and time scales.
Table des matières:
Chapter I : The geohydrodynamic context

Introduction
Space and Time scales, spectral window
Mathematical modelling

Chapitre II The geohydrodynamic variability
I The internal forces

A. The molecular effects
B. The stratification and internal waves
C. The Coriolis effect
D. The earth curvature effect

II The external forces
The heat exchange at the air sea interface

Chapitre III: Processes on a scale of less than 1 kilometer

Biology and boundary layers
Vertical structure of the open ocean: biology of the mixed layer
Vertical structure in coastal waters: freshwater run-off and tidal mixing.

Chapitre IV: Processes on a scale of 1-1000 kilometers

Vertical structure in coastal waters: coastal upwelling regions
Fronts in coastal waters
Tides, tidal mixing, and internal waves

Learning outcomes of the course :

To study the marin system in an interdisciplinary view

Prerequisite knowledge and skills :

Planned learning activities and teaching methods :

Small research work on the subject and presentation of this work.

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :

5-6 theoritical course