Part 6: Ocean Circulation
The Moving Ocean
Ocean circulation redistributes heat, salt, nutrients, and dissolved gases around the globe. Surface currents are driven by winds, while deep circulation (thermohaline) is driven by density differences. Together, they form the global ocean conveyor belt.
Topics in This Part
6.1 Surface Currents
Wind-driven circulation, Ekman transport, gyres
6.2 Thermohaline Circulation
Deep water formation, global conveyor belt
6.3 Upwelling & Downwelling
Coastal and equatorial upwelling, nutrient supply
6.4 Eddies & Gyres
Mesoscale features, western intensification
6.5 Ocean Modeling
Numerical models, prediction, climate projections
Key Equations
Geostrophic Balance
$$f\vec{u} = -\frac{1}{\rho}\nabla p$$
Ekman Transport
$$M_E = \frac{\tau}{\rho f}$$
UCLA: Blue Planet Oceanography
UCLA lectures on ocean circulation patterns and currents.
Blue Planet: Oceanography — Lec 18
Blue Planet: Oceanography — Lec 19
Blue Planet: Oceanography — Lec 20
Oceanography Lectures
Lectures on ocean circulation systems.
Ocean Circulation
NPTEL: Marine Hydrodynamics
Lectures on the fluid dynamics underlying ocean currents, covering conservation laws, flow analysis, and potential theory.
Lec-01 Introduction to Marine Hydrodynamics
Lec-02 Law of Conservation of Mass — Continuity Equation
Lec-03 Streamlines and Flow Direction
Lec-04 Worked Examples on Various Types of Flow
Lec-05 Equation of Motion (Conservation of Momentum)
Lec-06 Applications of Equations of Motion
Lec-07 Applications of Equations of Motion (continued)
Lec-08 Two-Dimensional Flows
Lec-09 Two-Dimensional Flows (continued)
Lec-10 Source, Sink, and Doublet
Climate Modeling: Physical Oceanography
Lectures on physical oceanography fundamentals and ocean modeling from the CLEX Climate Modeling course.
Fundamentals of Physical Oceanography
Ocean Modelling: An Introduction for Everybody