Physics 645
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics
Fall 2001

New Important Info: Class will meet in 136NSF from 5-6PM Monday and Wednesday and on Friday we will meet from 5-6 in either Rm 401 or Rm 417 in the IARC Building check the calender for which room on which friday.

Instructor: David Newman
Office: 112 NSCI
Office Phone: 474-7858
Home Phone: 458-8576 (if all else fails!! But please not after 11 PM)
Email: ffden@uaf.edu

Office Hours:

Monday 2:00-4:00pm in 112 NSCI

Wednesday 2:00-4:00pm in 112 NSCI

 

 

Semester schedule (calendar)

Homework

Project talk schedule

Project Web Pages

Web information to help with the projects

New and improved Exam 2 (New 12/2/01)

Final Grades (soon)

 

This syllabus is located at: http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/645.html

Course Description

Geophysical Fluid Dynamics deals with large-scale fluid motion on a rotating body (i.e. a planet). Often, the rotation, stratification and surface curvature place important constraints on the dynamics of the fluid. These "fluids" can be oceans, atmospheres, ionized atmospheres, molten rock and even ice. We will develop the mathematical (and hopefully intuitive) tools to study these dynamical systems.

This course will cover the following topics among others:

Characteristics of geophysical fluids

Basic fluid dynamics

Waves and instabilities

Rotation and stratification

Introduction to Turbulence

 

Course Syllabus

Prerequisites: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. Mathematical methods will be used extensively in this course.

Materials Needed:

Required Text:

Introduction to Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Benoit Cushman-Roisin, 1994, Prentice Hall.

Suggested text:

Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Joseph Pedlosky, 1992, Springer-Verlag

Lectures: MWF 5-6PM in 136 NSF on M & W and in Rm 401 or 417 IARC on Fridays (see calender of which). The lectures supplement but do not substitute for the reading. Lectures will cover the major topics, emphasizing and discussing the important points. They are not sessions to regurgitate material already written in the text (though they sometimes may be!). Your personal participation is important, and it is critical that you read the assigned material before lecture. Time permitting, several lectures will cover special topics beyond the scope of the text. These will be announced before hand.

Homework: There will be approximately one homework assignment per week. The assignment will be given out (and posted on the web and in the hall in front of my office) on Wednesdays and will be due in class on the following Wednesday. You are encouraged to work with others on the homework, but please make sure the work you turn in is not simply copied from someone else. These assignments help me assess your understanding of the material, and will count toward the bulk of your final grade.
Late problem sets will not in general be accepted.

Project: There will be a project due worth approximatley 20% of the course grade. The project will be in the form of a web page and presentaion on a topic in geophysical fluids that you find interesting and we agree on together. These topics could include research you are involved in,as well as general topics of interest and importance in GFD. The topic must be agreed to by Oct 18th and must be competed by Dec. 10th. They will be graded both for presentation and content. More details will be discussed in class.

Exams: Exams will be take home exams: Check back for more details and dates

 

Grading: The course grade will consist of the following components:

	2 take home exams	30 %
	Homework	50 %
	Project		20 %

Contacting Me: I have office hours 2:30 - 4:30 Mondays and Wednesday. You can drop by at other times if I'm not busy, or make an appointment. I am (almost) never available before class.

Complaints and Concerns: You are always welcome to talk to me about anything, however, if you have a non-subject matter question or concern that cannot be resolved by me contact the department chair, Dr. Watkins, Physics Department Office, room 102 NSCI.

Alternate References: To see the same topics explained differently, try the following:

Lectures on Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Rick Salmon, Oxford University Press

Fluid Mechanics, P. Kundu, Academic Press

An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology, J. Holton

Physical Fluid Dynamics, D. J. Tritton, Oxford University Press
   
Atmosphere-Ocean Dynamics, Adrian E. Gill, Acidemic Press

Elementary Fluid Dynamics, D. J. Acheson, Oxford Press

   under construction (let me know any which you find and like)

General Advice: Physics is not something you read and memorize, rather it is something you learn how to do. Try the following study procedure:

  1. Read the material prior to lecture, so that you will know what it's about.
  2. Listen carefully to the lecture and take notes, ask questions and participate.
  3. This is crucial: Do not go back and read and re-read the chapter until you "understand it." Rather, start working problems, going back through the chapter to clarify points as they come up. I suggest read relevent sections in other texts to see alternate ways of presenting the material
  4. Think! Physics is, by in large intuitive, so if you think through a problem first you can often figure out the answer before working through to the solution..