Contents
Preface
v
Acknowledgments
ix
Part I Introduction
1. A FIRST IMPRESSION
3
1.1 The ocean basins
4
1.2 Exploration of the oceans
7
1.2.1 A tiny bit of history
7
1.2.2 The modern era
9
1.3 Characteristics of seawater
10
1.3.1 Salinity
10
1.3.2 The surface distribution of temperature and salinity
11
1.3.3 T - S diagrams and water masses
13
1.3.4 Static stability
16
1.4 Exercises on chapter 1
23
2. PRESENT OCEAN CIRCULATION
27
2.1 Forcing fields
28
2.1.1 Wind stress
28
2.1.2 Heat flux
28
2.1.3 Freshwater flux
30
2.2 Ocean circulation
33
2.2.1 Surface circulation
33
2.2.2 Thermohaline circulation
35
2.2.3 Heat and freshwater transport
36
2.3 Oceans and climate
39
2.4 Motivating problems and approach
42
2.4.1 Western boundary currents
42
2.4.2 Internal variability of ocean flows
42
xi