Introduction to Ocean Circulation and Modeling

Introduction to Ocean Circulation and Modeling provide basics for physical oceanography covering ocean properties, ocean circulations and their modeling. First part of the book explains concepts of oceanic circulation, geostrophy, Ekman, Sverdrup dynamics, Stommel and Munk problems, two-layer dynamics, stratification, thermal and salt diffusion, vorticity/instability, and so forth. Second part highlights basic implementation framework for ocean models, discussion of different models, and their unique differences from the common framework with basin-scale modeling, regional modeling, and interdisciplinary modeling at different space and time scales.

Features:

• Covers ocean properties, ocean circulations and their modeling.
• Explains the centrality of a rotating earth and its implications for ocean and atmosphere in a simple manner.
• Provides basic facts of ocean dynamics.
• Illustrative diagrams for clear understanding of key concepts.
• Outlines interdisciplinary and complex models for societal applications.

The book aims at Senior Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students and Researchers in Ocean Science and Engineering, Ocean Technology, Physical Oceanography, Ocean Circulation, Ocean Modeling, Dynamical Oceanography and Earth Science.

Avijit Gangopadhyay, PhD, is Professor at the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where he served as the Interim Dean and Associate Dean for seven years. Prof. Gangopadhyay holds a B.Tech (Naval Architecture) from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, M.Tech (Applied Mechanics) from IIT Delhi, and a PhD (Ocean Engineering) from the University of Rhode Island. He was a Research Associate at Harvard University and a Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory before joining UMass Dartmouth. Professor Gangopadhyay is currently the Samudragupta Chair Professor (Ministry of Earth Sciences) of the Center for Oceans, Rivers and Land Sciences (CORAL) at IITKGP. He has held multiple visiting, distinguished and honorary professorships at Harvard, the Institute of Oceanography of the University of São Paulo (Brazil), the Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore), IITKGP, and IIT, Bhubaneswar. He has served as advisor to more than 20 MS and PhD students who have gone on to fill significant positions in the global ocean science community. Professor Gangopadhyay's research interests and contributions include operational ocean modeling and data assimilation, basin-scale climate-related modeling, multiscale multidisciplinary data-model synthesis studies and the dynamics of western boundary currents. Professor Gangopadhyay has led the development of feature-oriented regional modeling systems (FORMS) in many different oceanic regions around the world, including the western North Atlantic (Gulf Stream, Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, Mid-Atlantic Bight), Brazil Current System (Brazil Current and its eddies and subsurface flows), North Brazil Current Rings, California Current System, Kuroshio, Strait of Sicily and Arabian Sea. He has authored more than fifty peer-reviewed publications in international journals and books so far and is a member of the American Geophysical Union, the Oceanography Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Professor Gangopadhyay initiated and helped implement the SMAST-IOUSP Dual-Degree PhD program and the summer undergraduate international internship program for IITs at UMass Dartmouth. Professor Gangopadhyay has been instrumental in establishing CORAL at IIT Kharagpur and has been associated with the School for Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences and the Innovation Center for Climate Change at IIT Bhubaneswar from their inception.