Physical Oceanography University of Gothenburg

Overview

Physical Oceanography from University of Gothenburg is concerned with the description of ocean currents and the distribution of ocean properties such as temperature, salinity or dissolved carbon.

Quick Facts:

• The motion in the ocean can take many different forms, from the smallest whirl of fluid to the planetary scale flow exchanging waters between the different ocean’s basins. Through its ability to transport heat, carbon and other important chemical properties, the Ocean acts as a central regulator of the Earth’s climate.
• Physical Oceanography combines a great diversity of approaches and techniques from classical physics to engineering, statistics, and data science. Physical oceanography may be subdivided into descriptive and dynamical physical oceanography. Descriptive physical oceanography is focused on describing the fluid motions and the distribution of ocean properties using direct observations (in situ or satellite-based) and realistic numerical simulations. Dynamical physical oceanography builds upon the field of Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (GFD) to produce a theoretical description of the processes that drive the state and variability of the ocean with the aid of idealized numerical models.
• Physical Oceanography is naturally connected to atmosphere and climate sciences, but it interacts also strongly with the other branches of marine sciences, such as marine geochemistry and marine biology.
• It offers unique opportunities to tackle some of the most challenging issues of our time, including the prediction and mitigation of climate change, the development of a sustainable use of ocean resources, or the impact of human activities on ocean’s ecosystems.