Oceanography and Protection of Coastal Seas

This course is part of the programme
Master’s study programme Environment (second cycle)

Objectives and competences

To gain the necessary knowledge about the structure and composition of oceans and seas as essential reservoirs of heat and water vapour, which affect climatic changes on Earth as well as on life in littoral areas. Students obtain the necessary knowledge about the structure of oceans and seas as well as about the basics of dynamic processes taking in them. The course represents the core of the essential knowledge for the graduates whose future careers shall concern climatic problems and the transport of pollutants on large distances, as well as for the graduates who shall use their knowledge on ecology in their careers in littoral areas.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite knowledge of physics and chemistry are sufficient to follow the course content. Elementary knowledge of mathematical analysis and numerical methods is also required. In terms of content, the course is especially related to courses such as Marine Ecology, Meteorology, Hidrology, Environmental Monitoring and Modelling.

Content

Descriptive oceanography, the fundamentals of dynamic oceanography.

Intended learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding:

Students understand fundamental processes that are present in seas. They can estimate key anthropogenic and natural drivers that affect properties in seas e.g circulation, thermohaline properties, distribition of pollutants. They can deduce space and time variability of environmental properties.

Readings

Basic:

  • Pickard, G. L. in W. L. Emery, 1990. Descriptive Physical Oceanography. Butterworth-Heinemann, 320 str. Catalogue
  • Pickard, G. L. in S. Pond, 1983. Introductory Dynamical Oceanography. Butterworth-Heinemann, 349 str. E-version

Additional:

  • Beer, T., 1983: Environmental Oceanography. Pregamon Press, 262 str. E-version
  • Tolmazin, D., 1985: Elements of Dynamic Oceanography. Chapman and Hall, 181 str. E-version
  • Pugh, D. T., 1987: Tides, Surges and Mean-Sea Level. John Wiley, 472 str. E-version
  • Cushman-Roisin, B., 1994: Introduction to Geophysical Fluid Dynamics. Prentice Hall, 320. E-version
  • Emery, W. J. in R. E. Thomson, 1998: Data Analysis Methods in Physical Oceanography. Pergamon Press, 634 str.E-version

Assessment

Written test and seminar work (75 %), oral defence (25 %)

Lecturer's references

Associate Professor of Physics at the Faculty of Matrhematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana.

1.01 Izvirni znanstveni članek
1. RAMŠAK, Vanja, MALAČIČ, Vlado, LIČER, Matjaž, KOTNIK, Jože, HORVAT, Milena, ŽAGAR, Dušan. High-resolution pollutant dispersion modelling in contaminated coastal sites.Environmental research, ISSN 0013-9351, avg. 2013, št. 125, str. 103-112, ilustr., doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2012.12.013. [COBISS.SI-ID 6203745]

  1. RAICICH, Fabio, MALAČIČ, Vlado, CELIO, Massimo, GIAIOTTI, D., CANTONI, Carolina, COLUCCI, Renato R., ČERMELJ, Branko, PUCILLO, A. Extreme air-sea interactions in the Gulf of Trieste (North Adriatic) during the strong Bora event in winter 2012. Journal of geophysical research, ISSN 0148-0227, 2013, vol. 118, no. 1, str. 5238-5250, doi:10.1002/jgrc.20398. [COBISS.SI-ID 2934607]
  2. COSOLI, Simone, LIČER, Matjaž, VODOPIVEC, Martin, MALAČIČ, Vlado. Surface circulation in the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic Sea) from radar, model, and ADCP comparisons.Journal of geophysical research, ISSN 0148-0227, 2013, vol. 118, issue 11, str. 6183-6200. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2013JC009261, doi: 10.1002/2013JC009261. [COBISS.SI-ID2965071]
  3. MIHANOVIĆ, Hrvoje, VILIBIĆ, Ivica, CARNIEL, S., TUDOR, M., RUSSO, A., BERGAMASCO, A., BUBIĆ, N., LJUBEŠIĆ, Z., VILIČIĆ, Damir, BOLDRIN, A., MALAČIČ, Vlado, CELIO, Massimo, COMICI, Cinzia, RAICICH, F. Exceptional dense water formation on the Adriatic shelf in the winter of 2012. Ocean Science, ISSN 1812-0784, 2013, vol. 9, no. 3, str. 561-572, graf. prikazi. http://www.ocean-sci.net/9/561/2013/os-9-561-2013.pdf. [COBISS.SI-ID 2814031]
  4. MALAČIČ, Vlado, PETELIN, Boris, VODOPIVEC, Martin. Topographic control of wind-driven circulation in the northern Adriatic. Journal of geophysical research, ISSN 0148-0227, 2012, vol. 117, št. C06032, str. 1-16, doi: 10.1029/2012JC008063. [COBISS.SI-ID 2595663]