Physical Oceanography of Continental Shelves - by K H Brink (Hardcover)

About the Book

"This book is intended as a graduate-level textbook and professional reference on the physical oceanography of the continental shelf and slope. Defined as water deeper than about three meters and shallower than a kilometer, this region of the ocean is important for a variety of scientific and practical reasons, from its high biological productivity and role in distributing outflows from the continents to its heavy usage in transportation and recreation. In recent years, research on the coastal ocean has expanded as the study of both short- and long-term anthropogenic change has become increasingly urgent. Yet there is no comprehensive treatment of the dynamics of this critical region. The book covers a range of topics involving currents and water properties, including turbulent boundary layers, wind driving, tides, buoyancy currents, waves, instabilities, and connections with the open, deep ocean. Brink's approach-informed by over a decade teaching the corresponding course in Woods Hole/MIT's joint program-centers on the dynamics of particular processes and combinations of processes, but also includes copious observational examples. Intended to be accessible to graduate students in a range of oceanographic specialties, the book assumes 2-3 years of university-level math and at least an introductory course in quantitative physical oceanography"--

Book Synopsis

An authoritative graduate textbook and professional reference on the physical dynamics of the coastal ocean

This book provides an up-to-date, systematic treatment of the processes governing the velocity, pressure, temperature, and salinity of the coastal ocean. Written by a leading expert with decades of experience with theory, observations, and numerical models, it builds on the idea that knowledge of fundamental phenomena allows for an understanding of continental shelf waters globally. Featuring a wealth of ocean observations from a wide variety of locales, Physical Oceanography of Continental Shelves is an essential resource for both students and researchers on this critical region of the world's oceans.

• Covers the physical dynamics and properties of the coastal ocean, synthesizing theory and global observations
• Topics include turbulent boundary layers, wind driving, coastal-trapped waves, the inner shelf, tides, buoyancy currents, instabilities, and connections with the deep open ocean
• Ideal for graduate students in physical oceanography
• Includes exercises to strengthen understanding and draws on the author's experience teaching the subject
• A must for oceanographers and engineers seeking a comprehensive synthesis of continental shelf processes

About the Author

K. H. Brink is an emeritus scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and former president of the Oceanography Society. A leading expert on continental shelf physical oceanography and related phenomena in deeper water, he has chaired the National Academies' Ocean Studies Board, edited the Journal of Marine Research, and coedited The Sea.