Physical oceanography

Physical oceanography

The scientific study of the physical conditions and processes related to the motions and physical properties of ocean currents and waters.

Industry: Earth science

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Physical oceanography

WAVEWATCH

Earth science; Physical oceanography

A series of wavemodels, i.e. WAVEWATCH I, developed at Delft University (Tolman (1991)), WAVEWATCH II, developed at NASA GSFC (Tolman (1992)), and WAVEWATCH III, developed at NOAA/NCEP. WAVEWATCH ...

A set of equations developed using the quasi-geostrophic approximation. These are formally valid only when the planetary vorticity is large compared to the relative vorticity of the fluid, when the ...

primitive equations

Earth science; Physical oceanography

A set of filtered equations obtained from the fundamental equations of motion of a fluid by applying the hydrostatic approximation and neglecting the viscosity. They comprise three prognostic and ...

quasi-geostrophic approximation

Earth science; Physical oceanography

A set of filtered equations to the equations of motion governing atmospheric or oceanic flow, the chief of which is the vorticity equation. In this, the horizontal wind is replaced by the geostrophic ...

Lafond’s tables

Earth science; Physical oceanography

A set of tables compiled by E. C. Lafond for the purpose of correcting reversing thermometers and computing dynamic height anomalies. These were published by the U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office as H. ...

Celtic Sea

Earth science; Physical oceanography

A shallow embayment of the eastern North Atlantic bounded by Southern Ireland, southwest Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. It is usually separated from the Irish Sea by a line drawn from Ramsey Island to ...

epicontinental sea

Earth science; Physical oceanography

A shallow sea on a wide portion of a continental shelf or in the interior of a continent. The former type is also known as a shelf sea. Compare to epeiric sea and inland sea.