Introduction to the Physical and Biological Oceanography of Shelf Seas

Provides a quantitative, accessible approach to the fundamental physics and biology of the coastal ocean, for undergraduate and graduate students.

John H. Simpson (Author), Jonathan Sharples (Author)

9780521877626, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 29 March 2012

448 pages, 100 b/w illus. 20 colour illus. 5 tables 45 exercises
25.5 x 19.5 x 2.5 cm, 1.13 kg

'This book will prove to be a masterpiece with enduring value and fills a significant gap in physical oceanography textbooks by focusing on shallow seas. It reads well, is accessible to the intelligent, scientifically trained non specialist and provides a solid foundation by which ecologists can learn much about the physical control of many ecological processes on shelf seas.' Malcolm Bowman, Distinguished Professor, State University of New York, Stony Brook

In this exciting and innovative textbook, two leading oceanographers bring together the fundamental physics and biology of the coastal ocean in a quantitative but accessible way for undergraduate and graduate students. Shelf sea processes are comprehensively explained from first principles using an integrated approach to oceanography that helps build a clear understanding of how shelf sea physics underpins key biological processes in these environmentally sensitive regions. Using many observational and model examples, worked problems and software tools, the authors explain the range of physical controls on primary biological production and shelf sea ecosystems. Boxes throughout the book present extra detail for each topic and non-mathematical summary points are provided for physics sections, allowing students to develop an intuitive understanding. The book is fully supported by extensive online materials, including worked solutions to end-of-chapter exercises, additional homework/exam problems with solutions and simple MATLAB and FORTRAN models for running simulations.

Preface
1. Introduction to the shelf seas
2. Physical forcing of the shelf seas: what drives the motion of ocean?
3. Response to forcing: the governing equations and some basic solutions
4. Waves, turbulent motions and mixing
5. Life in the shelf seas
6. Seasonal stratification and the spring bloom
7. Interior mixing and phytoplankton survival in stratified environments
8. Tidal mixing fronts: their location, dynamics and biological significance
9. Regions of freshwater influence (ROFIs)
10. The shelf edge system
11. Future challenges in shelf seas
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Earth sciences, geography, environment, planning [R], Mathematics & science [P]