Università degli Studi di Napoli "Parthenope"

  1. Teaching
  2. SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGIES OF NAVIGATION
  3. Methodologies and techniques of coastal oceanography

Stampa

Methodologies and techniques of coastal oceanography

Teaching schedule

Academic year: 
2021/2022
Belonging course: 
Course of Master's Degree Programme on SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGIES OF NAVIGATION
Disciplinary sector: 
OCEANOGRAPHY AND PHYSICS OF THE ATMOSPHERE (GEO/12)
Language: 
Italian
Credits: 
6
Year of study: 
1
Teachers: 
BUDILLON Giorgio
Cycle: 
Second semester
Hours of front activity: 
48

Language

Italian

Course description

The course aims to provide the basic knowledge of coastal oceanography with particular reference to the dynamic and hydrological processes. Sampling methodologies and strategies, traditional oceanographic instrumentation and new measurement methods will also be presented. Exercises will concern the representation, analysis and interpretation of oceanographic measurements carried out in Mediterranean and polar areas. Field experiences will be likely.
Knowledge and understanding: The student must demonstrate knowledge and know how to understand the basic issues related to the aspects of coastal oceanography, considering the hydrological and dynamic aspects.
Applying knowledge and understanding: The student must demonstrate the ability to use the acquired concepts and the tools necessary to analyze and interpret the hydrological and dynamic conditions of particular coastal areas for which experimental data will be provided.
Making judgments: Students must be able to autonomously perform exercises and applications provided by the teacher.
Communication skills: The student must have the ability to hold a discussion on the topics dealt with using a scientific language and acquired concepts appropriately.
Learning skills: The student must be able to update himself, through the consultation of texts and publications (also in English) suggested by the teacher, in order to acquire the ability to deepen the topics of the Coastal Oceanography and measurement techniques.

Prerequisites

The attendendant students must have acquired knowledge and skills transmitted in the following courses: Oceanography and Meteorology

Syllabus

Introduction
The role of the oceans and inland seas in the climate system
The shelf seas
Physical forcing of the shelf seas (energy sources, the seasonal cycle of heting and cooling, fresh water exchange, wind stress and pressure gradient, tides)
Response to forcing: the governing equations and some basic solutions (Kinematics, Newtonn's laws, Geostrophic flow, Turbulent stresses and Ekman dynamics, Long waves and tidal motions)
Estuarine circulation (Freshwater buoyancy and estuarine circulation, Density-driven circulation in a ROFI: rotation and coastal currents, Residual flows in a ROFI)
The shelf edge system (Contrasting regimes, Bathymetric steering and slope currents, Cross-slope transport mechanisms)
Hydrology and circulation of the Mediterranean Sea and inland seas.
Sampling strategies and methodologies, design of an oceanographic campaign
Oceanographic instruments (hydrological measurements, lagrangian and eulerian current measurements, remote sensing measurements, unmanned systems)
Representation, analysis and interpretation of hydrological and current measurements (Ocean Data View, Optimun Multiparameter Analysis, Wavelet analysis, analysis of tidal components)

Introduction (2 hours)
The role of the oceans and inland seas in the climate system (2 hours)
The shelf seas (2 hours)
Physical forcing of the shelf seas (4 hours)
Response to forcing: the governing equations and some basic solutions (4 hours)
Estuarine circulation (6 hours)
The shelf edge system (8 hours)
Hydrology and circulation of the Mediterranean Sea and inland seas (2 hours)
Sampling strategies and methodologies, design of an oceanographic campaign (2 hours)
Oceanographic instruments (4 hours)
Representation, analysis and interpretation of hydrological and current measurements (12 hours)

Teaching Methods

Lectures and exercises

Textbooks

The teaching material (handouts in pdf and ppt format) is provided during the course by the teacher.
Book:
Introduction to the Physical and Biological Oceanography of Shelf Seas
SIMPSON & SHARPLES
Cambridge University Press

Learning assessment

The goal of the assessment procedure is to quantify, for each student, the degree of achievement of the learning objectives listed above. The exam includes an oral discussion in which the ability to link and compare different aspects treated during the course and a project concerning the data analysis part will be evaluated. During the oral examination the student will have to answer the teacher's questions, producing also graphs, diagrams and explanatory drawings.

More information

Lectures are in Italian. The professor is fluent in English and is available to interact with students in English, also during the examination.