Physical oceanography of continental shelves

by Kenneth H. Brink

ISBN: 9780691236452

Published: 2023-09-12

"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...