COURSE MATERIALS:

Papers will be assigned during the semester. These will cover a wide range of physical oceanographic topics concerning both the Arctic and Antarctic/Southern Oceans.

General References:

• Aagaard, K., D. Darby, K. Falkner, G. Flato, J. Grebmeier, C. Measures, and J. Walsh, 1999. Marine Science in the Arctic: A Strategy. Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS). Fairbanks, AK. 84 pp. This workshop report summarizes important aspects of Arctic oceanographic research.  A PDF version is available at http://www.arcus.org/Marine_Science/plan.html . Chapter 1, on "The Arctic in Global Climate" is a useful initial reference.
• Rintoul, S. R., J. Church, E. Fahrbach, M Garcia, A. Gordon, B. King, R Morrow, A. Orsi, K. Speer (2001). Monitoring and Understanding Southern Ocean Variability and its impact on Climate: A Strategy for Sustained Observations. In:  Observing the Ocean for Climate in the 21'st  Century , C. Koblinsky and N. Smith (Eds.), Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne, Australia. A PDF version is available at http://www.ocean.fsu.edu/~www/Facultyhome/speer.html .

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course will survey recently published papers of physical oceanographic research of the Arctic and Antarctic/Southern Oceans.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

In this course, you will gain an appreciation for current research topics of the polar oceans.  

GRADING/EVALUATION:

Grading will be based on participation in presentations and discussions of papers.

ASSIGNMENTS/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Reading assignments will be given 1 week in advance for each topic.

COURSE CONTENT AND OUTLINE:

Week 1 (08/28): Organizational meeting.

Week 2 (09/04): Arctic: Ice cover of the Arctic Ocean.

• Johannessen, O. M., E. Shalina, and M. W. Miles (1999) Satellite evidence for an Arctic sea ice cover in transformation, Science, 286, pp. 1937-1939.
• Rothrock, D. A., Y. Yu and G.A. Maykut (1999) Thinning of the Arctic sea-ice cover, Geophysical Resesearch Letteres, 26(23), pp. 3469-3472.
  
• Vinnikov, K.Y., A. Robock, R.J. Stouffer, J.E. Walsh, C.L. Parkinson, D.J. Cavalieri, J.F.B. Mitchell, D. Garrett and V.F. Zakharov (1999) Global warming and northern hemisphere sea ice extent, Science, 286, pp. 1934-1937.

Week 3 (09/11): Arctic: The Arctic Ocean and climate.

• Aagaard, K., and E. C. Carmack (1994) The Arctic Ocean and Climate: A perspective. In: J. Johannessen et al. [eds.], The Polar Oceans and Their Role in Shaping the Global Environment, Geophysical Monograph 85 , American Geophysical Union, 4-20.
  

Week 4 (09/16): Arctic: Large scale circulation and hydrography.

• Jones, P. E., 2001: Circulation in the Arctic Ocean. Polar Research , 20, 139-146.

• Swift, J. H., E. P. Jones, K. Aagaard, E. C. Carmack, M. Hingston, R. W. Macdonald, F. A. McLaughlin, and R. G. Perkins, 1997: Waters of the Makarov and Canada Basins. Deep-Sea Research II, 44, 1503-1529.
  

Week 5 (09/23): Arctic: Large scale circulation and hydrography cont.

• Aagaard, K., and P. Greisman, 1975: Toward new mass and heat budgets for the Arctic Ocean. J. Geophys. Res., 80, 3821--3827.

• Rudels, B., E. P. Jones, L. G. Anderson, and G. Kattner, 1994: On the intermediate depth waters of the Arctic Ocean. In: J. Johannessen et al. [eds.], The Polar Oceans and Their Role in Shaping the Global Environment, Geophysical Monograph 85, American Geophysical Union, 33-46.

Week 6 (09/30): Arctic: Deep convection in the Greenland-Icelandic-Noregian (GIN) Seas.

• Pickart, R. S., D. J. Torres, and R. A. Clarke: Hydrography of the Labrador Sea during active convection. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 32, 428-457.

• Steffen, E. L., and E. A. D'Asaro: Deep convection in the Labrador Sea observed by Lagrangian floats. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 32, 475-492.
  

Week 7 (10/07): No class.

Week 8 (10/14): Arctic: Mixing

• Padman, L., and T. M. Dillon, 1989: Thermal microstructure and internal waves in the Canada Basin diffusive staircase. Deep-Sea Res., 36, 531--542.

• Timmermans, M.-L., C. Garrett, and E. Carmack, 2002: The thermohaline structure and evolution of the deep waters in the Canada Basin, Arctic Ocean. Deep-Sea Res., submitted.
  

Week 9 (10/21): Antarctic:  Southern Ocean Climatology.

Week 10 (10/28):  Antarctic: Sea ice and polynas

Week 11 (11/04): Antarctic: The ACC

Week 12 (11/11): No class.

Week 13 (11/18): Antarctic: The Weddell Sea and the Ross Sea

Week 14 (11/25): Antarctic: Meridional Overturning and the Deacon Cell

ACADEMIC HONOR CODE:

Students are expected to uphold the Academic Honor Code published in The Florida State University Bulletin and the Student Handbook. The Academic Honor System of The Florida State University is based on the premise that each student has the responsibility (1) to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity in the student's own work, (2) to refuse to tolerate violations of academic integrity in the university community, and (3) to foster a high sense of integrity and social responsibility on the part of the university community.

Please see the following web site for a complete explanation of the Academic Honor Code. http://www.fsu.edu/Books/Student-Handbook/codes/honor.html

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT:

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should: (1) register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center; (2) bring a letter to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type. This should be done during the first week of class.

For more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities,
contact the Student Disability Resource Center

Dean of Students Department
08 Kellum Hall
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4400
(850) 644-9566 (voice)
(850) 644-8504 (TDD)
SDRC@admin.fsu.edu
http://www.fsu.edu/~staffair/dean/StudentDisability

SYLLABUS CHANGE POLICY:

This syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advanced notice.

---