Preface 
 
Chapter 1. Introduction to Descriptive Physical Oceanography  
1.1. Overview 
 
1.2. Space and TimeScales of Physical Oceanographic Phenomena 
 
 
Chapter 2. Ocean Dimensions, Shapes, and Bottom Materials  
2.1. Dimensions 
 
2.2. Plate Tectonics and Deep-Sea Topography 
 
2.3. Seafloor Features 
 
2.4. Spatial Scales 
 
2.5. Shore, Coast, and Beach 
 
2.6. Continental Shelf, Slope, and Rise 
 
2.7. Deep Ocean 
 
2.8. Sills, Straits, and Passages 
 
2.9. Methods for Mapping Bottom Topography 
 
2.10. Bottom Material 
 
2.11. Ocean Basins 
 
 
Chapter 3. Physical Properties of Seawater  
3.1. Molecular Properties of Water 
 
3.2. Pressure 
 
3.3. Thermal Properties of Seawater: Temperature, Heat, and Potential Temperature 
 
3.4. Salinity and Conductivity 
 
3.5. Density of Seawater 
 
3.6. Tracers 
 
3.7. Sound in the Sea 
 
3.8. Light and the Sea 
 
3.9. Ice in the Sea 
 
 
Chapter 4. Typical Distributions of Water Characteristics  
4.1. Introduction 
 
4.2. Temperature Distribution of the Oceans 
 
4.3. Salinity Distribution 
 
4.4. Density Distribution 
 
4.5. Dissolved Oxygen 
 
4.6. Nutrients and Other Tracers 
 
4.7. Age, Turnover Time, and Ventilation Rate 
 
4.8. Optical Properties of Seawater 
 
 
Chapter 5. Mass, Salt, and Heat Budgets and Wind Forcing  
5.1. Conservation of Volume and Mass 
 
5.2. Conservation of Salt 
 
5.3. Three Examples of the two Conservation Principles 
 
5.4. Conservation of Heat Energy; the Heat Budget 
 
5.5. Geographic Distribution and Temporal Variation of the Heat-Budget Terms 
 
5.6. Meridional Heat Transport 
 
5.7. Buoyancy Fluxes 
 
5.8. Wind Forcing 
 
 
Chapter 6. Data Analysis Concepts and Observational Methods  
6.1. Oceanographic Sampling 
 
6.2. Observational Error 
 
6.3. Basic Statistical Concepts 
 
6.4. Variation in Space: Profiles, Vertical Sections, and Horizontal Maps 
 
6.5. Variation in Time 
 
6.6. Multidimensional Sampling 
 
6.7. Water Property (Water Mass) Analyses 
 
 
Chapter 7. Dynamical Processes for Descriptive Ocean Circulation  
7.1. Introduction: Mechanisms 
 
7.2. Momentum Balance 
 
7.3. Temperature, Salinity, and Density Evolution 
 
7.4. Mixing Layers 
 
7.5. Response to Wind Forcing 
 
7.6. Geostrophic Balance 
 
7.7. Vorticity, Potential Vorticity, Rossby and Kelvin Waves, and Instabilities 
 
7.8. Wind-Driven Circulation: Sverdrup Balance and Western Boundary Currents 
 
7.9. Wind-Driven Circulation: Eastern Boundary Currents and Equatorial Circulation 
 
7.10. Buoyancy (Thermohaline) Forcing and Abyssal Circulation 
 
 
Chapter 8. Gravity Waves, Tides, and Coastal Oceanography  
8.1. Introduction 
 
8.2. General Properties of Waves 
 
8.3. Surface Gravity Waves 
 
8.4. Internal Gravity Waves 
 
8.5. Large-Scale Continental Shelf and Coastal-Trapped Waves 
 
8.6. Tides 
 
8.7. Water Properties in Coastal Regions: River Runoff 
 
8.8. Estuaries 
 
8.9. Coral Reefs 
 
8.10. Adjacent Seas 
 
 
Chapter 9. Atlantic Ocean  
9.1. Introduction and Overview 
 
9.2. Forcing 
 
9.3. North Atlantic Circulation 
 
9.4. Tropical Atlantic Circulation 
 
9.5. South Atlantic Circulation 
 
9.6. Depth Dependence of the Atlantic Ocean Circulation 
 
9.7. Meridional Overturning Circulation in the Atlantic 
 
9.8. Atlantic Ocean Water Masses 
 
9.9. Climate and the Atlantic Ocean 
 
 
Chapter 10. Pacific Ocean  
10.1. Introduction and Overview 
 
10.2. Wind and Buoyancy Forcing 
 
10.3. North Pacific Circulation 
 
10.4. South Pacific Circulation 
 
10.5. Pacific Ocean Mesoscale Eddy Variability 
 
10.6. Depth Dependence of the Pacific Ocean Circulation and Meridional Overturn 
 
10.7. Tropical Pacific Circulation and Water Properties 
 
10.8. El Niño/ La Niña and The Southern Oscillation (ENSO) 
 
10.9. Pacific Ocean Water Masses 
 
10.10. Decadal Climate Variability and Climate Change 
 
 
Chapter 11. Indian Ocean  
11.1. Introduction and Overview 
 
11.2. Wind and Buoyancy Forcing 
 
11.3. Monsoonal and Tropical Ocean Circulation 
 
11.4. South Indian Ocean Subtropical Circulation 
 
11.5. Indonesian Throughflow 
 
11.6. Red Sea and Persian Gulf Outflows 
 
11.7. Intermediate and Deep Circulation 
 
11.8. Water Masses 
 
11.9. Climate and the Indian Ocean 
 
 
Chapter 12. Arctic Ocean and Nordic Seas  
12.1. Introduction 
 
12.2. The Nordic Seas 
 
12.3. Baffin Bay and Hudson Bay 
 
12.4. Arctic Ocean: Circulation and Ice Drift 
 
12.5. Arctic Ocean Water Masses 
 
12.6. Arctic Ocean Transports and Budgets 
 
12.7. Sea Ice in the Arctic 
 
12.8. Climate Variations and the Arctic 
 
 
Chapter 13. Southern Ocean  
13.1. Introduction 
 
13.2. Forcing 
 
13.3. Southern Ocean Fronts and Zones 
 
13.4. Southern Ocean Circulation and Transports 
 
13.5. Southern Ocean Water Masses 
 
13.6. Eddies in the Southern Ocean 
 
13.7. Sea Ice in the Southern Ocean 
 
13.8. Climate Variability in the Southern Ocean 
 
 
Chapter 14. Global Circulation and Water Properties  
14.1. Global Circulation 
 
14.2. Global Mass Transports and Overturning Circulation 
 
14.3. Heat and Freshwater Transports and Ocean Circulation 
 
14.4. Global Property Distributions 
 
14.5. Eddy Variability and Diffusivity 
 
14.6. Climate and the Global Ocean 
 
 
Chapter S1. Brief History of Physical Oceanography  
S1.1. Scientists on Ships 
 
S1.2. Organized Expeditions Prior to the Twentieth Century 
 
S1.3. Scandinavian Contributions and the Dynamic Method 
 
S1.4. The Meteor Expedition 
 
S1.5. World War II and Mid-Twentieth Century Physical Oceanography 
 
S1.6. A Brief History of Numerical Modeling in Physical Oceanography 
 
 
Chapter S4. Typical Distributions of Water Characteristics 
 
Chapter S5. Mass, Salt, and Heat Budgets and Wind Forcing 
 
Chapter S6. Data Analysis Concepts and Observational Methods 
 
Chapter S7. Dynamical Processes for Descriptive Ocean Circulation  
7.1. Introduction: Mechanisms 
 
7.2. Momentum Balance 
 
7.3. Temperature, Salinity, and Density Evolution 
 
7.4. Mixing Layers 
 
7.5. Response to Wind Forcing 
 
7.6. Geostrophic Balance 
 
7.7. Vorticity, Potential Vorticity, Rossby and Kelvin Waves, and Instabilities 
 
7.8. Wind-Driven Circulation: Sverdrup Balance and Western Boundary Currents 
 
7.9. Wind-Driven Circulation: Eastern Boundary Currents and Equatorial Circulation 
 
7.10. Buoyancy (Thermohaline) Forcing and Abyssal Circulation 
 
 
Chapter S8. Gravity Waves, Tides, and Coastal Oceanography  
S8.7. Water Properties in Coastal Regions: River Runoff 
 
S8.8. Estuaries 
 
S8.9. Coral Reefs 
 
S8.10. Adjacent Seas 
 
 
Chapter S9. Atlantic Ocean 
 
Chapter S10. Pacific Ocean 
 
Chapter S11. Indian Ocean: Supplementary Materials 
 
Chapter S12. The Arctic Ocean and Nordic Seas 
 
Chapter S13. Southern Ocean 
 
Chapter S14. Global Circulation and Water Properties 
 
Chapter S15. Climate and the Oceans  
S15.1. Introduction 
 
S15.2. Climate and the Atlantic Ocean 
 
S15.3. Climate and the Pacific Ocean 
 
S15.4. Climate and the Indian Ocean 
 
S15.5. Climate and the Arctic Ocean 
 
S15.6. Climate and the Southern Ocean 
 
S15.7. Global Ocean Climate Change 
 
 
Chapter S16. Instruments and Methods  
S16.1. The Impact of Space and Timescales on Sampling and Instrumentation 
 
S16.2. Platforms 
 
S16.3. Depth and Pressure Measurements 
 
S16.4. Water Property Measurements (Temperature, Salinity, Density, and Tracers) 
 
S16.5. Current Measurements 
 
S16.6. Acoustic Methods for Observing Changes in Temperature or Density 
 
S16.7. Sea-Level Measurement 
 
S16.8. Radiation and Optical Measurements 
 
S16.9. Satellites 
 
s16.10. Data Archives and Data Centers 
 
 
References 
 
Color Plates 
 
Index 
 
Added Refs from Supplemental Material