MASC503 INTRODUCTION TO OCEANOGRAPHY

Course Objectives

This course consists of four sections, with the following objectives: Chemical Oceanography: Principal chemical oceanography of the ocean system (emphasis on physico-chemical properties and composition of seawater) and major processes dominating spatio-temporal distributions of conservative and non-conservative chemicals in the ocean system. Physical Oceanography: Basic understanding of the major physical processes in the oceans, dynamics of waves and currents, and basin scale circulation features. Marine Biology and Fisheries: Primary and secondary production and enzyme kinetics of nutrients uptake, seasonality and succession of organisms, spatial and temporal variability of production. Marine Geology and Geophysics: History of ocean basins, geological processes, rocks and sediments; methods for studying sea floor topography, rocks, sediments and sub-bottom stratigraphy. 

Course Content

Biological Oceanography: Marine plants and animals. Energy fixation, growth and abundance of organisms. Seasonality of production.
Chemical Oceanography: Chemical properties of sea water, alkalinity, C, N, P and S cycles, oxic and anoxic environments, redox processes.
Geological and Geophysical Oceanography: Evolution of the earth and morphology; minerals, rocks and sediments, basics of echo-sounding, sub-bottom profiling and side-scanning sonar methods.
Physical Oceanography: Physical properties of sea water, oceanic circulation, waves, oceanographic processes in the Turkish Seas.

Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, the students will understand: Chemical Oceanography: The basic concepts of chemical oceanography and factors determining chemical properties of the ocean system and to propose reasonable scientific approaches to marine topics and problems. Physical Oceanography: The methods of observation and analyses of waves, currents and sea water properties, and their role in generating and controlling the various oceanic motions; the importance of the effects of rotation of the earth on large scale oceanic processes in addition to conventional forces. Marine Biology and Fisheries: The processes related to energy fixation, growth and abundance, diversity of plants and animals and the seasonality of growth in lower and higher trophic levels. Marine Geology and Geophysics: The geological properties of marine environment and methods used in marine geology and geophysics.