MT5849 Geophysical Fluid Dynamics

Academic year

2025 to 2026 Semester 1

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

15

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 11

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Planned timetable

11 am Mon (weeks 1, 3, 5, 8, 10), Wed & Fri

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr R K Scott

Dr R K Scott
This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr Richard Scott

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

This module will examine current research in fluid dynamics, with a particular focus on meteorology and oceanography. The large-scale atmosphere and oceans behave quite unlike a 'classical' fluid owing to the presence of stable density stratification and rotation. As a result, the fluid motion is dominated by slow, 'vortical' or eddying motions (like cyclones) which generally spin slower than the Earth. Superimposed on this slow motion are relatively fast wave-like motions analogous to surface waves on a pond. These lectures describe the mathematical basis of these fundamentally different types of motion, and furthermore illustrate the increasingly important role of computer modelling in this research.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS MT4509

Anti-requisites

YOU CANNOT TAKE THIS MODULE IF YOU TAKE MT5809

Assessment pattern

2-hour written examination = 100%

Re-assessment

Oral examination = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

2.5 lectures (x 10 weeks), 1 tutorial (x 10 weeks)

Scheduled learning hours

35

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

117

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Understand the separate and combined effects of rotation and stratification on fluid motions
  • Derive and interpret the dispersion relation for linear waves in rotating, stratified fluids
  • Perform a scale analysis of the equations of motion and understand how it leads to the quasigeostrophic model under appropriate assumptions
  • Understand the use and significance of potential vorticity
  • Understand the shallow water equations as a reduced model of geophysical flows