- Is acquainted with contribution of small-scale eddies, waves and turbulence to mixing and transport and their implication for large-scale ocean dynamics.
- Has knowledge of stable, anisotropic geophysical equilibria (hydrostatic, cyclostrophic and geostrophic balances) and their characteristic frequencies.
- Recognizes internal gravity and inertial waves; their relation to Rossby, (equatorial) Kelvin and Poincaré waves, their complementarity to surfaces waves, and the prominent role played by geometry in their localization on attractors.
- Is familiar with internal waves in theory and nature; knows analytic and arithmetic methods to find exact free and forced wave solutions in 2D, approximations in 3D, and performs wave attractor experiments in stratified fluids.
- Is familiar with both traditional and non-traditional f- and beta-plane dynamics on an aquaplanet. Understands inertial oscillations versus equatorial trapping.
- Learns general concepts from partial differential equations, dynamical systems wave dynamics and data analysis.
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Internal waves are ubiquitous small-scale phenomena in the ocean. Despite their small scale they may yet play a role in both large as well as small scale ocean dynamics and may be of importance in transporting nutrients, plankton and trace gases.
Here, an introduction to internal waves is given by looking at simple theory and laboratory experiments. Despite the theory being linear, the internal wave fields seem to be riddled by self-similar properties, a feature normally associated with nonlinear dynamics. Internal waves seem in general to be attracted to particular locations where they lead to mixing. Given stratification and basin shape, these wave attractors are highly predictable. Yet, their detection in real ocean basins still poses a challenge. Some field observations of internal waves will illustrate this.
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