GEO2320 – Oceanography
Course description
Course content
This course gives a broad introduction to physical/dynamic oceanography. The focus will be on the physical structure and circulation of the oceans, their thermodynamic and dynamic budgets, and the underlying physical processes that influence these.
Learning outcome
When you have taken this course, you will be able to
- discuss how the ocean circulation affects Earth's climate
- describe the momentum and energy exchange with the atmosphere, including physical processes that impact such exchanges
- describe the physical properties of seawater
- discuss key thermodynamic and dynamic conservations laws, including useful simplified balances
- discuss forcing and key controlling mechanisms that govern the ocean circulation
- describe ocean waves, including high-frequency surface gravity waves and low-frequency waves impacted by Earth's rotation
- describe ocean observations techniques and principles behind numerical ocean modelling
- conduct oceanographic measurements and analyse and present these in written form
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.
Special admission requirements
In addition to fulfilling the?Higher Education Entrance Qualification, applicants have to meet the following special admission requirements:
Mathematics R1 (or Mathematics S1 and S2) + R2
And in addition one of these:
Physics (1+2)
Chemistry (1+2)
Biology (1+2)
Information technology (1+2)
Geosciences (1+2)
Technology and theories of research (1+2)
The special admission requirements may also be covered by?equivalent studies from Norwegian upper secondary school or by other equivalent studies?(in Norwegian).
Formal prerequisite knowledge
The course includes a compulsory field course and excursions. A health and safety course for safety in the field must be passed before you can go on these:
Recommended previous knowledge
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with GEF2610 – Physical Oceanography (continued).
- 10 credits overlap with AGF-214.
- 8 credits overlap with GEF1600 – Physical oceanography (discontinued).
Teaching
Teaching consists of 2 x 2 hours of lectures and 1 hour of exercise each week.?
There is a compulsory one-day field trip in the Oslofjord from where a field report shall be written that must be approved before you can sit for the final examination.?
If you are prevented from participating due to illness, you must submit a valid medical certificate to the study administration. In case of valid absence, instead of writing a field report you will be assigned a topic upon which you will submit an essay that must be approved in order to sit for the final examination.
Attendance at the first lecture is compulsory. Students who fail to meet are considered to have withdrawn from the course unless they have previously given notice to the Student administration (studieinfo@geo.uio.no).
We reserve the right to change the teaching?form and examination of the course in semesters where 5 or fewer students have been admitted.
General information about excursions at the Department?of Geosciences
As?the?teaching involves laboratory and/or fieldwork, you should consider taking out separate travel and personal risk insurance.?Read about your insurance coverage as a student.
Examination
Field report or an essay must be approved in order to sit the final examination.
A written mid-term examination counts 30% towards the final grade.
A final written examination counts 70% towards the final grade.
Mandatory assignments are valid for 5 semesters starting from the semester they were approved the first time.
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you?withdraw from the exam?after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
It will also be counted as 1 of the 3 attempts to sit the exam for this course if you sit the exam for one of the following courses:
- GEF2610 – Physical Oceanography (continued)
- GEF1600 – Physical oceanography (discontinued)
- AGF-214?Polar Ocean Climate (The University Centre in Svalbard)
Examination support material
Language of examination
Courses taught in English will only offer the exam paper in English. You may write your examination paper in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F?is a fail. Read more about?the grading system.
Resit an examination
Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are?offered a postponed examination at the beginning of the next semester.
Re-scheduled examinations are not offered to students who withdraw during, or did not pass, the original examination.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.