Oceanography
FACULTY
As of January 1985
Administration:
Douglas R. Caldwell, Acting Dean
Lawrence F. Small, Associate Dean
Victor T. Neal, Assistant Dean
Professors Emerti: Bdvarsson, Burt,
Hedgpeth, Quinn, Strong
Professors: J. Allen, Beasley,
Byrne, Caldwell, Carey, Dymond, Frolander, Gonor, Komar, Kulm, C. Miller,
Morita, Neshyba, Paulson, Pearcy,
Pytkowicz, Schrader, Simoneit, L. F.
Small, R. L. Smith, Suess, Zaneveld;
Associate Professors Chen, Couch, Cowles,
de Szoeke, Dillon, Duncan, Gordon,
Holman, Huyer, Levi, Mate, Mesecar,
Neal, D. M. Nelson, Pak,' Pillsbury,'
Pisias, Richman, Wheeler; Assistant
Professors Abbott, Bibee, Carlson,
Chelton, Chereskin,' Enfield, Fisk,
Garber, Good, Jacobson, Levine, Lyle,'
Menke, Mix, Ness, Prahl, Purcell, Richman,
Siebenaller, Stein, Steub, Taghon; Research
Associates Clarke, Collier, Dauphin,
Grover, Hogan, Kadko, Karlin, Moum,
Ness, Newberger, Peterson, Stein, Thornburg, Wagner; Instructor Palfrey
The College of Oceanography has a short
but impressive history of growth and
development at Oregon State University.
Since its inception in 1959 as a department
with one specialist, it has grown to include
a staff or more than 80 scientists with over
100 support personnel.
Before 1959 very little was known about
Oregon's coastal or estuarine areas, their
animals and plants, or the earth beneath
them. Since that time, the college (initially
a department) has directed major research
effort to the Pacific Ocean off the Oregon
Coast. In recent years, the territory of
interest has widened to include all the
oceans of the world.
Mission
The college has a three-fold mission: to
prepare men and women for careers in
oceanography and related fields; to
broaden, through research and extension,
regional knowledge about the marine
environment; and to further national
oceanic endeavors.
'Senior research faculty.
Teaching and Research
Teaching and research programs emphasize the interdependence of the biological,
chemical, geological, geophysical, and
physical processes in and under the sea. In
the college, each of these disciplines is
represented by a number of scientists. This
interdisciplinary approach encourages and
makes possible the rapid exchange of ideas
often necessary for the solution of a
research or management problem. Graduate students play an essential part in
carrying out such research.
Degree Programs
Although there are some undergraduate
courses, only graduate degrees are offered
in oceanography. Programs available lead
to the Master of Science (M.S.), Master of
Arts (M.A.), and Doctor of Philosophy
(Ph.D.) degrees in biological, chemical,
geological, and physical oceanography, as
well as in geophysics.
In addition, the college offers master's
degree options in marine resource management and in air-sea interaction.
Job Opportunities
The college helps students prepare for
research, teaching, and management
positions. Branches of the federal government that employ oceanographers include
the Navy, the Coast Guard, the Department of the Interior, the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, the
Department of Energy, the Army Corps of
Engineers, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The main U.S. oceanographic effort is
still centered around federal programs or
federally funded programs. Therefore,
most of the oceanographic research at
universities is supported by federal grants
and contracts. Career opportunities in
marine education and marine research
exist in colleges and universities, especially
Academics
231
at those institutions in the coastal and
Great Lakes states. Opportunities for
research also exist with private enterprise,
especially with those involved with develop-
ment of marine and coastal resources.
Admission Requirements
Requirements for admission to graduate
study:
a. A bachelor's degree with a major (40
term credits or more) in a basic natural
science (such as physics, mathematics,
chemistry, biology, or geology) or engineering. Marine resource management
majors must also have a bachelor's degree,
but the major may be in the social sciences
(economics, political science, etc.), business administration, the natural sciences,
fisheries, or engineering.
b. A minimum cumulative grade-point
average of approximately 3.00 on a 4.00
scale for the last 90 credits of undergraduate work.
c. One year each of undergraduate course
work in physics, chemistry, and calculus.
d. Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
scores (general and advanced).
e. Three letters of recommendation.
Students may apply for admission any
term. Early application is recommended.
General Program Requirements
Students majoring in oceanography or
marine resource management are required
to take prescribed core courses in each of
the following fields: biological, chemical,
geological, and physical oceanography.
Geophysics majors are normally required
to take one or more courses in physical and
geological oceanography in addition to
their geophysics courses.
Oceanography and geophysics majors
usually minor in some other field of
science, mathematics, statistics, or engineering. Marine resource management
majors have multidisciplinary programs
and do not declare minor programs.
All students are expected to participate
in seagoing projects. Students normally
consult with their major professors to
make arrangements to obtain experience
on research vessels.
Master's Programs
All students must satisfy the minimum
program requirements (45 credits including six credits of thesis) established by the
Graduate School. Some graduate credits
232
Oregon State University
earned at other institutions may be
approved for inclusion in the program.
Marine resource management programs
normally have 60 hours of course work and
six credits of internship. (No thesis is
required in the marine resource management program, but an internship normally
is required.)
A two-hour, final oral examination is
required upon completion of the master's
program.
Marine Resource Management
Program
The master's degree in marine resource
management is designed to prepare
students for careers in resource management. The program, which usually can be
completed within two years, generally
consists of basic courses in oceanography,
economics, fisheries, and business administration. Additional courses may be taken
in the Colleges of Engineering, Agriculture,
Science, and Liberal Arts. Each program
is adjusted to the needs of the individual.
No thesis is required.
An applicant's bachelor's degree should
be in natural science, social or political
science, business administration, fisheries,
or engineering. College physics, chemistry,
and calculus are required.
The Western Interstate Commission for
Higher Education (WICHE) has selected
the marine resource management program
as one of the unique or specialized
graduate programs it coordinates in the
Northwest. Residents of Alaska, Arizona,
Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana,
Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Washington,
and Wyoming, who major in this program,
pay resident tuition rates at OSU.
Air-Sea Interaction Program
For the master's degree, students may elect
an option in air-sea interaction, offered
jointly by the College of Oceanography
and the Department of Atmospheric
Sciences in the College of Science.
This integrated curriculum emphasizes
physical oceanography and atmospheric
sciences, but may also include work in
mathematics, statistics, and engineering.
Students who wish to select this option for
their master's degree program may seek
admission to either the College of
Oceanography or the Department of
Atmospheric Sciences.
Doctor of Philosophy Program
The Ph.D. program is determined by the
individual student and his or her committee.
Specific University requirements are formulated by the Graduate School. Approximately 80 credits of oceanography courses
(including the core courses and 30 to 35
credits of thesis) are usually included in the
major. A first and second minor or an
integrated minor totaling about 40 credits is
common. Some graduate credits earned at
other institutions may be accepted in the
major and minor. There are no set
requirements on the number of course
credits to be taken; each program corresponds to the needs of the individual
candidate. The dissertation is based on an
original investigation in some area of
oceanography.
Oceanography courses taken as a part of
the master's program at OSU are normally
transferable into the Ph.D. program.
Geophysics Program
Programs in geophysics are offered by the
college in cooperation with the Departments of Physics, Geology, and Mathematics in the College of Science. A student
studying for a degree under this program
works out with his or her committee, a
course of study which must include a
minimum of two courses in oceanography.
The remainder of the program is selected
from geophysics courses and related fields.
Oceanography Minor Programs
Master's candidates who wish to minor in
oceanography must take one course in
descriptive physical oceanography and
from 8 to 15 credits of other oceanography
courses.
Ph.D. candidates who wish to minor in
oceanography must take the core oceanography courses. If oceanography is the
first minor, the program should include a
total of approximately 30 credits of
oceanography.
Summer Programs
Programs are usually offered at the
Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport as well as on the main campus in
Corvallis, and vary from year to year. For
further information on summer programs
at the coast, write to: Director, Hatfield
Marine Science Center, Newport, Oregon
97365.
Courses offered on the Corvallis campus
each summer are normally graduate-level
courses for nonmajors, such as high school
teachers. Distinguished visiting oceanographers occasionally offer short courses or
seminars which are usually open to majors
and nonmajors. For further information
on summer programs write to the director
of OSU's Summer Term Office.
Research Vessels
The college's major research vessel, the
R/V Wecoma, is based at the Hatfield
Marine Science Center in Newport, 50
miles (90 kilometers) from the Corvallis
campus. The ship, which came into service
in early 1976, is 177 feet long (54 meters)
and has space for '16 scientists. It is
especially designed for oceanographic
research and is used mainly for deep ocean
l
work.
The college also maintains small vessels
for nearshore, estuarine, and limnological
research.
Courses
Not all courses are offered every year.
Consult the Schedule of Classes or the
College of Oceanography for current
offerings.
GENERAL
Upper Division Courses
Courses numbered 400-499 and designated
(G) may be taken for graduate credit.
OC 199. SPECIAL TOPICS. (1, 2, or 3 credits).
OC 331. INTRODUCTION TO OCEANOGRAPHY.
(3 credits). Marine ecosystems; geological and geophysical aspects of the seafloor; physical and chemical
properties of seawater; waves, tides, currents, ocean
circulation; related topics.
OC 406. PROJECTS. (Terms and credits to be
arranged). Not offered every year.
OC 471. PHYSICAL LIMNOLOGY. (3 credits) (G).
Geological and physical processes in lakes, rivers, and
reservoirs; procedures for field studies in physical
limnology. PREREQ: College algebra; 18 credits of
science. Offered alternate years.
OC 499. SPECIAL TOPICS IN OCEANOGRAPHY.
(1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 credits) (G).
Graduate Courses
See also courses
marked (G) above.
OC 501. RESEARCH.
OC 510. INTERNSHIP.. (1-9 credits to be arranged).
Planned and supervised experience with selected,
cooperating governmental agencies, private organizations, or business firms. Supplementary conferences,
reports, and evaluations. Consent of instructor
required.
OC 503. THESIS.
MRM 501. RESEARCH. (Terms and credits to be
arranged).
MRM 503. THESIS. (Terms and credits to be
arranged).
MARINE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
MRM 505. READING AND CONFERENCE. (Terms
and credits to be arranged).
OC 506. PROJECTS.
Graduate Courses
MRM 506. PROJECTS. (Terms and credits to be
arranged).
OC 507. SEMINAR. Section M, Resource Management,
graded PIN.
See also courses
OC 505. READING AND CONFERENCE.
OC 508. WORKSHOP. (Terms and credits to be
arranged). Not offered every year.
marked (G) above.
MRM 499. SPECIAL TOPICS. (1-5 credits) (G).
MRM 507. SEMINAR (Terms and credits to be
arranged).
Academics
233
MRM 508. WORKSHOP. (Terms and credits to be
arranged).
MRM 510. INTERNSHIP. (1-9 credits to be arranged).
Planned and supervised resource management experi-
ence with selected cooperating governmental agencies,
private organizations, or business firms. Supplementary conferences, reports and evaluations. Consent of
instructor required. For marine resource management
majors only.
MRM 512. MARINE TRANSPORTATION. (3 credits).
National and international aspects of maritime
commerce. Vehicles, ports, navigation, economics,
social and legal aspects, management problems and
trends. PREREQ: EC 499; OC 431 or equivalent.
BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
Upper Division Courses
Courses numbered 400-499 and designated
(G) may be taken for graduate credit.
OC 442. MARINE ZOOPLANKTON. (3 credits) (G).
Small animal life in the sea, population and
production, regional distribution, physiology, sampling.
PREREQ: Two years of biology OC 490, or OC 541.
Offered alternate years. Not offered 1985-86.
OC 443. MARINE ZOOPLANKTON LABORATORY.
(2 credits) (G). OC 442 to be taken concurrently.
Offered alternate years. Not offered 1985-86.
MB 450. MARINE MICROBIOLOGY. (3 credits) (G).
See Microbiology in College of Science.
OC 490. PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY. (3 credits) (G). The ocean as a living
environment: importance of temperature, salinity,
density, circulation, light, nutrients, and dissolved
gases to life in the sea; adaptations of organisms living
in the ocean; productivity; food web; ocean pollution
problems. For nonoceanography majors. PREREQ: 8
hours of upper division science. Courses from other
departments accepted for major credit.
Graduate Courses
See also courses marked (G) above.
OC 541. BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY. (4
credits). The ocean as an ecosystem; interaction of the
physical, chemical, and biological factors; plant and
animal populations; methods of sampling, identification,
and analysis. PREREQ: OC 431,551.
OC 542. MARINE NEKTON. (3 credits). Biology of
oceanic and deep sea fishes, squids, and shrimp,
including sampling methods, vertical distribution and
migration, bioluminescence, buoyancy, locomotion,
migration, special adaptations, and relationships with
oceanographic processes. PREREQ: OC 490 or OC
541 or equivalent. Offered alternate years. Not offered
1985-86.
OC 543. MARINE NEKTON LABORATORY. (1
credit). To be taken concurrently with OC 542.
Offered alternate years. Offered 1985-86.
OC 544. MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON ECOLOGY.
(3 credits). Floating plant life in the sea and estuaries;
systematics and distribution; physiology; population
dynamics; environmental factors; artificial cu tivation,
effect upon environment and position in food webs.
PREREQ: OC 331 or OC 490 or OC 541 or two years
of biology.
OC 545. MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON PIIYSIOLOGY. (3 credits). Life processes of plankton algae:
energy-capturing processes, mineral nutrition, flotation mechanisms, cell division. Evaluation of experimental procedures; problems of existence in the open
ocean; artificial productioin of maximum yields.
PREREQ: OC 544. Offered alternate years. Not
offered 1985-86.
234
Oregon State University
OC 546. EARLY LIFE HISTORY OF MARINE
FISHES. (4 credits). Ecology, behavior, physiology,
and development of egg, larval, and juvenile stages,
with special reference to adaptationsforsurvival in
larval rearing, egg and larval sampling methods.
Laboratory work with systematics of larval fishes;
particular emphasis on identification of eggs and
larvae of marine fishes of the California current
system. PREREQ: FW 313 or 571 or consent of
instructor.
OC 548. SEA FLOOR ECOLOGY. (4 credits).
Oceanic benthic habitats; distribution and abundance
of marine benthic organisms; biogeography and
adaptations to benthic environments; structural
analysis of benthic systems; community energetics,
production, regulating mechanisms, and benthicpelagic coupling. PREREQ: Z 451,452, or consent of
instructor. Offered alternate years. Offered 1985-86.
OC 549. SPECIAL TOPICS IN BIOLOGICAL
OCEANOGRAPHY. (1, 2, or 3 credits). Not offered
every year.
CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
Upper Division Courses
Courses numbered 400-499 and designated
(G) may be taken for graduate credit.
OC 493. PRINCIPLES OF CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY. (3 credits) (G). Chemical composition of
seawater; methods of analysis; chemistry of solutions;
salinity, pH, dissolved gases, nutrients, and other
factors important to people; pollution problems;
extraction of materials useful to people. For
nonoceanography majors. PREREQ: College algebra
and one year of chemistry or consent of instructor.
Offered alternate years. Not offered 1985-86.
Graduate Courses
See also courses marked (G) above.
OC 551. CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY. (3 credits).
Chemistry of the oceans; the chemical processes which
take place within them and between them and the
biosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere. Chemistry of
marine pollution. Not for chemistry or chemical
oceanography majors. PREREQ: CH 203 or 205.
OC 552. CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY. (3 credits).
Chemistry of the oceans for chemists. Seawater as a
complex electrolyte solution. The nature and rates of
chemical reactions occurring in seawater and between
the oceans and the biosphere, lithosphere, and
atmosphere. Chemical models of seawater and the
oceans. PREREQ: Undergraduate degree in chemistry.
OC 553. DESCRIPTIVE CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY. (4 credits). Reasons for observed distributions
and cycles of chemical species in seawater. Applications of these distributions to the study of water masses,
exchange with the atmosphere, biological production,
and sedimentation. PREREQ: OC 551 or 552. Not
offered every year.
OC 554. THEORETICAL CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY. (4 credits). Thermodynamics of chemical
reactions in seawater at atmospheric and at high
pressures, illustrated mainly by the carbon dioxidecarbonate system. Physico-chemical properties of
seawater. PREREQ: One year of physical chemistry.
Not offered every year.
OC 555. CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY LABORATORY. (2 credits). Selected methods of chemical
analysis of seawater. PREREQ or COREQ: OC 551 or
552. Offered alternate years. Offered 1985-86.
OC 556. MARINE ORGANIC GEOCHEMISTRY. (3
credits). Organic carbon forms (gas, lipids-bitumen,
humic substances, kerogen) in the geosphere,. Present
versus past, genesis of organic matter, diagenesis,
cycling, resources, nutrients, and pollutants in the
biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere.
Transport and preservation. Organic matter characterization on molecular levels, methods, and interpretations. PREREQ: One year of organic chemistry or
biochemistry, or consent of instructor.
OC 559. SPECIAL TOPICS IN CHEMICAL
OCEANOGRAPHY. (1, 2, or 3 credits). Not offered
every year.
GEOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
Upper Division Courses
Courses numbered 400-499 and designated
(G) may be taken for graduate credit.
OC 492. PRINCIPLES OF GEOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY. (3 credits) (G). Sedimentation processes,
geological features of the oceans and continental
margins, minerals found in or on the sea floor, sea floor
spreading, present day research. For nonoceanography
ma ors. PREREQ: 8 credits of upper division science.
Offlered alternate years. Offered 1985-86.
Graduate Courses
See also courses marked (G) above.
OC 511. LITTORAL PROCESSES AND SEDIMENTATION. (3 credits). Nearshore environmental
processes including an examination of real waves
(wave theories and their application, refraction,
diffraction, reflection, and breaking); generation of
longshore and rip currents, mechanics of sediment
transport on beaches, and features of recent sediments.
PREREQ: General physics; integral and differential
calculus. Offered alternate years. Offered 1985-86.
OC 560. GEOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY. (4
credits). Structure of ocean basins, plate tectonics and
sea floor spreading, marine sedimentation, history of
ocean basins, and analysis of geological and geophysical data. PREREQ: One year of physics and chemistry
or science background.
OC 561. PLATE TECTONICS AND STRUCTURE
OF OCEAN BASINS. (3 credits). Evidence and
predictions of plate tectonic model; structure and
evolution of the divergent and convergent plate
margins; metrology of oceanic crust and upper mantle;
lithosphere-mantle interaction; evolution of oceanic
lithosphere; models for development of continental
margins. Required for majors in geological oceanography. PREREQ: One year each of physics, calculus,
and geology or permission of instructor.
OC 562. PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AND BIOLOGICAL SEDIMENTATION IN THE OCEANS. (3
credits). Fundamentals of transport, chemical reactions,
and biological processes in sediment formation,
including fluid flow and drag, threshold and
sedimentary bed forms, sources, facies and budgets of
sediments, early diagenetic reactions, marine microfossil
stratigraphy and paleoceanographicinterpretations.
Required for majors in geological oceanography and
recommended for geology majors. Consent of instructor required.
OC 563. DEEP-SEA SEDIMENTS. (3 credits). Nature
and distribution of deep-sea deposits; factors controlling the distribution of terrigenous, volcanic, biogenic,
and authigenic components; diagenesis and redistribution at the ocean floor; ancient deep-sea sediments.
OC 564. MINERALOGY OF MARINE SEDIMENTS.
(3 credits). Identification and quantitative determination of fine-grained minerals in marine, especially
deep-sea, sediments; structural characteristics and
genesis of important mineral groups; application of
laboratory techniques, particularly x-ray diffraction,
to specialized research problems. Not offered every
year.
OC 565. BIOSTRATIGRAPHY OF MARINE SEDIMENTS. (3 credits). Curation and description of
marine deep sea sediments; identification and quantitative determination of major biogenic components;
biostratigraphy of marine microfossils; structure and
texture of sediments; application of laboratory
techniques. Consent of instructor required.
OC 566. ISOTOPIC MARINE GEOCHEMISTRY. (3
credits). Radioactive and stable isotope systems and
their application to problems involving seawater,
marine sediments, and oceanic rocks. Consent of
instructor required. Not offered every year.
OC 567. MARINE MICROPALEONTOLOGY I:
FORAMINIFERA. (4 credits). Systematics and
taxonomy; laboratory identification and classification;
field and laboratory techniques, use of literature;
numerical analysis of faunas; familiarization with
bathymetric and zoogeographic index species of
benthic and planktonic foraminifera; specialized
research problems.
OC 568. MARINE MICROPALEONTOLOGY II:
SILICEOUS MICROFOSSILS. (6 credits). Stratigrapphic distribution; systematics and taxonomy of
Radiolaria, Silicoflagellatae, Diatomacease; distribution of floras and faunas during the Cainozoic;
laboratorty preparatrion, identification and classification. Consent of instructor required.
OC 569. SPECIAL TOPICS IN GEOLOGICAL
OCEANOGRAPHY. (1, 2, or 3 credits). Nct offered
every year.
OC 581. IGNEOUS AND METAMORPHIC PROCESSES IN THE OCEAN BASINS. (3 credits). Origin
and evolution of oceanic crusts, including the origin
and nature of chemical heterogeneity and igneous
rocks in the ocean basins; interaction mantle and
lithosphere, as reflected in the topography of ocean
basins; hydrothermal processes and the alteration of
oceanic crust; geothermometry and geobarometry of
oceanic magmas; elementary fractionation patterns
and modeling of partial melting; fractional crystallization in oceanic magmas. Consent of instructor
required.
OC 582. ANALYSIS OF GEOLOGIC DATA BASES.
(4 credits). Spatial and stratigraphic characteristics of
geologic data; geologic data bases; application of
matrix theory to the solution of geologic problems;
descriptive models, predictive models, spatial models,
and stratigraphic and time-series models. PREREQ:
One year of statistics and one year computer science or
consent of instructor. Not offered every year.
PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
Upper Division Courses
Courses numbered 400-499 and designated
(G) may be taken for graduate credit.
OC 431. PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY. (3 credits).
Introduction to the physics of the ocean. Physical
properties of seawater; dynamics governing motion in
the ocean; equations of motion,
time, and space scales
of motion, geostrophy, turbulence; wind and tides:
generation and propagation of wind waves, internal
waves, tidal theory and prediction, tsunamis; propagation of light and sound in the ocean. PREREQ: One
year college physics; one year calculus.
OC 432. CURRENTS AND WATER MASSES. (3
credits) (G). Heat budget of the ocean, air-sea
interaction processes, planetary heat budget; water
masses, conservation laws, distribution of conservative
and non-conservative properties, water mass formation;
wind-driven circulation, the major surface current
systems; abyssal circulation, thermohaline circulation,
formation of deep and bottom water; coastal and
estuarine oceanography. PREREQ: OC 431 or 571.
OC 433. ESTUARINE AND COASTAL OCEANOGRAPHY. (3 credits) (G). Dynamics of estuarine and
coastal waters. Tides, waves, wind-driven currents,
upwelling, fronts and plumes, sedimentary processes,
surges, temporal and spatial distribution of variables
and the effects of human activities. PREREQ: OC 431
or 491.
OC 491. PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY. (3 credits) (G). Physical properties of
seawater, interrelationships between atmosphere and
ocean, heat budget, water mass formation, ocean
circulation, waves, tides, coastal processes. For
nonoceanography majors. PREREQ: College algebra;
physics or physical science or consent of instructor. Not
offered every year.
Academics
235
Graduate Courses
See also courses marked (G) above.
OC 579. SPECIAL TOPICS IN PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY. (1, 2, or 3 credits). Consent of instructor
required. Not offered every year.
OC 531. DESCRIPTIVE PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY. (3 credits). Physical properties of seawater;
air-sea interaction; light transmission; heat, water,
and salt budgets and water mass formation; distribution of temperature, salinity, and density; sound
transmission; surface circulation; deep circulation and
mixing processes. PREREQ: One year of college
physics; differential and integral calculus. Not offered
every year.
GEOPHYSICS
OC 535. OPTICAL OCEANOGRAPHY. (3 credits).
Absorption, scattering, and attenuation properties of
pure water; dissolved and suspended materials;
distribution of optical properties; reflection; albedo;
ocean color; irradiance; elementary radiative transfer;
visibility; determination of total suspended mass,
particle size distribution, nature of particles; remote
sensing of ocean color. PREREQ: One year of college
physics; differential and integral calculus. Not offered
every year.
GPH 463. INTRODUCTORY SOLID EARTH
GEOPHYSICS, (4 credits) (G). Principles of geophysics,
including gravity, earthquakes, elasticity and seismic
waves, the earth's interior, heat flow and convection,
plate tectonics, geomagnetism, and paleomagnetism.
PREREQ: G 212; MTH 201; PH 203.
GPH 464. INTRODUCTION TO GEOPHYSICAL
EXPLORATION. (4 credits) (C). Physical principles,
operational procedures, and interpretation techniques
in geophysical methods used for geologic mapping and
resource exploration. Gravity, magnetic, electrical,
electromagnetic, seismic reflection and refraction, and
radioactivity surveys and well logging. Laboratory
includes interpretation and field exercises. PREREQ:
G 463 or GPH 463 or equivalent.
GPH 501. RESEARCH.
OC 539. REGIONAL PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY.
(3 credits). Detailed study of selected regions of the
world ocean: mesoscale wind and ocean circulation;
budgets of conservative and non-conservative properties;
GPH 503. THESIS.
historical and current literature review; research and
discussion of interdisciplinary questions. Successive
terms may cover different regions; thus course may be
taken more than once (with consent of instructor) for
additional credits. PREREQ: OC 431,432. Not offered
GPH 507. SEMINAR. (Terms and credits to be
arranged).
every year.
OC 571. THEORETICAL PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY I. (4 credits). Fundamentals of fluid dynamics:
conservation laws of mass, momentum, and energy;
constitutive relations; viscous flow, dynamic similarity,
boundary layers; the inviscid approximation, vorticity
dynamics, irrotational flow; compressibility effects,
sound waves. PREREQ: One year of college physics;
mathematics through differential equations and vector
calculus.
OC 572. THEORETICAL PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY H. (4 credits). Geophysical fluid dynamics:
perturbation methods; dynamics of rotating and
stratified fluids, conservation of potential vorticity,
geostrophic motion, Ekman layers, the 6-plane, Rossby
waves; topographic waves; two-layer and continuously
stratified models, geostrophic adjustment, baroclinic
instability. PREREQ: OC 571. Offered alternate
years. Not offered 1985-86.
OC 573. THEORETICAL PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY III. (4 credits). Ocean circulation theory: scale
analysis; parameterization of small-scale motions;
barotropic and baroclinic wind driven circulation;
Sverdrup's theory; western boundary currents; abyssal
circulation; the thermocline models; laboratory
models; temporal variability, mid-ocean eddies,
seasonal and climatic variability. PREREQ: OC 572.
Offered alternate years. Offered 1985-86.
OC 574. THEORETICAL PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY IV. (4 credits). Stratified flow, waves, and
instabilities: principles of waves, hyperbolic waves,
dispersive waves, phase and group velocity; surface
gravity waves; dynamics of stably stratified fluids,
internal waves, lee waves, finite amplitude motions;
hydrodynamic stability; thermal instability, Rayleigh
number; stability of parallel flows, Orr Summerfeld
equation; effect of stratification on stability. Richardson number. PREREQ: OC 471. Offered alternate
years. Offered 1985-86.
OC 575. THEORETICAL PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY V. (4 credits). Dynamics of turbulence: dimensional analysis; Reynolds averaging, derivation of
turbulence moment equations; turbulent transport;
turbulent boundary layers; statistical description;
spectral dynamics; applications to geophysical problems.
PREREQ: OC 571. Offered alternate years. Offered
1985-86.
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Oregon State University
GPH 505. READING AND CONFERENCE
GPH 521. PLANETOLOGY. (3 credits). Review of
relevant topics in hysics; theory of the internal
constitution of cold gravitating bodies; observational
data; models of the earth and other planets involving
density, pressure, seismic parameters, chemistry, and
temperature; topics in astrophysics and cosmology.
Consent of instructor required. Offered alternate
years. Offered 1985-86.
GPH 530. THEORETICAL SEISMOLOGY I. (3
credits). Wave propagation in one-dimensional
structures; stress and strain in liquids and solids;
propagation of waves in linearly elastic solids; basic
solutions, body waves, surface waves, and propagation
of elastic energy; theory of guided waves and waves in
layered media. Fundamental oscillation modes of the
earth. PREREQ: Differential equations; complex
functions. Offered alternate years. Offered 1985-86.
GPH 532. OBSERVATIONAL SEISMOLOGY I:
EXPLORATION. (3 credits). Methods and techniques
used in research and exploration seismology: reflection
methods, refraction methods, data reduction, deconvolution, filtering, stacking, interpretation, instrumentation, and field procedures. Consent of instructor
required. Offered alternate years. Not offered 1985-86.
GPH 546. GEOELECTRICITY I. (3 credits).
Fundamentals of electromagnetic theory, Maxwell's
equations, individual field equations; stationary fields
in a layered half-space; theory of the D.C. methods of
exploration, field procedures, and applications.
PREREQ: PH 431,432,433 (electromagnetic theory
and optics) or consent of instructor. Offered alternate
years. Offered 1985-86.
GPH 547. GEOELECTRICITY II. (3 credits).
Maxwell's equations in the long-wave approximation;
diffusion of electromagnetic fields in layered solids;
theory of the magneto-telluric and other A. C. methods
of geophysical exploration, field procedures, and
applications; electromagnetic fields in weak plasmas;
topics in aeronomy. Consent of instructor required.
Offered alternate years. Offered 1985-86.
GPH 548. GEOTHERMOLOGY. (3 credits). Geology,
physics, and chemistry of geothermal systems;
reservoir mechanics; exploration, production, and
utilization of geoheat. Consent of instructor required.
Offered alternate years. Not offered 1985-86.
GPH 552. PALEOMAGNETISM AND ROCK
MAGNETISM. (3 credits).Principles of paleomagnetism and their application to geological and geophysical problems; field procedures and laboratory
techniques; origin of remanent magnetism in rocks and
the physical and chemical processes which control and
affect it; properties of ferri-magnetic minerals that
occur in rocks. PREREQ: One year of calculus and one
year of physics or consent of instructor. Offered
alternate years. Offered 1985-86.
GPH 563. PHYSICS OF THE EARTH. (3 credits).
Effects of confining pressure, temperature, time, and
solutions on properties of rocks; earth and moon in
solar system; source materials and their reliabilities for
determining nature and composition of the earth;
composition of core, crust, and mantle; processes
within the earth with special reference to their effect
on earthquakes, isostasy, crustal structure, island arcs.
PREREQ: Differential equations; two years of physics;
one year of geology. Offered alternate years. Not
offered 1985-86.
GPH 580. GEOPHYSICAL TIME SEQUENCE
ANALYSIS. (3 credits). Linear systems theory applied
to the analysis of geophysical data. Topics include
transforms, rational filters, spectral resolution, theory
of least-squares fitting, and multichannel time series.
Methods specifically applied to seismic wave
propagation, marine magnetic anomalies, and other
geophysical data. PREREQ: ST 521. Consent of
instructor required. Offered alternate years. Offered
1985-86.
GPH 581. GEOPHYSICAL INVERSE THEORY. (3
GPH 533. OBSERVATIONAL SEISMOLOGY II:
EARTHQUAKES. (3 credits). Description of earthquakes; types of earthquakes; seismograph theory;
seismic ray paths; velocity determinations; shallow
and deep earthquakes; magnitude and energies of
credits). Survey of techniques for the parameterization
of geophysical models, given data sets which may be
incomplete and inaccurate. Applications to seismic,
magnetic, and gravimetric data. PREREQ: Calculus,
linear algebra; consent of instructor. Offered alternate
years. Not offered 1985-86.
years. Offered 1985-86.
GPH 589. SPECIAL TOPICS IN GEOPHYSICS. (1,
earthquakes; locating earthquakes; microseisms;
seismicity. PREREQ: GPH 530. Offered alternate
GPH 540. THE EARTH'S GRAVITY FIELD. (3
credits). Gravity field and gravity potential, earth
ell, soid; gravity measurements (sea, land, and space),
reduction of gravity measurements; gravity anomalies,
isostasy, deviations, from isostatic equilibrium; internal constitution of the earth. PREREQ: Differential
equations; two years of physics; one year of geology.
Consent of instructor required. Offered alternate
years. Offered 1985-86.
GPH 542. GEOMAGNETISM. (3 credits). Geomagnetic field and magnetic potential; general morphology,
secular change, magnetic storms; magnetic measurements, reduction of magnetic measurements; magnetic
anomalies, application to structure and composition of
crust, mantle, and core of earth. PREREQ: Differential equations; two years of physics; one year of
geology. Consent of instructor required. Offered
alternate years. Offered 1985-86.
2, or 3 credits). Consent of instructor required.
GPH 590. GEOPHYSICS OF OCEAN BASINS. (3
credits). Current topics concerning geophysical data
and the structure and evolution of the oceanic
lithosphere. Topics include marine seismology, marine
gravity, marine magnetic anomalies, marine heat flow
measurements, and the physical and magnetic properties of drilled and dredged rocks. Consent of instructor
required.