A graduate course in numerical ocean modeling. Covers the governing equations and their discretization, grid choice, time stepping, numerical stability, subgrid parameterization, boundary and initial conditions, and data assimilation.
Substantial attention is paid to interpretation. Model output is smooth, complete and visually persuasive in a way that observations are not, and the resulting temptation to treat it as data is the most common error in the field. The course requires students to run experiments in which a parameterization choice materially changes the result, and to defend a choice rather than inherit one.
Students complete a modeling project on a question of their own, normally connected to thesis work. Access to institutional computing is provided.