Satellite image of the phytoplankton concentratin off the coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands. Image provided by the NASA SeaWiFS Program.
Syllabus
[OCEN489_Syllabus.pdf, OCEN689_Syllabus.pdf, LearningObjectives.pdf]
You may also view the syllabus from Fall 2005 and Fall 2006.
OCEN 489/689 SP TP MIXING TRANS PROCS. (3-0). Credit 3. II A first course in environmental fluid mechanics: an introduction to fluid and mass transport in naturally occurring flows. Topics include molecular and turbulent diffusion; dispersion; river, estuary, and ocean mixing; dissolution boundary layers; tidal mixing; offshore wastewater outfalls; and an introduction to environmental quality numerical modeling.
The objective of this course is to introduce the physics and chemistry of transport and mixing of substances in the hydrosphere by learning to:
- Understand the effects of diffusion, advection, dispersion, and chemical reactions on concentrations in the environment
- Apply the governing transport equation to solve problems with diverse boundary and intial conditions
- Evaluate the important processes affecting fate and transport in a range of problem situations
- Synthesize the analysis tools developed in the course to solve real-world transport problems
There is a realted PowerPoint presentation describing the course content. If you do not have PowerPoint, you can view this presentation by downloading and installing the PowerPoint Viewer. See also the old course CVEN 489.
Keywords:
Environmental fluid mechanics, mixing, transport, diffusion, dispersion, turbulence, turbulent diffusion, dispersion, jets, plumes, concentration boundary layers, tidal mixing, wastewater outfalls, numerical modeling.
Textbooks
There is one required textbook for this course
Chin, David A. (2006). Water Quality Engineering in Natural Systems. Wiley Interscience: Hoboken, New Jersey.
There is also an on-line textbook by the course instructor available from this website under the Book heading.
Among the many other good textbooks on this subject, the following books are also recommended
- Fischer, H. B., List, E. J., Koh, R. C. Y., Imberger, J., and Brooks, N. H. (1979). Mixing in Inland and Coastal Waters. Academic Press: San Diego, California.
- Hemond, H. F. and Fechner-Levy, E. J. (2000). Chemical Fate and Transport in the Environment. Second Edition. Academic Press: San Diego, California.
Course Calendar
Please refer to the Calendar page.
Homework Assignments
Please refer to the Assignments page.
Grading
Your final grade for the course will be calculated as follows
- Homework: 20%
- Midterm exams: 30% each
- Final project: 20%
Class Participation and Quizzes
You are expected to attend all classes, turn in all assignments, and complete all exams at their scheduled times. Exceptions are only permitted for University Excused Absences as described above in Grading.
Classes will start on time, and pointers for the homework assignments and last-minute changes to the schedule may be announced in class. It is your responsibility to be in class to receive this information or to get the information from another student.
Exams
One take-home exam is scheduled (see course Calendar for scheduling). The grading of the exam will be based on both the approach and the final answer. The exam will be open book and notes, but no collaboration with other students will be permitted.
Academic Integrity
"An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do." Please see Section 20 of the Texas A&M University Student Rules and visit the AggieHonor website.
No form of scholastic dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, etc.) will be tolerated. As commonly defined, plagiarism consists of passing off as one's own the ideas, words, writings, etc., which belong to another. In accordance with this definition, you are committing plagiarism if you copy the work of another person and turn it in as your own, even if you should have permission of that person. Since the homework grade for this course is a high percentage of your total grade, no plagiarism or cheating will be permitted in the homework.
Absences
The university views class attendance as an individual student responsibility. Students are expected to attend class and to complete all assignments. Please read Section 7 of the Texas A&M University Student Rules for details.
Please contact me as soon as you know you will miss a class or an exam so that a reasonable alternative can be accommodated. Unexcused absences will result in a grade of zero for the missed work.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Department of Student Life, Services for Students with Disabilities, in Cain Hall or call 845-1637.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. CTS-0348572. Any opinions, finds and conclusions or recommendations in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation (NSF).