Ocean Density and Stratification

About the lecture

In this module, we think about how differences in the density of water masses drive movement and stratification within the oceans. We focus on: (i) the key external drivers of movement within the oceans, such as wind and solar heating; (ii) how density variations cause motion through vertical stratification, including a tank experiment to demonstrate this; (iii) what produces differences in the density of water masses, most importantly temperature and salinity; (iv) the three main strata of the ocean – the surface mixed layer, the pycnocline, and the interior ocean; (v) methods for measuring the temperature and salinity (and therefore density) of water masses.

About the lecturer

Dr Katy Sheen is Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography and the University of Exeter. Her research focuses on the physics of the oceans, the role of the oceans and ocean-atmosphere interactions in the global climate system, and the impacts of climate change. Much of her work is focused on the Southern Ocean around Antarctica.