METEO 520

Geophysical Fluid Dynamics

METEO 520 – Geophysical Fluid Dynamics

Fall 2019 Syllabus 

Classes: Tuesday and Thursday, 10:35 – 11:50 am, 110 Walker Building 

Instructor:    
Prof. Ying Pan
Office:  521 Walker               
Email:  yyp5033@psu.edu

Office hours:  Tuesday and Thursday 4:00 – 5:00pm, or by appointment 

Course Description:  This course presents the fundamentals of fluid dynamics with an emphasis on basic concepts that are important for geophysical flows, such as those in the atmosphere and ocean. Topics include kinematics, conservation laws, vorticity dynamics, dynamic similarity, laminar flows, scale analysis, and an introduction to waves and instability. Students should leave this course with a solid foundation in fluid dynamics, possessing a conceptual and mathematically rigorous understanding of the fundamental conservation laws for fluids and some basic geophysical applications of them. 

Textbook:  Kundu, P. K., Cohen, I. M., and Dowling, D. R., 2016. Fluid Mechanics 6th ed., Elsevier Inc., doi:10.1016/C2012-0-00611-4.  (An online version is available for Penn State students for free: https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780124059351/fluid-mechanics

Assistance with Textbooks

Penn State honors and values the socioeconomic diversity of our students. If you require assistance with the costs of textbooks for this course, contact the Office of Student Care and Advocacy (120 Boucke Building, 863-4926, http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/studentcare). For additional need related to socioeconomic status please visit http://sites.psu.edu/projectcahir

Recommended Internet Materials: National Committee for Fluid Mechanics Films (http://web.mit.edu/hml/ncfmf.html

Course website:  The instructor will use Canvas to communicate with the class electronically. Canvas will also be used to post announcements, assignments, and a course schedule with specific topics. 

Course Content: Below is a general guide to the course.  The actual topics covered may vary at the discretion of the instructor.

  1. Math Review (~2 weeks)
  2. Kinematics (~3 weeks)
  3. Conservation Laws (~4 weeks)
  4. Vorticity Dynamics (~2 weeks)
  5. Dynamic Similarity and Dimensional Analysis (~1 weeks)
  6. Exact Solutions to Laminar Flows (~1 week)
  7. Scale Analysis and Geostriphic Balance (~1 week)
  8. Waves and Instability (~1 week) 

Grading Policy:  The weighting of the components of your course grade is as follows: 40% homework, 55% exams, 5% office hour visit. The final grade will be based on a standard grading scale à  A: 93-100%, A-: 90-92%, B+: 87-89%, B: 83-86%, B-: 80-82%, C+: 77-79%, C: 70-76%, D: 60-69%, F: 0-59%. There will be no grade curving. 

Homework:  Homework assignments will be given bi-weekly on Thursday and due on the Thursday the week after the next week at the beginning of class, and must be turned in directly to the instructor. Late homework (up to 24 hours late) will be accepted with a 25% penalty and must be turned in directly to the instructor. Homework assignments are equally weighted. 

Exams:  There will be three exams throughout the semester. The first two exams are tentatively scheduled on October 8 and November 12 evenings (both on Tuesdays). The third exam is scheduled during the finals week. The exams are not cumulative. The weighting of each exam in your final grade depends on your exam score. Each of your two exams with relatively high scores will be worth 20% of your final grade, and your lowest scoring exam will be worth 15%. The exams are close book and close notes, but you are allowed to bring a self-hand-written equation sheet (one-page A4, two sided). 

Academic integrity:  Students in this class are expected to write up their problem sets individually, to work the exams on their own, and to write their papers in their own words using proper citations.  Class members may work on the problem sets in groups, but then each student must write up the answers separately.  Students are not to copy problem or exam answers from another person's paper and present them as their own; students may not plagiarize text from papers or websites written by others.  Students who present other people's work as their own will receive at least a 0 on the assignment and may well receive an F or XF in the course.  Please see: Earth and Mineral Sciences Academic Integrity Policy: http://www.ems.psu.edu/undergraduate/academic-advising/forms-and-procedures/academic-integrity, which this course adopts. To learn more, see Penn State's "Plagiarism Tutorial for Students." 

Course Copyright:  All course materials students receive or to which students have online access are protected by copyright laws. Students may use course materials and make copies for their own use as needed, but unauthorized distribution and/or uploading of materials without the instructor’s express permission is strictly prohibited. University Policy AD 40, the University Policy Recording of Classroom Activities and Note Taking Services addresses this issue. Students who engage in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials may be held in violation of the University’s Code of Conduct, and/or liable under Federal and State laws.  For example, uploading completed labs, homework, or other assignments to any study site constitutes a violation of this policy. 

Accommodations for students with disabilities:  Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contact information for every Penn State campus: (http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/disability-coordinator). For further information, please visit the Student Disability Resources website (http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources). 

In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation: http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/applying-for-services. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations. 

Attendance:  This course abides by the Penn State Attendance Policy E-11: http://undergrad.psu.edu/aappm/E-11-class-attendance.html, and Conflict Exam Policy 44-35: http://senate.psu.edu/policies-and-rules-for-undergraduate-students/44-00-examinations/#44-35. Please also see Illness Verification Policy:  https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/health-wellness/medical-services/policies-patient-resources, and Religious Observance Policy: http://undergrad.psu.edu/aappm/R-4-religious-observances.html. Students who miss class for legitimate reasons will be given a reasonable opportunity to make up missed work, including exams and quizzes.  Students are not required to secure the signature of medical personnel in the case of illness or injury and should use their best judgment on whether they are well enough to attend class or not; the University Health Center will not provide medical verification for minor illnesses or injuries. Other legitimate reasons for missing class include religious observance, military service, family emergencies, regularly scheduled university-approved curricular or extracurricular activities, and post-graduate, career-related interviews when there is no opportunity for students to re-schedule these opportunities (such as employment and graduate school final interviews).  Students who encounter serious family, health, or personal situations that result in extended absences should contact the Office of the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs (AVPSA) and Student Care and Advocacy for help: http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/studentcare.  Whenever possible, students participating in University-approved activities should submit to the instructor a Class Absence Form: http://undergrad.psu.edu/aappm/classabs.pdf, at least one week prior to the activity. 

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Counseling and Psychological Services at University Park  (CAPS): 814-863-0395
Counseling and Psychological Services at Commonwealth Campuses
Penn State Crisis Line (24 hours/7 days/week): 877-229-6400
Crisis Text Line (24 hours/7 days/week): Text LIONS to 741741 

Disclaimer statement:  Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus can be changed at any time, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Changes to the syllabus shall also be given to the student in written (paper or electronic) form.