EESC4360 - Environmental Fluid Dynamics

Environmental Fluid Dynamics (EFD) is an applied branch of fluid mechanics devoted to studying fluid systems in nature, including atmospheric boundary layers and aquatic environments, such as lakes, rivers, and coastal seas. In particular, EFD aims to characterize the mechanisms governing the transport of heat, dissolved, and suspended matter in fluid environments, which together play a critical role in the functioning of ecosystems. This course will introduce the underlying physics governing motion in natural fluids, with
emphasis on water bodies. We will discuss the transport equations that model fluid flows affected by vertical and horizontal density gradients, the effect of Earth rotation in fluid trajectories, and the main natural drivers responsible for energizing fluid flows, such as wind and heat fluxes. The course will revisit analytical results characterizing specific type flows in nature, and we will discuss open topics that are under development.