Dimensioni e forme degli oceani (Ocean Dimension, Shapes and Bottom Material: Dimensions. Sea-floor Dimension: scales; shore; continental shelf; continental slope and rise;  deep-sea bottom and sounding; sills. Bottom Material [Pickard e Emery, pagg.5-11]). Vedi anche: Gli Oceani

Proprietà fisiche dell’acqua di mare (Property of Sea Water relevant to Physical Oceanography, Density, Measurement of density, temperature and salinity, Relative density, sigma-t  and specific volume, Density and specific volume as function of temperature, salinity and pressure [Pond e Pickard, pagg.5-11]). Vedi anche Properties of seawater, Temperature, Salinity, Pressure, Density).

Distribuzioni tipiche dei principali parametri marini (Typical Distributions of Water Characteristics in the Ocean: collection and analysis of data; general statistics and area description. Temperature Distribution: surface temperature; Upper layers and the thermocline; Langmuir circulations; temporal varations of temperature in the upper layer; deep  water; potential temperature. Salinity Distribution: surface salinity; upper layer salinity; deep-water salinity; temporal variation of salinity. Density distribution: density at the surface; Subsurface density and the pycnocline; Static stability; geographic distribution of the density; dissolved oxygen distribution [Pickard e Emery, pagg.34-58]).

Caratterizzazione delle masse d’acqua

Bilancio della massa, del calore e del sale (vedi conservazione del volume, conservazione del sale), (Water, Salt and Heat Budgets of the Oceans: conservation of Volume; Conservation of Salt; two examples of application of the two conservation principles: the Mediterranean Sea; the Black Sea. Conservation of Heat Energy; the Heat Budget: Heat-budget terms; short and long wave radiation; elements of radiation theory; short-wave radiation; Effects of atmosferic absorbtion, solar elevation, clouds, ecc.; long-wave radiation: determining factors: temporal and spatial variations; effect of clouds; effect of ice and snow cover. Evaporation. Heat conduction: eddy conductivity; convection. Geographic distribution of the heat-budget terms.[Pickard e Emery, pagg.64-91]).).

Equazione di stato dell’acqua di mare

Stabilità ed instabilità delle masse d’acqua (Stability and Double Diffusion: Static Stability, Criterion for static stability, Double diffusion [Pond e Pickard, pagg.24-32]).

Equazione del moto in oceanografia (The Equation of Motion in Oceanography: The form of the equation of motion, Obtaining solutions to equation including boundary conditions, The derivation of the terms in the equation of motion, The pressure term, Transforming form axes fixed in space to axes fixed in the rotating earth, Gravitation and gravity, The Coriolis term, The Coriolis term - an intuitive derivation, Other acceleration [Pond e Pickard, pagg.33-43]. Current without friction: Geostrophic flow, Hydrostatic equilibrium, Inertial motion, Geopotential, Geopotential surfaces and isobaric surfaces, The geostrophic equation, Yhe geostrophic method for calculating relative velocities, An alternative derivation of the geostrophic equation [Pond e Pickard, pagg.63-75, 78-82]. Current with friction; Wind-driven Circulation, Nansen's qualitative argument, Rhe equation of motion with friction included, Ekman's solution to the equation of motion with friction present [Pond e Pickard, pagg.100-109].

Correnti marine

Le principali circolazioni marine

Il mar Mediterraneo (Mediterranean Sea [Pickard e Emery, pagg.208-211]).

Appunti delle lezioni del corso di Oceanografia del prof.G.Spezie (a.a.2002-2003).

G.L. PICKARD, W.J. EMERY: "Descriptive Physical Oceanography", Pergamon Press.

S. POND, G.L. PICKARD: "Introductory Dynamical Oceanography", Pergamon Press.