MAR 599: Special Topics

Course Topic Description: FVCOM: Algorithms and Training is an advanced, three-credit online course designed to introduce the dynamical principles, numerical algorithms, and practical applications of unstructured-grid, finite-volume ocean models, with a primary focus on the Finite-Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM). The course combines theoretical lectures with hands-on training to help students understand the fundamental numerical methods underlying FVCOM and develop the skills needed to configure and apply the model to a wide range of oceanographic problems. The course consists of 13 lectures and 14 practical training assignments. Lectures cover the governing equations and finite-volume discretization methods, hydrostatic and nonhydrostatic dynamics, external forcing and boundary treatments, flooding and drying processes, sediment transport, surface waves, sea ice, marine ecosystems, tracer and particle tracking, data assimilation, and atmosphere¿ocean coupling. FVCOM¿s numerical approaches and capabilities will also be discussed in comparison with other widely used ocean models. Practical training assignments will be conducted weekly, providing students with experience in installing, compiling, configuring, and running FVCOM for idealized and realistic ocean applications. Students will be expected to demonstrate their understanding of the numerical methods and interpret their simulation results. Upon completing the training assignments, students will prepare a final written project summarizing their findings and participate in an individual virtual oral presentation and examination to demonstrate their understanding and practical proficiency. Lectures will be delivered in English, with lecture materials translated into Chinese, Korean, and Japanese to facilitate participation by international students.