海洋對氣候的影響是目前科學研究的重點。表層海溫變化與其所引發的低層大氣環流之間有密切的海氣交互，例如：海溫年際變化主要歸因為大氣與海洋的熱通量及混合層的混流機制，海洋動力過程發揮了重要作用，但缺乏全面的了解。本課程內容為使大氣科學系學生能夠認識基本的物理海洋現象及原理, 瞭解海水運動的基本動力機制，以及大氣風場、熱通量及降雨對海洋上表層的影響。由於大氣及海洋同為地球上的流體，其動力原理非常類似。更因為大氣及海洋在自然界密接，二者的交互作用對彼此的影響均甚大。因此本課程非常適合大氣科學系學生學習。
Within the disciplinary of climate change and variability, the participation of the ocean is important. The ocean serves as a giant heat reservoir regulating the heat budget of the climate system, in addition, major climate fluctuations are dominated by the ocean-atmosphere coupled system. Besides the mixed layer process and the air-sea flux exchange, the oceanic dynamical process, which is closely linked with the climate variability and have potential influence on the sea surface temperature variation, are mostly overlooked.
This course is designed for atmosphere major students to get a broader understanding of the physical processes that occur in the ocean. Since both the atmosphere and the ocean are fluid, their governing equations are quite similar, it is therefore important and suitable for atmosphere major students to take this course. The course will cover the basic fluid dynamics equations, turbulent mixing, dynamics of the ocean currents and wind-driven circulation theories as well as the air-sea coupling processes.