Oceanography

Earth's ocean is a source of wonder, delight, sustenance, economic benefit, and awe in the face of its overwhelming mystery and power. It dominates the natural world in ways that scientists are only now beginning to understand. And although we call our home planet Earth, it would be more accurate to name it Ocean, since 71% of the globe is covered with water, and beneath the waves churn forces that make our world unique in the solar system:

This book on Descriptive Physical Oceanography contains the substance of courses on Physical Oceanography; Applied Oceanography; Oceanographic Methods; Coastal Oceanography and Oceanic Circulation taught by me and my colleagues for about thirty years in the Department of Fishery Oceanography at the College of Fisheries, Mangalore, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore to graduate, post-graduate and Ph.D. students specializing in Oceanography and Fishery Oceanography.

The remote sensing of oceans from space has developed rapidly since 1978 when the first dedicated ocean viewing sensors were launched. In 1991 the first European Space Agency remote sensing satellite carried sensors primarily for the ocean, heralding the widespread use of satellite data by oceanographers.