Fluid Dynamics of the Atmosphere and Ocean
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this first-year graduate course covering the fundamentals of fluid dynamics, framed for students heading into atmospheric science, physical oceanography, or ocean engineering. Topics build from the equations of motion and vorticity dynamics through rotating fluids, boundary layers, and wave motion, with the atmosphere and ocean used throughout as the physical setting for the math. Materials include lecture notes, problem sets, and exam materials from the MIT course, letting students work through the same derivations and homework assigned to MIT graduate students. No video lectures are included, but the written materials are complete enough to follow the course structure independently. The course assumes prior exposure to calculus and classical mechanics and serves as the foundation students need before tackling more specialized courses in geophysical fluid dynamics. Free to access, with no certificate offered.