BMST 1312 - CALCULUS OCEANOGRAPHY

SEMESTER 2, YEAR I, 2022/2023

PROJECT REPORT:

THE APPLICATION OF DERIVATIVES IN STATISTICS

BY OCEANOGRAPHIC APPLICATIONS

LECTURER:

DR. NORFAIEQAH BINTI AHMAD

GROUP MEMBERS:

NAME MATRIC NO.

MOHAMAD NOOR FAIQ BIN NOOR ZILAN 2215415

NUR FATIHAH BINTI RAMLI 2219926

SHARIFAH AMEESYA SABRINA BINTI SYED IZAD REDZA 2219442

SITI AISYAH BINTI ABD HALIM 2221562

SUBMISSION DATE :

8 JUNE 2023
 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................... 2

PROBLEMS................................................................................................................................... 3

APPLICATION OF DERIVATIVES........................................................................................... 4

REFLECTION............................................................................................................................... 7

REFERENCES...............................................................................................................................8
 2

INTRODUCTION
Knowledge-seeking has always been motivated by a multitude of factors in the wide and
dynamic field of oceanography. The seas have drawn the interest of scientists and researchers for
a variety of reasons, including their use as channels for exploration and trade, as well as their
essential roles in military operations and ability to affect the planet's weather. Today, the focus of
oceanographic study has expanded to cover important topics including the preservation of
biodiversity, environmental changes, and global climate change, among many others.
Statistical techniques have always played a vital role in analyzing oceanographic data.
However, with the advent of advanced oceanographic observational mechanisms, capable of
generating unprecedented volumes of data, statistical considerations have gained even greater
prominence in the field. Despite the immense potential for interdisciplinary collaboration,
traditional disciplinary boundaries have limited interactions between oceanography and statistics
It is necessary to support cross-disciplinary activities in order to advance the discussion
of significant research issues that emerge at the interface between statistics and oceanography.
With an emphasis on potentially beneficial areas of cross-disciplinary study, this report seeks to
promote effective partnerships between statisticians and oceanographers. It is in response to a
request from the Office of Naval Research's Mathematical Sciences Division, which intends to
investigate fundamental research issues in statistics and applied probability spurred by
applications to oceanography. The intention is to draw research statisticians' attention to these
issues and to strengthen collaborations between the statistics and oceanography research
communities.
The Committee on Applied and Theoretical Statistics of the National Research Council
assembled a panel of five reputable statisticians and five oceanographers to create this report.
The panel's goal was to pinpoint areas with the greatest promise for answering important
oceanographic questions where statistics and oceanography meet. The report highlights statistical
research prospects in physical oceanography with an emphasis on this discipline. The importance
of statistical analysis in biological, chemical, and geological oceanography should not be
underestimated, despite the focus of this paper being on physical oceanography.
By fostering collaboration and highlighting these opportunities, the report aims to
advance knowledge at the intersection of statistics and oceanography, contributing to our
understanding of the oceans and their impact on our planet.
 3

PROBLEMS

Oceanography has broadened its focus to address global issues such as climate change
and biodiversity loss. Statistical approaches have become important in analyzing large amounts
of oceanographic data. Interdisciplinary collaboration between statistics and oceanography has
been limited due to disciplinary boundaries. This research aims to identify the intersection of
statistics and oceanography and foster sustainable partnerships. However, there are challenges
that must be addressed to encourage multidisciplinary research.
Firstly, the increase in the amount of oceanographic data produced from modern data
gathering systems is one of the main problems. Larger amounts of data resulting from the
development of advances in technology require advanced statistical approaches for analysis.
Statistical considerations have been emphasized in oceanographic research, but interdisciplinary
boundaries limit the interaction between disciplines, including traditional statistics and
oceanography. Therefore, collaboration between oceanography and statistics are needed to
address new research and encourage successful partnership.
Furthermore, this research identifies scope restrictions and focuses mostly on the
potential of statistical research in physical oceanography. It highlights that there are also many
opportunities for statisticians to be involved in biological, chemical and geological
oceanography. Consider the study of phytoplankton distribution in the context of climate change,
which requires quantitative research and an understanding of possible impacts on their
distribution. Statistical challenges arise from sparse data, incomplete data and temporal and
spatial correlation.
Compared to other oceanographic disciplines, statistical analysis techniques are more
advanced in the field of physical oceanography. Increasing advances in technology and the need
to analyze huge quantities of observational data have been the reason for this development.
Statistical methods from the field of atmospheric science have been adapted and used in physical
oceanography because of the similarities in analyzing large atmospheric and ocean data sets.
In short, the problem that the research aims to address is the limited oceanography
knowledge, lack of statistical research in physical oceanography and limited collaboration
between statistics and other oceanography fields.
 4

APPLICATION OF DERIVATIVES

The application of derivatives in this described project can be seen in an introduction to

the equations of fluid motion in the rotating reference frame of Earth which are modified from
Navier-Stokes equations. The presence of the second derivatives captures the details of how
velocity gradients change within the fluid, accounting for the frictional forces caused by
molecular viscosity. These derivatives help quantify the rates of change of various fluid
properties and provide insights into the dynamics of the fluid system. The vector equation for
momentum conservation based on Newton's Second Law in the rotating reference frame of the
Earth below is

Where,
● v is the three-dimensional vector velocity
● ∇ (pronounced as “del” or “nabla”) is the vector gradient operator along the x,y and z
coordinate axes with respective velocity components u, v and w.
In the context of fluid dynamics, when the ∇ operator is applied to the velocity
components u, v, and w, it yields the following vector [ ∇ = (∂/∂x, ∂/∂y, ∂/∂z) ]:
∇u = (∂u/∂x, ∂u/∂y, ∂u/∂z)
∇v = (∂v/∂x, ∂v/∂y, ∂v/∂z)
∇w = (∂w/∂x, ∂w/∂y, ∂w/∂z)
● Ω (pronounced as “omega”) is the angular velocity vector of the rotation of Earth or
usually represented by the symbol ω
● g is the gravitational acceleration,
● ρ (pronounced as “rho”) is the water density
● p is pressure
● v is the molecular viscosity
● ∇² is the Laplacian operator which represents the sum of the second derivatives of
velocity along each spatial coordinate axis. The Laplacian operator quantifies the rate of
change of velocity gradients and is responsible for modeling the molecular friction or
viscosity within the fluid
 5

However, the Navier-Stokes equations provide three vector equations that relate the
unknown quantities of density (ρ), pressure (p), and the three components of velocity (u, v, w) to
each other. Since there are five unknowns, two additional equations are required to close the
system and solve for all the unknowns. These additional equations are typically the mass
conservation equation and the equation of state.

A. Mass conservation equation

Mass conservation equation is also known as the continuity equation which relates the
rate of change of density to the divergence of velocity. In many cases, seawater can be
considered to be approximately incompressible, meaning that the density of seawater remains
relatively constant over time and does not significantly change within a fluid parcel.

Therefore, this equation means that the change in density with respect to time (∂ρ/∂t) plus the
divergence of the density multiplied by velocity (∇ ∙ (ρv)) is equal to zero. It ensures that mass
is conserved within the fluid system. For this reason, this assumption allows for simplifications
in the Navier-Stokes equations and the continuity equation reduces to

Whereby, this equation implies that the divergence of the velocity field (∇∙v) must be zero for
an incompressible fluid. In other words, it states that the net flow of fluid into or out of any small
volume element is balanced, leading to a conservation of mass.

B. Equation of State

This equation is known as the equation of state for seawater wherein it relates the density
(ρ) of seawater to temperature (T), salinity (S), and pressure (p). This equation is necessary to
solve for the five unknowns in the fluid system.
 6

where ρ represents the density of seawater, and T, S, and p are the temperature, salinity and
pressure respectively. The equation of state is typically derived from extensive experimental data
and incorporates mathematical models to accurately represent the behavior of seawater over a
wide range of conditions.

In addition, to account for the dependence of pressure (p) on temperature (T) and salinity
(S), two additional equations are needed to govern the conservation of temperature and salinity.
This equation describes how temperature and salinity change over time and are influenced by
various processes.

Where,

● C could be either temperature or salt concentration

● ∂C/∂t represents the rate of change of temperature or salinity with respect to time
● Kc is the diffusivity coefficients which account for the molecular diffusion
● ∇²C represents the Laplacian operators applied to temperature or salinity which account
for spatial variations and gradients in these properties
● Qc represents the source or sink terms, accounting for processes such as heating, cooling,
chemical reactions and other effects that influence temperature or salinity

In summary, there are seven equations for the seven unknowns in the described fluid
system which are u, v, w, p, ρ, T and S. These equations must be solved while considering
appropriate boundary conditions and specifying appropriate initial conditions (the values of the
variables at the starting time). The equations themselves are deterministic, meaning that for a
given set of boundary and initial conditions, a unique solution can be obtained. However, the
boundary and initial conditions have a random character, introducing uncertainty and
randomness in the physical modeling of the fluid system. Overall, taking into account these
equations, boundary conditions and the inherent randomness in the system, numerical or
analytical methods can be used to solve the equations and study the behavior of the fluid system
under various conditions.
 7

REFLECTION

In summary, oceanography has expanded its focus to tackle global concerns like climate
change and biodiversity loss. Analyzing vast amounts of oceanographic data now relies heavily
on statistical approaches. Unfortunately, collaboration between statistics and oceanography has
been hindered by disciplinary boundaries. So, this research aims to identify the common ground
between the two fields and promote sustainable partnerships and also to address the limited
knowledge of oceanography, the lack of statistical research in physical oceanography, and the
limited collaboration between statistics and other oceanographic fields. By bridging these gaps, it
strives to promote a more integrated and multidisciplinary approach to oceanographic research.
Furthermore, In this report, derivatives are used to understand fluid motion in the rotating
reference frame of Earth. The equations of fluid motion, modified from Navier-Stokes equations,
include second derivatives to capture velocity gradients and frictional forces caused by molecular
viscosity. These derivatives help measure the rates of change of fluid properties and provide
insights into the dynamics of the system. The vector equation for momentum conservation, based
on Newton's Second Law in the rotating reference frame. The mass conservation equation, also
known as the continuity equation, relates the rate of change of density to the divergence of
velocity. It ensures mass conservation and simplifies for incompressible fluids by stating that the
divergence of the velocity field (∇∙v) must be zero. Next, the equation of state connects
seawater density (ρ) to temperature (T), salinity (S), and pressure (p) is derived from
experimental data which is essential for solving the fluid system. In a nutshell, there are seven
equations for the seven unknowns in the fluid system which are u, v, w, p, ρ, T, and S that can be
used using numerical or analytical methods to study the behavior of the fluid system under
different conditions.
From above, it indicates that we, as khalifah on this earth supposedly must become
acquainted with the issues that occur not just merely science, but we also need to care about
marine life as stated in the quran verse as our Prophet (SAW) responded, which means "This
Spirit comes by the Command of my Lord, but you have been given only a little of the
'Knowledge'." (17:85). This demonstrates that we need to learn in detail about the ocean by
doing research to understand more about the ocean.
 8

REFERENCES

BYJU'S. (n.d.). Law of Conservation of Mass - Definition, Formula, Examples, Problem.

BYJUS. https://byjus.com/physics/law-of-conservation-of-mass/

Lectures 7&8. (2014). Github.io. https://houraad.github.io/MPO503/Lectures%207%268.html

Storch, H. V. (1994) Report on Statistics and Physical Oceanography, Journal of Statistical

Science, 9(2), 167-201. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2246320

The Physics Classroom. (2021). Newton’s Second Law. Physicsclassroom.com; The Physics
Classroom.
https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-3/Newton-s-Second-Law‌