OCEA 100Physical Oceanography
Introduces physical aspects of the ocean including both descriptive representations of ocean properties and dynamical processes that govern ocean circulation. Topics include measurement methods, the equation of state, the equations of motion, geostrophy, atmospheric forcing, Ekman transport, gyre circulation, western boundary currents, the global circulation, and surface gravity waves.
Prerequisite(s): MATH 11B or equivalent; and PHYS 6B; and ESCI 100A or EART 110A.
Find a section and add it to your scheduleLive seat counts, time-conflict checks and the walk from your previous class.
When it runs
Fall 2026Open Fall 2026
| Section | Type | When | Where | Instructor | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lecture | Tue Thu 11:40am–1:15pm | Earth&Marine D250 | J. Fiechter | Wait List 20/20 |
Fall 2025Open Fall 2025
| Section | Type | When | Where | Instructor | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lecture | Tue Thu 1:30pm–3:05pm | Earth&Marine D258 | J. Fiechter | Open 6/30 |
Who teaches it
| Instructor | Rating | Difficulty | Would take again | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jerome Fiechter | 5.0 / 5 | 2.0 / 5 | 100% | 5 |
From RateMyProfessors, which is student-submitted and not a survey. Small review counts move a long way on one bad quarter.
SlugAtlas is a student project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by UC Santa Cruz. Course data is a snapshot of the public class search; myUCSC is authoritative for enrolment.