Scripps Institution of Oceanography
OFFICE: 22 Old Scripps Bldg., Scripps Institution of Oceanography
http://www-siograddept.ucsd.edu/
Professors
Courses
The graduate department of Scripps Institution of Oceanography offers
instruction leading to Ph.D. degrees in oceanography, marine biology,
and earth sciences. Although students are not admitted specifically
for an M.S. degree, it is possible to obtain an M.S. on the way to completing
the Ph.D. program. A graduate students work normally will be concentrated
in one of the curricular programs within the department: applied ocean
science, biological oceanography, climate sciences, geosciences, geophysics,
marine biology, marine chemistry and geochemistry, and physical oceanography.
No undergraduate major is offered in the department though most courses
in the department are open to enrollment for qualified undergraduate
students with the consent of the instructor. The UCSD Earth Sciences
Undergraduate Program offers an earth sciences major leading to a B.S.
or a combined B.S./M.S. degree. The interdisciplinary nature of research
in marine and earth sciences is emphasized; students are encouraged
to take courses from various UCSD departments, and to consider interdisciplinary
research projects.
The Curricular Programs
Applied Ocean Science is a multidisciplinary program focused
on the application of advanced technology to ocean exploration and observation.
AOS students perform research in marine acoustics, optics, electromagnetics,
geophysics, ecology, sediment transport, coastal processes, physical
oceanography, and air-sea interaction. The emphasis is on the resolution
of key scientific issues through novel technological development. The
science focus of the Scripps AOS program is complemented by parallel
Applied Ocean Science programs in both the Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering (MAE) and Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) departments.
Students have access to professors, courses, and research facilities
across all three departments.
Biological Oceanography is concerned with the interactions of
populations of marine organisms with one another and with their physical
and chemical environment. Because these interactions are frequently
complex, and because the concepts and techniques used are drawn from
many fields, biological oceanography is, of necessity, interdisciplinary.
Therefore, studies in physical oceanography, marine chemistry, marine
geology, and several biological areas are pertinent.
Research is conducted on space/time scales ranging from short-term
interactions between individual organisms (mm., sec.) to interdecadal
variation in widely dispersed populations. The techniques used in these
investigations are diverse, and can include field observation and manipulations,
experimentation in the laboratory, and mathematical modeling.
Research topics include primary and secondary productivity and nutrient
regeneration, fishery biology and management, community ecology of benthic
and pelagic organisms, population dynamics, habitat changes and disruptions,
systematics and biogeography, population genetics and evolution, and
behavior as it affects distribution. Development and testing of new
tools (molecular, optical, acoustic), design of sampling programs, and
statistical/mathematical analyses of data also are significant activities.
Climate Sciences concerns the study of the climate system of
the earth with emphasis on the physical, dynamical, and chemical interactions
of the atmosphere, ocean, land, ice, and the terrestrial and marine
biospheres. The program encompasses changes on seasonal to interannual
time scales and those induced by human activities, as well as paleoclimatic
changes on time scales from centuries to millions of years. Examples
of current research activities include: interannual climate variability;
physics and dynamics of El Niño; studies of present and future
changes in the chemical composition of the atmosphere in relation to
global warming and ozone depletion; effects of cloud and cloud feedbacks
in the climate system; paleoclimate reconstructions from ice cores,
banded corals, tree-rings, and deep-sea sediments; the origin of ice
ages; air-sea interactions; climate theory; terrestrial and marine ecosystem
response to global change.
Geosciences emphasizes the application of general principles
of geology, geochemistry, and geophysics to problems in the marine and
terrestrial environments of the Earth. Graduate students routinely participate
in expeditions at sea and on land and many doctoral theses evolve from
these experiences.
Research areas in the geological sciences include: the origin and evolution
of the ocean-atmosphere system and global climate; geology, geochemistry,
and geophysics of oceanic crustal rocks and near-shore environments;
tectonic and structural evolution of the oceans, plate margins, and
back-arc basins; the role of fluids in the crust; chemistry of rare
gases in active volcanoes; the use of natural nuclear processes for
understanding physical and chemical processes in the Earth; paleomagnetic
applications in geology and geophysics.
Geophysics emphasizes the application of general principles
of mathematics and experimental physics to fundamental problems of the
oceans, oceanic and continental lithosphere, and crust and deep interior
of the Earth. Research interests of the group include: observational
and theoretical studies of electric and magnetic fields in the oceans
and on the land; paleomagnetism; theoretical seismology with special
emphasis on the structure of the Earth from free-oscillation and body
wave studies; broadband observational seismology, including ocean bottom
and multichannel seismology; earthquake source mechanisms; the measurements
of slow crustal deformations using satellite and observatory methods
on continents and in the oceans; marine geodynamics and tectonophysics;
gravity measurements; geophysical inverse theory; magnetohydrodynamics
of the core of the Earth; geophysical instrumentation for oceanic and
continental geophysical measurements; acoustic propagation in the oceans.
Marine Biology is the study of marine organisms. It is concerned
with evolutionary, organismic, genetic, physiological, and biochemical
processes in these organisms, and the relationship between them and
their biotic and physical environment. Marine biology encompasses several
major areas of modern biology, and is interpreted by understanding the
physical and chemical dynamics of the oceans. Faculty research focuses
on microbiology, photobiology, high pressure biology, deep-sea biology,
developmental biology, genetics, biomechanisms, comparative biochemistry
and physiology, behavior, ecology, biogeography, and evolution of marine
prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Processes ranging from the fertilization
of sea urchin eggs to the role of bacteria in marine food web dynamics
are under study in over twenty independent research laboratories.
Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry concerns chemical and geochemical
processes operating in a broad range of study areas: the oceans, the
solid earth, the atmosphere, marine organisms, polar ice sheets, lakes,
meteorites, and the solar system.
Areas of advanced study and research include the physical and inorganic
chemistry of seawater; ocean circulation and mixing based on chemical
and isotopic tracers; marine organic and natural products chemistry;
marine bioinorganic chemistry; geochemical interactions of sediments
with seawater and interstitial waters; geochemistries of volcanic and
geothermal phenomena; chemical exchanges between the ocean and the atmosphere;
geochemical cycles of carbon, oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, and other elements;
isotopic geochemistry of the solid earth and meteorites; atmospheric
trace gas chemistry; paleoatmospheric composition recorded in polar
ice cores, corals and sediments; and chemistry of lakes and other freshwater
systems.
Studies are typically interdisciplinary and involve integration of
chemical concepts with information about the physical, biological, or
geological processes that influence natural systems. Students in the
marine chemistry and geochemistry curricular group are encouraged to
explore these links.
Physical Oceanography is the field of study that deals with
mechanisms of energy transfer through the sea and across its boundaries,
and with the physical interactions of the sea with its surroundings,
especially including the influence of the seas on the climate of the
atmosphere. Research activities within this curricular group are both
observational and theoretical and include: study of the general circulation
of the oceans, including the relations of ocean currents to driving
forces and constraints of the ocean basins; fluctuations of currents,
and the transport of properties; the mechanisms of transport of energy,
momentum, and physical substances within the sea and across its boundaries;
properties of wind waves, internal waves, tsunami and planetary waves;
the thermodynamic description of the sea as a system not in equilibrium;
optical and acoustic properties of the sea; and the influence of surf
on near-shore currents and the transport of sediments.
Requirements for Admission
Candidates for admission should have a bachelors or masters
degree in one of the physical, biological, or earth sciences; degrees
in mathematics or engineering science are also accepted. A scholastic
average of B or better in upper-division courses, or prior graduate
study, is required. The students preparation should include:
- mathematics through differential and integral calculus
- physics, one year with laboratory (the course should stress the
fundamentals of mechanics, electricity, magnetism, optics, and thermodynamics,
and should use calculus in its exposition)
- chemistry, one year with laboratory
- an additional year of physics, chemistry, or mathematics
- all applicants are required to submit scores from the general test
of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) given by the Educational
Testing Service of Princeton, New Jersey. Marine biology applicants
must also submit scores of the GRE biology (or biochemistry, cell,
and molecular biology) subject test.
All international applicants whose native language is not English and
whose undergraduate education was conducted in a language other than
English must take the TOEFL and submit their test scores to the UCSD
Office of Graduate Admissions.
Specific additional requirements for admission to the various curricular
programs are as follows:
Applied Ocean ScienceStudents are admissible with a strong
background in physical science, engineering science, or mathematics.
Three years of physics or applicable engineering and three years of
mathematics at college level are expected.
Biological OceanographyTwo years of chemistry, including
general and organic chemistry, and a year of general biology are required.
Physical chemistry requiring calculus may be substituted for physics
requiring calculus where a more elementary physics course was taken.
Zoology or botany may be substituted for general biology. Preparation
should also include a course in general geology and at least one course
in each of the following categories: systematics (e.g., invertebrate
zoology), population biology (e.g., ecology), functional biology (e.g.,
physiology). In special cases, other advanced courses in mathematics
or natural sciences may be substituted. Biological oceanography applicants
are encouraged, but not required, to submit scores of the biology subject
test of the GRE.
Climate SciencesStudents are admissible if they satisfy
the requirements of the physical oceanography, geophysics, or marine
chemistry and geochemistry curricular programs. Biology and geology
majors may also be admissible if the Scripps faculty feel that they
have a sufficiently strong background in mathematics and physical science.
GeosciencesA major in one of the earth sciences and undergraduate
physical chemistry and calculus are required. Preparation beyond the
minimum requirements in mathematics, physics, and chemistry is strongly
recommended.
GeophysicsA major in physics or mathematics, or equivalent
training, is required.
Marine BiologyA major in one of the biological sciences
(or equivalent), with basic course work in botany, microbiology, or
zoology; two years of chemistry, including organic chemistry, is required.
Training in one or more of the following areas is strongly recommended:
cellular biology, molecular biology, comparative physiology, genetics,
developmental biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, vertebrate and
invertebrate zoology, microbiology, and/or botany. Biochemistry and
physical chemistry will be expected of students in experimental biology,
although the student may, if necessary, enroll in these courses at UCSD
after admission.
Marine Chemistry and GeochemistryA major in chemistry,
geology, biochemistry, or related field, is required.
Physical OceanographyA major in a physical science, including
three years of physics and mathematics, is required.
Special consideration occasionally can be given to candidates with
outstanding records who do not meet all required preadmission criteria.
Programs of Study
Programs of study vary widely among the curricular groups, but generally
first-year students are expected to enroll in core courses that cover
physical, geological, chemical, and biological oceanography and in other
courses recommended by the students faculty adviser. Then, by
the end of the first year, students usually select a particular area
of focus and choose a major professor. As students advance beyond the
first year, they begin to function effectively as research assistants
or, in some cases, as teaching assistants. During their third to fifth
year they are working toward writing their dissertations.
The interdisciplinary nature of research in marine and earth sciences
is emphasized; students are encouraged to take courses in several programs
and departments, and to select research problems of interdisciplinary
character. The curricular programs of study are as follows:
Applied Ocean ScienceThe AOS academic program is designed
to provide both a broad background and a core technical base to support
the diverse interests and activities of the students. Early participation
in an ongoing research project is encouraged. However, specialization
and focus on a specific thesis topic is not required until the second
or third year of the program. Required courses include SIO 214A Introduction
to Fluid Mechanics, SIO 221A Analysis of Physical Oceanographic Data,
and the two-quarter Wave Physics sequence SIO 202AB. Two of the
four SIO introductory courses (SIO 210, 240, 260, 280), must be completed
during the first year, with the remaining two required prior to passing
the doctoral qualifying exam at the end of the third year. In addition,
the applied math sequence SIO 203 AB or MAE 294 AB is taken
in either the first or second year of study. The AOS Seminar (SIO 208)
serves as a communications bridge across the program; enrollment in
this seminar is required during the students entire period of
study. Beyond these core classes, the majority of each students
academic program is tailored to individual interests. The AOS departmental
examination, held at the end of the first year, is based on the core
technical courses SIO 214A, SIO 221A, SIO 202AB, and two of the
four introductory courses (chosen by the student). The exam has both
oral and written components.
Biological OceanographyThe student will be expected to
be familiar with the material presented in the following courses: SIO
210, 240, 260, 270 or 270A, 275A or 277, 280, and at least one
of SIO 271, 282, 284, or 294. Other course work ordinarily will
be recommended by the students advisory committee, usually including
278 (or equivalent participatory seminar) one quarter of each year,
a course in introductory parametric statistics, and at least one advanced-level
course in physical, chemical, or geological oceanography. Participation
in an oceanographic cruise (minimum of two weeks duration) and
service as a teaching assistant (one quarter) are required. Individual
advisers and/or doctoral committees may require foreign languages or
computer programming languages of individual candidates.
Climate SciencesThe emphasis of this curricular group
is on education through interdisciplinary research. All students are
responsible for the fundamental material in the following “core” courses:
SIO 210, 217A-B-C, 260. Students are also expected to supplement their
backgrounds with five to seven additional courses, including, for most
Climate Sciences students, at least one additional quarter of fluid
dynamics. These additional course(s) will be chosen in consultation
with the students’ advisors. It is recommended that students
participate actively in at least two quarters of seminar courses designed
to complement and stimulate individual research. Though the group stresses
interactions across disciplines, students will specialize in a particular
subdiscipline or track that will be chosen by the student following
discussions with a 3-person faculty advisory committee soon after arrival.
Examples of current tracks include: (1) atmospheric/ocean/climate dynamics
and physics; (2) atmospheric chemistry (emphasizing climatic interactions);
and (3) paleoclimate studies. Additional course requirements for these
tracks will be tailored to the needs of the individual student.
GeosciencesThe geosciences curriculum consists of a series
of core courses and a series of research focus courses. All students
whether pursuing an earth sciences or an oceanography degree are responsible
for material in the core courses: Marine Geology (SIO 240), Marine Chemistry
(SIO 260), and Physical Oceanography (SIO 210) during their first year
of study. The research courses are selected from three themes: Geochemistry,
Paleoclimate and Earth History, and Geology and Geophysics. A total
of four research courses are required during the first year of study,
with at least one from each theme. Additional courses offered by other
curricular programs (e.g., geophysics, marine chemistry, and geochemistry)
can be selected and scheduled depending on the students background
and interests any time during the students career at SIO. A three-member
faculty advisory committee is assigned to each student to help select
the research and additional courses to be taken. Each student is also
encouraged to participate in the Special Topics seminars (SIO 249) every
quarter during the first two years of graduate study. Students wishing
to graduate with an oceanography degree are also responsible for the
material in SIO 280 (Biological Oceanography). Normally, students will
take a comprehensive oral departmental examination near the end of their
third quarter of residence. The qualifying examination will be given
before the end of the third year.
GeophysicsThere is no single course of study appropriate
to the geophysics curriculum; instead, the individual interests of the
student will permit, in consultation with the adviser, a choice of course
work in seismology, geomagnetism, etc., although the content of certain
core courses is usually taken during most of the first year. In the
summer or early fall quarter following that year each student will be
given written and oral departmental examinations, which are intended
to cover the students formal training. A brief presentation of
possible research interests will also be expected at this exam.
Marine BiologyEntering graduate students will be expected
to gain research experience in one or more laboratories during their
first year. In the spring term of their first year at SIO, students
will take a departmental exam consisting of a presentation of their
first-year research in the form of a paper and short talk to the curricular
group, followed by a meeting with their first-year advisory committee.
In this exam they also will be expected to demonstrate competence in
the material covered in the following courses: SIO 210, 260, 280,
290A-B
as well as any other course work recommended by the advisory committee.
After their first year all students are expected to enroll and actively
participate in at least one seminar course (SIO 278, 296, or equivalent)
per year to provide in-depth knowledge and reading in selected areas,
and to provide practice presenting scientific material. In addition
to the seminar requirement discussed above, second-year students will
present their research in a special Marine Biology mini-symposium,
held in spring quarter; students in the third year and beyond are
expected
to participate in the research presentation class (SIO 291) each year.
The curricular group coordinator, in consultation with the Ph.D. advisory
committee, may waive specific course requirements in individual cases.
For the Marine Biodiversity and Conservation MAS program, refer to
the separate Catalog listing. Marine Chemistry and GeochemistryIn
their first year at SIO, students in this curricular group are required
to take SIO 210, 260, and either SIO 280 or SIO 240, as well as three
additional elective courses. In their second year, students are required
to take a further three elective courses. Although the exact choice
of such courses will depend on the student's research interests,
these required electives must be four-unit courses that are offered
at the graduate level, and that have been approved by the curricular
group as suitable electives. A list of approved courses is on file
at the SIO Department office. If a student desires to take (as a
required elective) a course that is not already on this list, he
or she should consult with one of the curricular group advisers to
get approval.
Physical OceanographyThe physical oceanography curriculum
combines a comprehensive program of coursework with individually tailored
specialization to meet student needs. Students will demonstrate proficiency
in foundation courses required for all subdisciplines of physical oceanography
(SIO 203A-B, 214A, 212A), as well as additional courses appropriate
to their specialization or interdisciplinary interest. Presently defined
tracks in the curriculum are (i) Observational Physical
Oceanography, (ii) Theoretical Physical Oceanography, and (iii) the
Atmospheric/Ocean Climate System. All tracks are similar in the entry-year
Fall Quarter, diverging as students become more familiar with the field
and in their interests. A faculty Curriculum Advisory Committee meets
with students to tailor tracks to individual needs, or to create new
tracks as appropriate. In any track, the total body of required knowledge
is equivalent to 16 four-unit courses, of which about 12 are covered
during the first year. As part of the overall requirement, tracks include
a breadth component of 2 or more four-unit courses in other oceanographic
disciplines. These might come from the SIO core courses in other disciplines
(SIO 240, 260, 280) or from related graduate level courses taught at
UCSD.
Language Requirements
The department has no formal language requirements. Within the department,
some curricular programs may require demonstration of ability to use
certain foreign languages pertinent to a students research. All
students must be proficient in English.
Departmental and Qualifying Examinations
Doctoral candidates normally will be required to take a departmental
examination not later than early in the second year of study. The examination
will be oral and/or written depending on the curricular group. The student
will be required to demonstrate, in a quantitative and analytical manner,
comprehension of required subject material and of the pertinent interactions
of physical, chemical, biological, or geological factors.
When the student has passed the departmental examination, and has completed
an appropriate period of additional study, the department will recommend
appointment of a doctoral committee which will supervise the students
performance and reporting of his or her research. The doctoral committee
must be formed before the student may proceed to the qualifying examination.
The doctoral committee will determine the students qualifications
for independent research by means of a qualifying examination, which
will be administered no later than the end of the third year. The nature
of the qualifying examination varies between curricular groups. In biological
oceanography, marine biology, geosciences, physical oceanography, applied
ocean science, and climate sciences the student will be expected to
describe his or her proposed thesis research and satisfy the committee,
in an oral examination, as to mastery of this and related topics. In
marine chemistry and geochemistry the student, in an oral examination,
is required to present and defend a single research proposition in his
or her specialized area. The student also is required to provide a written
summary of the research proposition, with references, prior to the examination.
In geophysics, the student presents an original research problem, in
the form of a written proposition, to the doctoral committee. The students
oral presentation and defense of this proposition completes the examination.
Dissertation
A requirement for the Ph.D. degree is the submission of a dissertation
and a final examination in which the thesis is publicly defended. We
encourage students to publish appropriate parts of their theses in the
scientific literature. Individual chapters may be published as research
articles prior to completion of the dissertation.
Departmental Ph.D. Time Limit Policies
Students must complete a qualifying examination by the end of three
years, and must be advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. Degree by the
end of four years. Total university support may not exceed seven years
and total registered time at UCSD may not exceed eight years.
Special Financial Assistance and Fellowships
In addition to teaching assistantships, and graduate student researcher
positions, fellowships, traineeships, and other awards available on
a campus-wide competitive basis, the department has available a certain
number of fellowships and graduate student researcher positions supported
from research grants and contracts, or from industrial contributions.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
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