Editing Physical oceanography (section)

{{Short description|Study of physical conditions and processes within the ocean}}
[[File:AYool topography 15min.png|thumb|300px|World ocean [[bathymetry]].]]
'''Physical oceanography''' is the study of [[physics|physical]] conditions and physical processes within the [[ocean]], especially the motions and physical properties of ocean waters.

Physical oceanography is one of several sub-domains into which [[oceanography]] is divided. Others include [[Biological oceanography|biological]], [[chemical oceanography|chemical]] and [[Marine geology|geological]] oceanography.

Physical oceanography may be subdivided into ''descriptive'' and ''dynamical'' physical oceanography.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Descriptive physical oceanography : an introduction|last1=D.|first1=Talley, Lynne|last2=L.|first2=Pickard, George|last3=J.|first3=Emery, William|last4=(Oceanographer)|first4=Swift, James H.|isbn=9780750645522|oclc=784140610|year = 2011|publisher=Academic Press }}</ref>

Descriptive physical oceanography seeks to research the ocean through observations and complex numerical models, which describe the fluid motions as precisely as possible.

Dynamical physical oceanography  focuses primarily upon the processes that govern the motion of fluids with emphasis upon theoretical research and numerical models. These are part of the large field of [[Geophysical fluid dynamics|Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (GFD)]] that is shared together with [[meteorology]]. GFD is a sub field of [[Fluid dynamics]]  describing flows occurring on spatial and temporal scales that are greatly influenced by the [[Coriolis force]].