Book excerpt: For decades, previous editions of John Knauss’s seminal work have struck a balance between purely descriptive texts and mathematically rigorous ones, giving a wide range of marine scientists access to the fundamental principles of physical oceanography. Newell Garfield continues this tradition, delivering valuable updates that highlight the book’s resourceful presentation and concise effectiveness. The authors include historical and current research, along with a 12-page color insert, to illuminate their perspective that the world ocean is tumultuous and continually helps to shape global environmental processes. The Third Edition builds a solid foundation that readers will find straightforward and lucid. It presents valuable insight into our understanding of the world ocean by: • Encompassing essential oceanic processes such as the transfer of heat across the ocean surface, the distribution of temperature and salinity, and the effect of the earth’s rotation on the ocean. • Providing sensible and well-defined explanations of the roles played by a stratified ocean, global balances, and equations of motion. • Discussing cogent topics such as major currents, tides, waves, coastal oceans, semienclosed seas, and sound and optics.