Coastal ocean physical processes

In the most recent paper of this series, Allen et al. [1983] used a geographical approach to summarize United States progress in continental shelf physical oceanography. Their approach tended to emphasize observational results and differences among regions. This installment in the series will take an alternative tack, by trying to summarize progress in terms of understanding particular physical processes. This approach cannot escape being at least somewhat geographical, however, because different processes tend to predominate in different parts of the world.