Oceanographic Analysis with R (PDF)

This book presents the R software environment as a key tool for oceanographic computations and provides a rationale for using R instead of more widely-used tools of the field such as MATLAB. Kelley provides a general introduction to R before introducing the 'oce' package. This package greatly simplifies oceanographic analysis by handling the details of discipline-specific file formats, calculations, and plots. Designed for real-world application and developed with open-source protocols, oce supports a broad range of practical work. Generic functions take care of general operations such as subsetting and plotting data, while specialized functions address a host of specific tasks, such as tidal decomposition, hydrographic analysis, and ADCP coordinate transformation. In addition, the package makes it easy to document work, because its functions automatically update processing logs stored within its data objects. Kelley teaches key R functions using classic examples from the history of oceanography, specifically the work of Alfred Redfield, Gordon Riley, J. Tuzo Wilson, and Walter Munk. Acknowledging the pervasive popularity of MATLAB, the book provides advice to users who would like to switch to R. With its suite of real-life applications and over 100 exercises and solutions, the treatment is ideal for oceanographers, technicians, and students who want to add R to their list of tools for oceanographic analysis.

Dan E. Kelley is a Professor in the Department of Oceanography at Dalhousie University, where he has been nominated twice for teaching awards. His research focuses on physical oceanography, in particular the parameterization of mixing and exchanges associated with convection, double diffusion, internal waves, and frontal instabilities. A former executive member of the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, a long-serving Graduate Coordinator, a university Senator, and therecipient of both the Rosemary Gill Award for outstanding service to students and an NSERC University Research Fellowship, Kelley has published numerous papers in peer-reviewed journals.