2026 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Science Undergraduate major in Earth and Planetary Sciences
Fluid Mechanics (EPS course)
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Earth and Planetary Sciences
- Instructor(s)
- Taro Okamoto
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 3-4 Mon (Ishikawadai Bldg. 2 318) / 3-4 Thu (Ishikawadai Bldg. 2 318)
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- EPS.B330
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2026
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 5, 2026
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Fluid motion plays an important role in many phenomena in Earth and planetary sciences. A basic understanding of fluid mechanics is therefore essential for studying a wide range of processes in this field. This course is intended for beginners in fluid mechanics. It begins with the fundamentals of fluid mechanics and introduces several typical fluid motions that appear in Earth and planetary science phenomena.
Course description and aims
By completing this course, students will able to
(1) Understand the basic terms and equations of the fluid mechanics,
(2) Understand the basic aspects of the flow of inviscid, incompressible fluid,
(3) Understand the basic aspects of the flow of viscous fluid,
(4) Understand the basic aspects of the fluid mechanical stability.
Keywords
inviscid and incompressible fluids, viscous fluids, geophysical fluid dynamics
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
This course mainly consists of lectures. Discussions will be held about exercises.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Ideal fluids (1): motion of fluids |
Understand how to describe the motion of the fluids. |
| Class 2 | Ideal fluids (2): the equation of continuity and the Euler equation |
Understand the equation of continuity and the Euler equation. |
| Class 3 | Ideal fluids (3): the Bernoulli's theorem |
Understand the Bernoulli's theorem. |
| Class 4 | Ideal fluids (4): the Kelvin's circulation theorem |
Understand the Kelvin's circulation theorem. |
| Class 5 | Ideal fluids (5): incompressible, irrotational flow |
Understand the potential description of incompressible irrotational flow. |
| Class 6 | Ideal fluids (6): surface gravity waves |
Understand the gravity waves which are the wave motions with the restoring force due to the gravity. |
| Class 7 | Ideal fluids (7): surface gravity waves |
Understand the dispersion relation of surface gravity waves and examine the effect of Earth’s rotation in the shallow-water approximation using a rotating reference frame. |
| Class 8 | Viscous fluids (1): the stress tensor |
Understand the stress tensor in the viscous flow. |
| Class 9 | Viscous fluids (2): representation of the stress tensor |
Understand the stress tensor and constitutive relations. |
| Class 10 | Viscous fluids (3): the Navier-Stokes equation |
Understand the Navier-Stokes equation |
| Class 11 | Viscous fluids (4): typical visous flows, the similarities in viscous flows, the Raynolds number |
Understand some typical visous flows, the similarities in viscous flows, and the Raynolds number. |
| Class 12 | Viscous fluids (5): Viscous flows at small Raynolds number |
Understand viscous flows at small Raynolds number |
| Class 13 | Viscous fluids (6): the concept of stability and its application to thermal convection [1] |
Understand how to describe the concept of stability mathematically and its application to thermal convection |
| Class 14 | Viscous fluids (7): the concept of stability and its application to thermal convection [2] |
Understand how to describe the concept of stability mathematically and its application to thermal convection |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class. They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
None
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Fluid Mechanics, 2nd ed., Landau & Lifshitz, Course of Theoretical Physics, Vol. 6, Butterworth-Heinemann. (advanced reference)
Evaluation methods and criteria
Student's knowledge and understanding of fluid mechanics are assessed by contents of reports and final exam.
Related courses
- EPS.B203 ： Mechanics (EPS course)
- EPS.B212 ： Electromagnetism (EPS course)
- EPS.B201 ： Mathematics for Physics A (EPS course)
- EPS.B210 ： Mathematics for Physics B (EPS course)
- EPS.B202 ： Thermodynamics (EPS course)
Prerequisites
It is recommended to complete the courses of Mechanics (EPS course), Electromagnetism (EPS course), Mathematics for Physics A (EPS course), Mathematics for Physics B (EPS course) and Thermodynamics (EPS course) before taking this course.