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The course includes the following topics:

1. Introduction to Extreme Ocean-Atmosphere Events
   • Overview of extreme weather phenomena
   • Ocean’s role in weather and climate systems
   • Historical case studies of major ocean-related disasters

2. Storms & Low Pressure Systems
   • Formation, intensification, and movement
   • The role of sea surface temperature (SST) and ocean heat content
   • Tropical-like storms in the Mediterranean (Medicanes)
   • Storm forecasting and modeling (numerical models, satellite observations)
   • Impact on coastal communities and ecosystems (storm surges, flooding, erosion)

3. Storm Surges & Coastal Flooding
   • Physics of storm surges and wind-driven water movements
   • Impact of sea level rise on storm surge risks
   • Case studies (Hurricane Katrina, Typhoon Haiyan, Medicanes that affected Greek Seas and Coasts)
   • Modeling and prediction of storm surges (presentation-training course of open-source 2-d model)
   • Coastal Flooding

4. Tsunamis
   • Causes: seismic activity, underwater landslides, volcanic eruptions
   • Wave dynamics and propagation
   • Early warning systems and mitigation strategies
   • Notable events (2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, 2011 Tōhoku tsunami, examples in the Greek Seas, example with Delft suite for tsunami modeling)

5. Ocean-Atmosphere Teleconnections & Extreme Weather
   • El Niño and La Niña effects on global weather
   • Role of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in atmospheric circulation
   • Tools and datasets used to identify teleconnections (reanalysis, satellite SSTs, indices)
   • Influence on storms and heatwaves
   • Mediterranean regional focus: impact of teleconnections on Medicanes, droughts, and heatwaves
   • Response on biogeochemical processes and parameters

6. Marine Heatwaves & Their Consequences
   • Causes and dynamics of oceanic heatwaves
   • Response on biogeochemical processes and parameters
   • Impact on marine ecosystems (coral bleaching, fishery collapses)
   • Long-term climate trends and marine heatwave prediction
   • Detection methods and analysis

7. Extreme Wave Events
   • Analysis of extreme wave characteristics
   • Mechanisms behind rogue wave formation
   • Impacts on ships and offshore structures
   • Ocean wave forecasting techniques

8. Coastal Erosion During Extreme Events
   • Interaction between storms, tides, and coastal geomorphology
   • Barrier islands and wetland loss due to extreme weather
   • Engineering solutions (seawalls, dune restoration, managed retreat, beach nourishment, NBS)

9. Climate Change & Intensification of Ocean Hazards
   • Trends in storm intensity and frequency
   • Future projections of extreme weather events
   • Risk assessment and adaptation strategies

10. Mitigation, Preparedness, and Policy
    • Early warning systems (e.g., NOAA, National Hurricane Center, Wave4us, Poseidon System, AEGIS+, tsunami warning networks)
    • Disaster management and emergency response
    • Coastal resilience planning and engineering solutions
    • Policy implications and international agreements on disaster mitigation