ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS

Catalog description

Derivation of the equations and physical constraints governing atmospheric motions, including conservation laws and their atmospheric applications. Primitive equations: non-linear differential equations used to approximate atmospheric flow. Various types of balanced flows. Vertical atmospheric motion and its causes. Circulation, vorticity, and divergence. Quasi-geostrophic motions and adjustment to geostrophic balance. Atmospheric waves: theory, development, and propagation. Synoptic-scale Rossby waves. Baroclinic instability. General circulation of the atmosphere.