Atmosphere and ocean dynamics 1100-4AOD
1. Fluids: air, water. Constitutive equations. Structure of the atmosphere and the ocean. Similarities and differences.
2. Equations of motion in rotating coordinate frame (momentum, mass conservation, energy).
3. Atmosphere as a thin layer of fluid on a rotating sphere. Hydrostatic approximation. Potential temperature, potential density.
4. Multiscale atmospheric and oceanic flows. Filtration of equations. Geostrophic approximation.
5. Prognostic equations. Natural coordinates. Balanced flows in the atmosphere and in the ocean.
6. Shallow water equations. Incopmpressibility: Boussinesq and anelastic approximations.
7. Importance of the atmospheric boundary layer. Oceanic surface layer. Ekman layer in the atmosphere and in the ocean. Ocean -atmosphere interactions.
8. Circulation and vorticity. Potential vorticity. Cyclonic and anticyclonic circulation.
9. Quasi-geostrophic approximation. Numerical Weather Prediction. Mid-latitude circulations.
10. Waves in the atmosphere and in the ocean: acoustic, gravity, inertio-gravity, Rossby waves.
11. Hydrodynamic instabilities in the atmosphere and in the ocean. Baroclinic instability. Mesoscale circulations.
12. Global circulation. Energetics of global circulation. Heat transport in the ocean and in the atmosphere.
Main fields of studies for MISMaP
geology
mathematics
computer science
environmental protection
physics
astronomy
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Understanding basic principles of geophysical fluid dynamics and dynamic meteorology, in particular geostrophic and quasi-geostrophic approximations.
Understanding scale analysis of the equations of motion. Interpretation of atmospheric and oceanic processes in terms of geophysical fluid dynamics. basic understanding of atmospheric and oceanic waves, linearization equations of motion, stability analysis.
Assessment criteria
Assessment will be based on documented abilities to solve problems (colloquies and written homework) as well as on theory understanding. Percentage of the final score:
- 50% problems solved in the course of written colloquies (the first colloquium in mid-term, the second colloquium at the end of the term, together with the written theoretical exam);
- 10% home exercises and problems;
-40% - theoretical exam (written).
The additional condition: theoretical exam threshold must be passed
Bibliography
Geoffrey K. Vallis, Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics
Benoit Cushman-Roisin, Introduction To Geophysical Fluid Dynamics. Physical and Numerical Aspects
J.R. Holton, An Introduction to dynamic meteorology.
M. L. Salby, Fundamentals of Atmospheric Sciences.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: