ATMO 541A Syllabus
Note that ATMO 541A in Fall Semester 2010 will cover Chapters 1-7 of Holton's book only.
1. Introduction
Units and scale analysis
Fundamental forces
Noninertial reference frames and `apparent' forces
Structure of the static atmosphere
2. The basic conservation laws
Total differentiation
Momentum equation in rotating coordinates
Orthogonal curvilinear coordinates
Scale analysis of the motion equation
The continuity equation
The thermodynamic energy equation
Thermodynamics of the dry atmosphere
3. Elementary applications of the basic equations
The basic equations in isobaric coordinates
Balanced flow
Trajectories and streamlines
The thermal wind
Vertical motion
Surface pressure tendency
4. Circulation and vorticity
The circulation theorem
Vorticity
Potential vorticity
The vorticity equation
Barotropic (Rossby) potential vorticity equation
Baroclinic (Ertel) potential vorticity equation
5. The planetary boundary layer
Turbulence and turbulent kinetic energy
Turbulence parameterization
Secondary circulations and spin-down
6. Synoptic-scale motion I: quasi-geostrophic analysis
Observed structure of extratropical circulations
Quasi-geostrophic approximation
Quasi-geostrophic prediction
Diagnosis of vertical motion
Idealized model of a baroclinic disturbance
7. Atmospheric oscillations: linear perturbation theory
The perturbation method
Properties of waves
Simple wave types
Internal gravity (buoyancy) waves
Inertio-gravity waves
Adjustment to geotrophic balance
Rossby waves
8. Synoptic-scale motions II: Baroclinic instability
Hydrodynamic instability
Baroclinic instability: A two-layer model
The energetics of baroclinic waves
Baroclinic instability of a continuously stratified atmosphere
9. Mesoscale circulations
Energatics sources for mesoscale circulations
Fronts and frontogenesis
Symmetric instability
Mountain waves
Cumulus convection
Convective storms
Hurricanes
10. The general circulation
The nature of the problem
The zonally averaged circulation
The angular momentum budget
The Lorenz energy cycle
Longitudinally dependent time-averaged flow
Low-frequency variability
Laboratory simulation of the general circulation
11. Tropical dynamics
The observed structure of large-scale tropical circulations
Scale analysis of large-scale tropical motions
Condensation heating
Equatorial wave theory
Steady forced equatorial motions
12. Middle-atmosphere dynamics
Structure and circulation of the middle atmosphere
The zonal mean circulation of the middle atmosphere
Vertically propagating waves
Sudden stratospheric warmings
Waves in the equatorial stratosphere
The Quasi-biennial oscillation
Back to Atmospheric
Sciences Home Page