651-2124-00L  Atmospheric General Circulation Dynamics

SemesterFrühjahrssemester 2015
DozierendeT. Schneider
Periodizitätjährlich wiederkehrende Veranstaltung
LehrspracheEnglisch


KurzbeschreibungUnderstanding the fluid dynamics of the general circulation of the atmosphere is fundamental for understanding how climate is maintained and how it may vary. This course provides an intensive introduction to the principles governing the atmospheric general circulation, reaching from classical models to currently unsolved problems.
LernzielUnderstanding of the global-scale fluid dynamics of planetary atmospheres.
InhaltIntroduction to the global-scale fluid dynamics of the atmosphere, beginning with an analysis of classical models of instabilities in atmospheric flows and leading to currently unsolved problems. Topics include Rossby waves and barotropic instability; the quasigeostrophic two-layer model and baroclinic instability; conservation laws for wave quantities and wave-mean flow interaction theory; turbulent fluxes of heat and momentum; geostrophic turbulence; genesis of zonal jets. The course focuses on Earth's atmosphere but treats the circulation of Earth's atmosphere as part of a continuum of possible planetary circulations.