Quasi-geostrophic theory of oceans and atmosphere: topics in the dynamics and thermodynamics of the fluid earth

Large-scale winds and currents tend to balance Coriolis and pressure gradientforces. The time evolution of these winds and currents is the subject of the quasi-geostrophic theory. Chapter 1 presents concepts and equations of classical inertial fluid mechanics. Chapter 2 deals with the equations of thermodynamics that close the governing equations of the fluids. Then, the motion is reformulated in a uniformly rotating reference frame. Chapter 3 deals with the shallow-water model and the homogeneous model of wind-driven circulation. The chapter also describes a classical application of the Ekman layer to the atmosphere. Chapter 4 considers the two-layer model, as an introduction to baroclinic flows, together with the concept of available potential energy. Chapter 5 takes into account continuously stratified flows in the ocean and in the atmosphere. INDICE: Basic continuum Mechanics.- Kinematics of continua.- Dynamics of fluids.- Basic geophysical fluid dynamics.- Constitutive equations.- Internal gravity waves in adiabatic and frictionless fluids.- Rotating flows.- Large-scale flows.- Quasi-geostrophic single-layer models.- Shallow-water model.- Homogeneous model.- Quasi-geostrophic two-layer model.- Basic QG equations for the two-layer model.- Energetics of the two-layer model.- Quasi-geostrophic modelsof continuously stratified flows.- QG continuously stratified flows in the ocean.- QG continuously stratified flows in the atmosphere.

• ISBN: 978-94-007-4690-9
• Editorial: Springer
• Encuadernacion: Cartoné
• Páginas: 290
• Fecha Publicación: 23/04/2012
• Nº Volúmenes: 1
• Idioma: Inglés