Quasi-Geostrophic Theory of Oceans and Atmosphere: Topics in the Dynamics and Thermodynamics of the Fluid Earth (Atmospheric and Oceanographic Sciences Library, 45)

ISBN: 9400746903

Author: Cavallini, Fabio

Condition: New

Large-scale winds and currents tend to balance Coriolis and pressure gradient forces. 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.