PLASTINO WOLFANGO
(syllabus)
The Earth-Atmosphere system
- Composition and structure; Radiative equilibrium of the Earth; The global energy budget.
Thermodynamics of gases
- Thermodynamic concepts; Adiabatic processes; Diabatic processes.
Heterogeneous systems
- Chemical equilibrium; Fundamental relations for a multi-component system; Equilibrium phase transformations.
Transformations of moist air
- Implications for the distribution of water vapor; Thermodynamic behaviour accompanying vertical motion; The pseudo-adiabatic chart.
Hydrostatic equilibrium
- Hydrostatic balance; Stratification; Lagrangian interpretation of stratification.
Static stability
- Stability categories; Implications for vertical motion; Stabilizing and destabilizing influences; Turbulent dispersion.
Radiative transfer
- Description of radiative transfer; Absorption characteristics of gases; Thermal equilibrium; The greenhouse effect.
Atmospheric motion and equations
- Kinematics of fluid motion; Reynold’s transport theorem; Conservation of mass; The momentum budget.
Large-scale motion
- Geostrophic equilibrium; Vertical shear of the geostrophic wind; Frictional geostrophic motion; Curvilinear motion; Weakly divergent motion.
The planetary boundary layer
- Description of turbulence; Structure of the boundary layer; Ekman pumping.
Wave propagation
- Acoustic waves; Buoyancy waves; The Lamb wave; Rossby waves; Wave absorption.
Dynamic stability
- Inertial stability; Shear stability; The Eady model.
Influence of the Ocean
- Composition and structure; Role in the heat budget; Role in the carbon cycle; The wind-driven circulation; The buoyancy-driven circulation; Interannual changes.
(reference books)
Salby M.L. - Physics of the Atmosphere and Climate. Cambridge University Press, 2012 - ISBN:9780521767187
Vallis G.K. - Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics. Cambridge University Press, 2006 - ISBN:9780521849692
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Università Roma Tre