ESS 227: Geophysics Fluid Dynamics I (Winter 2011) [syllabus]
Lecture: Tuesday & Thursday 11:00-12:20, Croul Hall 1103

INSTRUCTOR

Professor Jin-Yi Yu
Office: 3315 Croul Hall
Phone: (949) 824-3878
Email: jyyu@uci.edu
http://www.ess.uci.edu/~yu/

DESCRIPTION

This course Introduces the student to atmospheric and oceanic fluid dynamics. Equations of motion for a rotating stratified fluid. Scaling analysis, potential vorticity dynamics, linear waves, energetics and instability theory with applications to the mean circulation and variability.

TEXTBOOKS

  • Jonathan E. Martin, "Mid-Latitude Atmospheric Dynamics: A First Course", Wiley, 2006.
  • J. R. Holton, "An introduction to Dynamic Meteorology", Academic Press.
  • Marshall and Plumb, "Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate Dynamics: An introductory text", Academic Press.

  • SYLLABUS

    Week 1: Introduction and Review of Mathematical Tools
  • Review of useful mathematical tools
  • Estimating with scale analysis
  • Fundamental and apparent forces
  • [classnote #1: Review] (powerpoint) (PDF) (handout)
  • Suggested Reading: Dynamic Meteorology (Ch1); AOCD (Appendix A.2)


    Week 2: Basic Conservation Laws
  • Conservation of momentun: The equations of mortion
  • Conservation of energy: The thermodynamic energy equation
  • The continuity equation
  • Primitive equations
  • [classnote #2: Basic Conservation Laws] (powerpoint) (PDF) (handout)
  • Suggested Reading: Dynamic Meteorology (Ch2); AOCD (Ch6)


    Week 3: Applications of the Equations of Motion
  • Vertical coordinates: pressure and potential temperature
  • Balanced (geostrophic, inertial, cyclostrophic, gradient) flows
  • Thermal wind balance
  • trajectories and streamlines
  • [classnote #3: Applications] (powerpoint) (PDF) (handout)
  • Suggested Reading: Dynamic Meteorology (Ch3)


    Week 4: Circulation, Vorticity, and Divergence
  • The Circulation theorem
  • Vorticity and potential vorticity
  • The relationship between vorticity and divergence
  • Velocity potential and stream function
  • [classnote #4: Circulation and Vorticity] (powerpoint) (PDF) (handout)
  • Suggested Reading: Dynamic Meteorology (Ch4)


    Week 5: Waves in the Atmosphere
  • Perturbation Method
  • Shallow Water Gravity Wave
  • Rossby Wave
  • [classnote #5: Atmospheric Waves] (powerpoint) (PDF) (handout)
  • Suggested Reading: Dynamic Meteorology (Ch7)


    Mid-term - TBA