ESS227
Prof. Jin-Yi Yu
Barotropic and Baroclinic Atmosphere
Barotropic
Atmosphere
èno temperature
gradient on pressure surfaces
èisobaric surfaces are also the isothermal surfaces
èdensity is only function of pressure ρ=ρ(p)
è no
thermal wind
è no
vertical shear for geostrophic winds
è geostrophic
winds are independent of height
è you can
use a one-layer model to represent the barotropic atmosphere