Course Identification

Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics
20232091

Lecturers and Teaching Assistants

Prof. Yohai Kaspi
Nimrod Gavriel

Course Schedule and Location

2023
First Semester
Tuesday, 14:15 - 16:00, FGS, Rm A
Thursday, 14:15 - 16:00, FGS, Rm A
08/11/2022
10/02/2023

Field of Study, Course Type and Credit Points

Chemical Sciences: Lecture; Elective; Core; 4.00 points
Physical Sciences: Lecture; Elective; Regular; 4.00 points
Life Sciences: Lecture; Elective; Regular; 4.00 points

Comments

(1) The courses that are attended by less than 4 students will be cancelled
(2) Cluster - Geophysics

Prerequisites

No

Restrictions

40

Language of Instruction

English

Attendance and participation

Obligatory

Grade Type

Numerical (out of 100)

Grade Breakdown (in %)

70%
30%

Evaluation Type

Examination

Scheduled date 1

23/02/2023
FGS, Rm C
1000-1300
N/A

Scheduled date 2

27/03/2023
N/A
1000-1300
N/A

Estimated Weekly Independent Workload (in hours)

5

Syllabus

Week 1:
Introduction to geophysical fluid dynamics: motivating questions. 

Week 2:
Eulerian and Lagrangian approaches to fluid dynamics. Mass and momentum balance. Rotating systems. The Coriolis force.

Week 3:
Momentum equations in a rotating system, Rossby number, scaling theory, geostrophic equations, thermal-wind balance.

Week 4:
Shallow water theory: shallow water equations and waves, f-plane, surface gravity waves, Tsunamis, Kelvin waves.

Week 5: Frictional boundary layers: The Ekman layer, Ekman spiral, Ekman pumping, costal upwealing.

Week 6: Vorticity balance equations, Rossby waves: shallow water Rossby waves, beta-plane, energy and energy flux from Rossby waves.

Week 7:
Wind driven ocean circulation: Observed ocean circulation, gyres, Sverdrup balance, western boundary layers / the Gulf Stream. El Nino dynamics.

Week 8:
Atmospheric thermodynamics: Laws of thermodynamics, energy equations, atmospheric lapse rate, potential temperature, static stability.

Week 9:
Tropical circulation: Observed tropical circulation, angular momentum equation, the Hadley cell, Held-Hou theory.

Week 10:
Extratropical circulation: Observed extratropical circulation, stationary waves, subtropical jet, the eddy driven jet, Ferrel cell dynamics.

Week 11-12:
Quasi-geostrophy: QG equations, QG Rossby waves, the QG potential vorticity equation, Baroclinic instability: The Eady model

Week 13:
Atmospheric dynamics of other Solar System planets and moons, dynamics on exoplanets.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course students should be able to:

  1. Describe the basic physical principles governing the dynamics of atmospheres and oceans.
  2. Explain theories and applications regarding observed phenomena such as Tsunamis, El-Nino, hurricanes, and jet-streams.

Reading List

1. Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, J. Pedlosky, 1987, Spinger

2. Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid dynamics, G. Vallis, 2006, Cambridge Press

Website

N/A