GFDL - Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory

Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences Program/Geosciences Department/Princeton University

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AOS 576: Special Topics in Atmospheric Dynamics:

The General Circulation of the Atmosphere

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This year's lectures will discuss modern perspectives on the large-scale structure of the atmosphere, with a special emphasis on theories for the deviations from zonal symmetry of the atmospheric climate.  A series of idealized models will be utilized for this purpose, starting with 2-dimensional, non-divergent flow and moving to the shallow water equations and then to quasi-geostrophic theory.  Rossby wave dynamics, including horizontal and vertical propagation, critical layer theory, and wave-mean flow interaction will be ongoing themes.

Notes on basic equations, rotation, spherical geometry

Some lecture notes on large-scale dynamics and the general circulation:

• Woods Hole 2000

• Tokyo 2002

Stationary waves

• review 1983

• review 2002

• Hoskins and Karoly, 1981

General Circulation

• Schneider, 2006

• Held and Hoskins, 1985

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