Quasi-Geostrophic Theory of Oceans and Atmosphere: Topics in the Dynamics and Thermodynamics of the Fluid Earth

By Fabio Cavallini and Fulvio Crisciani

Book Overview

Large-scale winds and currents tend to balance Coriolis and pressure gradient forces. The time evolution of these winds and currents is the subject of the quasi-geostrophic theory.
Chapter 1 presents concepts and equations of classical inertial fluid mechanics.
Chapter 2 deals with the equations of thermodynamics that close the governing equations of the fluids. Then, the motion is reformulated in a uniformly rotating reference frame.
Chapter 3 deals with the shallow-water model and the homogeneous model of wind-driven circulation. The chapter also describes a classical application of the Ekman layer to the atmosphere.
Chapter 4 considers the two-layer model, as an introduction to baroclinic flows, together with the concept of available potential energy.
Chapter 5 takes into account continuously stratified flows in the ocean and in the atmosphere.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9400746903
• ISBN13: 9789400746909
• Release Date: August 2012
• Publisher: Springer
• Length: 386 Pages
• Weight: 1.51 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.4" x 9.4"