ALBERT

Note: Contents: 1. INTRODUCTION. - 1.1 What is Synoptic Meteorology?. - 1.1.1 Historical background. - 1.1.2 Classification of atmospheric phenomena. - 1.1.3 Atmospheric phenomena as fractals. - 1.1.4 The role of observations and theory. - 1.1.5 The mystery of synoptic meteorology. - 1.1.6 The organization of this text. - 1.2 Units and Variables. - 1.2.1 The MKS system. - 1.2.2 The MTS system. - 1.2.3 Other useful conversion factors. - 1.3 Coordinate Systems. - 1.3.1 Cartesian coordinates. - 1.3.2 Natural coordinates. - 1.3.3 The representation of the wind field. - 1.3.4 Pressure coordinates. - 1.3.5 Isentropic coordinates. - 1.3.6 σ coordinates. - 1.3.7 Invariance. - 1.3.8 The total derivative. - Note. - References. - 2. SCALAR FIELDS AND THEIR KINEMATICS. - 2.1 The Pressure (Height) Field. - 2.1.1 What is kinematics?. - 2.1.2 A description of features in the pressure (height) field. - 2.1.3 Analysis of the pressure (height) field. - 2.1.4 Kinematics of the pressure (height) field. - 2.1.5 The hydrostatic equation and the reduction of pressure to a reference level. - 2.2 The Temperature and Moisture Fields. - 2.3 The Measurement of Scalar Fields. - 2.3.1 Introduction. - 2.3.2 The measurement of pressure. - 2.3.3 The measurement of height. - 2.3.4 The measurement of temperature. - 2.3.5 The measurement of humidity. - 2.3.6 Clouds. - 2.3.7 The measurement of precipitation. - 2.3.8 Instrument platforms. - Notes. - References. - Problems. - 3. KINEMATICS OF THE WIND FIELD. - 3.1 Properties of the Horizontal Wind Field. - 3.1.1 The decomposition of a linear wind field. - 3.1.2 Translation. - 3.1.3 Divergence. - 3.1.4 Vorticity. - 3.1.5 Deformation. - 3.1.6 Summary. - 3.1.7 Trajectories. - 3.2 The Computation of Divergence, Vorticity, and Deformation. - 3.2.1 The expressions for divergence, vorticity, and deformation on the Earth's surface. - 3.2.2 Finite-difference computations. - 3.2.3 Integral computations of divergence, vorticity, and deformation. - 3.2.4 The linear vector point function method. - 3.3 Properties of the Three-Dimensional Wind Field. - 3.4 Measuring the Wind Field. - 3.4.1 Introduction. - 3.4.2 Wind-measuring instruments: Dependence of the properties of an object upon wind speed. - 3.4.3 Wind-measuring instruments: The tracking of tracers moving with the horizontal component of the wind. - Notes. - References. - Problems. - 4. ELEMENTARY ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS AND THERMODYNAMICS. - 4.1 The Law of Motion. - 4.1.1 The equation of fluid motion on a rotating sphere: Vector form. - 4.1.2 The equations of fluid motion on a rotating sphere: Scalar form. - 4.1.3 The geostrophic wind. - 4.1.4 The isallobaric wind and the inertial-advective wind. - 4.1.5 The equations of motion in natural coordinates. - 4.1.6 The thermal wind. - 4.2 The Equation of Continuity. - 4.2.1 The equation of continuity in height coordinates. - 4.2.2 The equation of continuity in pressure coordinates. - 4.2.3 The equation of continuity in isentropic coordinates. - 4.2.4 The kinematic boundary condition. - 4.2.5 The dynamic boundary condition. - 4.3 The Thermodynamic Equation. - 4.3.1 Dry thermodynamics. - 4.3.2 Moist thermodynamics. - 4.4 Friction. - 4.4.1 Molecular friction. - 4.4.2 Turbulent friction. - 4.4.3 The surface boundary layer. - 4.4.4 The friction layer. - 4.4.5 The turbulent transport of general quantities. - 4.4.6 The antitriptic wind. - 4.5 The Vorticity Equation. - 4.5.1 Derivation of the vorticity equation in height coordinates. - 4.5.2 The Bjerknes and Kelvin circulation theorems. - 4.5.3 Physical interpretation of the vorticity equation and the circulation theorems. - 4.5.4 The vorticity equation in pressure coordinates. - 4.5.5 The vorticity equation in isentropic coordinates and Ertel's potential vorticity. - 4.5.6 The horizontal vorticity equation. - 4.5.7 The three-dimensional vorticity equation in a compressible atmosphere. - 4.6 Energetics. - 4.7 Thermodynamic Retrieval. - References. - Problems. - 5. QUASIGEOSTROPHIC THEORY. - 5.1 Introduction. - 5.2 Estimating the Terms in the Vorticity and Thermodynamic Equations. - 5.2.1 Substitution of the analytical-model equations into the vorticity and thermodynamic equations. - 5.2.2 The relationship between w and ω. - 5.2.3 The kinematic boundary conditions for midlatitude, synoptic-scale systems. - 5.2.4 A simplified vorticity equation. - 5.2.5 The thermodynamic equation for synoptic-scale systems in the midlatitudes. - 5.2.6 The effects of diabatic heating and static stability. - 5.3 Estimating Vertical Motion from the Observed Wind and Mass Fields. - 5.3.1 The kinematic method. - 5.3.2 The adiabatic method. - 5.3.3 The vorticity method. - 5.3.4 Satellite infrared photograph technique. - 5.4 Estimating Local Height Tendencies from the Observed Wind and Mass Fields. - 5.5 The Quasigeostrophic Vorticity and Thermodynamic Equations. - 5.5.1 The quasigeostrophic approximation. - 5.5.2 The quasigeostrophic vorticity and thermodynamic equations. - 5.5.3 The quasigeostrophic equations of motion. - 5.6 Derivation of the Quasigeostrophic ω and Height-tendency Equations. - 5.6.1 The quasigeostrophic vorticity and thermodynamic equations expressed in terms of the height field. - 5.6.2 The quasigeostrophic ω equation. - 5.6.3 The quasigeostrophic height-tendency equation. - 5.6.4 The quasigeostrophic ω equation and height-tendency equation with diabatic heating and friction. - 5.7 Interpretation of the Quasigeostrophic ω-Equation. - 5.7.1 Mathematical interpretation. - 5.7.2 Physical interpretation. - 5.7.3 The Trenberth formulation of the quasigeostrophic ω equation. - 5.7.4 The Q-vector representation of the quasigeostrophic ω equation. - 5.7.5 Comparison of the different quasigeostrophic ω equations. - 5.8 The Quasigeostrophic Potential Vorticity Form of the Height-Tendency Equation. - 5.9 Static-Stability Effects on Vertical Motion. - 5.9.1 The effects of horizontal variations in static stability on vertical motion. - 5.9.2 Effective static stability. - 5.10 Interpretation of the Quasigeostrophic Height-Tendency Equation. - 5.10.1 Mathematical interpretation. - 5.10.2 Physical interpretation. - 5.11 The Effects of Vertical Variations in Static Stability on the Geopotential-Height Tendency. - Note. - References. - Problems. - Selected Answers to Problems. - Appendix 1. Review of Vector Notation. - Appendix 2. Implications of Hydrostatic Balance for the Horizontal and Vertical Scales of Meteoro­logical Phenomena. - Appendix 3. Matrix Notation. - Index.