Call number:
AWI A5-08-0018
Description / Table of Contents:
Mesoscale weather systems are responsible for numerous natural disasters, such as damaging winds, blizzards, and flash flooding. A fundamental understanding of the underlying dynamics involved in these weather systems is essential in forecasting their occurrence. This book provides a systematic approach to this subject, and covers a more complete spectrum of mesoscale dynamics than other texts. The opening chapters introduce the basic equations governing mesoscale weather systems and their approximations. The subsequent chapters cover four major areas of mesoscale dynamics: wave dynamics, moist convection, front dynamics, and mesoscale modeling. Wave dynamics covers wave generation and maintenance, orographically forced flow, and thermally forced flow. The moist convection part covers mesoscale instabilities, isolated storms, mesoscale convective systems, orographic precipitation, and introduces tropical cyclone dynamics. The dynamics of synoptic-scale fronts, mesoscale fronts, and jet streaks are discussed in the front dynamics part. The last part of the book introduces basic numerical modeling techniques, parameterizations of major physical processes, and the foundation for mesoscale numerical weather prediction. Mesoscale Dynamics is an ideal reference on this topic for researchers in meteorology and atmospheric science. This book could also serve as a textbook for graduate students, and it contains over 100 problems, with password-protected solutions. Modeling projects, providing hands-on practice for building simple models of stratified fluid flow from a one-dimensional advection equation, are also described.
Type of Medium:
Monograph available for loan
Pages:
XIII, 630 S. : Ill., graph. Darst., Kt.
Edition:
1. publ.
ISBN:
9780521808750
Language:
English
Note:
Contents: Preface. - 1 Overview. - 1.1 Introduction. - 1.2 Definitions of atmospheric scales. - 1.3 Energy generation and scale interactions. - 1.4 Predictability. - References. - 2 Governing equations for mesoscale motions. - 2.1 Introduction. - 2.2 Derivation of the governing equations. - 2.3 Approximations to the governing equations. - References. - Problems. - 3 Basic wave dynamics. - 3.1 Introduction. - 3.2 Basic wave properties. - 3.3 Soundwaves. - 3.4 Shallow water waves. - 3.5 Pure gravity waves. - 3.6 Inertia-gravity waves. - 3.7 Wave reflection levels. - 3.8 Critical levels. - Appendix 3.1. - References. - Problems. - 4 Mesoscale wave generation and maintenance. - 4.1 Introduction. - 4.2 Wave generation mechanisms. - 4.2.1 Density impulses and moist convection. - 4.2.2 Mesoscale instabilities. - 4.2.3 Geostrophic adjustment. - 4.2.4 Nonlinear interactions. - 4.3 Wave maintenance mechanisms. - 4.3.1 Linear wave ducting mechanism. - 4.3.2 Solitary wave mechanism. - 4.3.3 Wave-CISK mechanism. - 4.4 Energy propagation and momentum flux. - References. - Problems. - 5 Orographically forced flows. - 5.1 Flows over two-dimensional sinusoidal mountains. - 5.2 Flows over two-dimensional isolated mountains. - 5.2.1 Uniform basic flow. - 5.2.2 Basic flow with variable Scorer parameter. - 5.2.3 Trapped lee waves. - 5.3 Nonlinear flows over two-dimensional mountains. - 5.3.1 Nonlinear flow regimes. - 5.3.2 Generation of severe downslope winds. - 5.4 Flows over three-dimensional mountains. - 5.4.1 Linear theory. - 5.4.2 Generation of lee vortices. - 5.5 Flows over larger mesoscale mountains. - 5.5.1 Rotational effects. - 5.5.2 Lee cyclogenesis. - 5.5.3 Orographic influence on cyclone track. - 5.6 Other orographic effects. - 5.6.1 Effects on frontal passage. - 5.6.2 Coastally trapped disturbances. - 5.6.3 Cold-air damming. - 5.6.4 Gap flow. - Appendix 5.1. - References. - Problems. - 6 Thermally forced flows. - 6.1 Two-dimensional flows. - 6.1.1 Steady flows over a sinusoidal heat source. - 6.1.2 Steady flows over an isolated heat source. - 6.2 Transient flows. - 6.2.1 Flow responses to pulse heating. - 6.2.2 Flow responses to steady heating. - 6.3 Applications to mesoscale circulations. - 6.3.1 Density current formation and propagation. - 6.3.2 Heat island circulations. - 6.3.3 Moist convection. - 6.3.4 Gravity wave generation and propagation. - 6.4 Effects of shear, three dimensionality, and rotation. - 6.4.1 Two-dimensional shear flows. - 6.4.2 Three-dimensional nonrotating flows. - 6.4.3 Three-dimensional rotating flows. - 6.5 Dynamics of sea and land breezes. - 6.5.1 Linear theories. - 6.5.2 Nonlinear numerical studies. - 6.6 Dynamics of mountain-plains solenoidal circulations. - Appendix 6.1. - References. - Problems. - 7 Mesoscale instabilities. - 7.1 Wave energy transfer through instabilities. - 7.2 Integral theorems of stratified flow. - 7.2.1 Governing equations. - 7.2.2 Miles' theorem. - 7.2.3 Howard's semicircle theorem. - 7.3 Static, conditional, and potential instabilities. - 7.3.1 Static instability. - 7.3.2 Conditional instability. - 7.3.3 Potential instability. - 7.4 Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. - 7.5 Inertial instability. - 7.6 Symmetric instability. - 7.6.1 Dry symmetric instability. - 7.6.2 Moist symmetric instability. - 7.7 Baroclinic instability. - References. - Problems. - 8 Isolated convective storms. - 8.1 Dynamics of single-cell storms and downbursts. - 8.2 Dynamics of multicell storms. - 8.3 Effects of shear and buoyancy. - 8.3.1 Effects of shear on cold outflow. - 8.3.2 Effects of buoyancy. - 8.4 Dynamics of supercell storms. - 8.4.1 General characteristics. - 8.4.2 Effects of unidirectional shear. - 8.4.3 Storm splitting. - 8.4.4 Storm rotation and propagation. - 8.4.5 Effects of directional shear. - 8.5 Tornado dynamics. - 8.5.1 Supercell tornadogenesis. - 8.5.2 Nonsupercell tornadogenesis. - 8.5.3 Tornado vortex dynamics. - References. - Problems. - 9 Mesoscale convective systems. - 9.1 Squall lines and rainbands. - 9.1.1 Squall line classifications. - 9.1.2 Formation mechanisms. - 9.1.3 Maintenance mechanisms. - 9.1.4 Squall line movement. - 9.1.5 Rainbands. - 9.2 Mesoscale convective complexes. - 9.2.1 General characteristics. - 9.2.2 Formation and development mechanisms. - 9.3 Tropical cyclones. - 9.3.1 General characteristics. - 9.3.2 Tropical cyclogenesis. - 9.3.3 Intensity and mesoscale structure. - 9.3.4 Tropical cyclone movement. - References. - Problems. - 10 Dynamics of fronts and jet streaks. - 10.1 Kinematics of frontogenesis. - 10.2 Dynamics of two-dimensional frontogenesis. - 10.2.1 Geostrophic momentum approximation. - 10.2.2 Frontogenesis and cross-frontal circulations. - 10.3 Frontogenesis and baroclinic waves. - 10.4 Moist and frictional effects on frontogenesis. - 10.5 Other types of fronts. - 10.5.1 Upper-level frontogenesis. - 10.5.2 Drylines. - 10.6 Jet streak dynamics. - 10.6.1 Upper-level jet streaks. - 10.6.2 Low-level jets. - References. - Problems. - 11 Dynamics of orographic precipitation. - 11.1 Orographic influence on climatological distribution of precipitation. - 11.2 Orographic modification of preexisting disturbances. - 11.2.1 Passage of troughs. - 11.2.2 Passage of midlatitude cyclones and fronts. - 11.2.3 Passage of tropical cyclones. - 11.2.4 Common ingredients of orographic precipitation. - 11.3 Formation and enhancement mechanisms. - 11.3.1 Stable ascent mechanism. - 11.3.2 Release of moist instabilities. - 11.3.3 Effects of mountain geometry. - 11.3.4 Combined thermal and orographic forcing. - 11.3.5 Seeder-feeder mechanism. - 11.3.6 Dynamical-microphysical interaction mechanism. - 11.4 Control parameters and moist flow regimes. - 11.4.1 Control parameters. - 11.4.2 Moist flow regimes. - References. - 12 Basic numerical methods. - 12.1 Introduction. - 12.2 Finite difference approximations of derivatives. - 12.3 Finite difference approximations of the advection equation. - 12.3.1 Two-time-level schemes. - 12.3.2 Three-time-level schemes. - 12.4 Implicit schemes. - 12.5 Semi-Lagrangian methods. - Appendix 12.1. - References. - Problems. - Modeling projects. - 13 Numerical modeling of geophysical fluid systems. - 13.1 Grid systems and vertical coordinates. - 13.1.1 Grid systems. - 13.1.2 Vertical coordinates. - 13.2 Boundary conditions. - 13.2.1 Lateral boundary conditions. - 13.2.2 Upper boundary conditions. - 13.2.3 Lower boundary conditions. - 13.3 Initial conditions and data assimilation. - 13.4 Nonlinear aliasing and instability. - 13.5 Modeling a stratified fluid system. - 13.6 Predictability and ensemble forecasting. - References. - Problems. - Modeling project. - 14 Parameterizations of physical processes. - 14.1 Reynolds averaging. - 14.2 Parameterization of planetary boundary layer processes. - 14.2.1 Parameterization of the surface layer. - 14.2.2 Parameterization of the PBL. - 14.3 Parameterization of moist processes. - 14.3.1 Parameterization of microphysical processes. - 14.3.2 Cumulus parameterization. - 14.4 Parameterizations of radiative transfer processes. - 14.4.1 Introduction. - 14.4.2 Longwave radiation. - 14.4.3 Shortwave radiation. - References. - Problems. - Appendices. - A. List of symbols. - B. Nomenclature. - Index.
Location:
AWI Reading room
Branch Library:
AWI Library
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