Middle Atmosphere Dynamics, Volume 40

Front Cover
Academic Press, Sep 28, 1987 - Science - 489 pages
For advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in atmospheric, oceanic, and climate science, Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate Dynamics is an introductory textbook on the circulations of the atmosphere and ocean and their interaction, with an emphasis on global scales. It will give students a good grasp of what the atmosphere and oceans look like on the large-scale and why they look that way. The role of the oceans in climate and paleoclimate is also discussed. The combination of observations, theory and accompanying illustrative laboratory experiments sets this text apart by making it accessible to students with no prior training in meteorology or oceanography.

* Written at a mathematical level that is appealing for undergraduates and
beginning graduate students
* Provides a useful educational tool through a combination of observations and
laboratory demonstrations which can be viewed over the web
* Contains instructions on how to reproduce the simple but informative
laboratory experiments
* Includes copious problems (with sample answers) to help students learn the
material.
 

Contents

Introduction
Zonal Mean Temperature and Wind Distributions
2
Composition of the Middle Atmosphere
5
The Vertical Distribution of Eddy Amplitudes
11
Observational Techniques
14
References
16
Radiative Processes and Remote Sounding
17
Fundamentals
18
Theoretical Modeling of Sudden Warmings
271
References
290
The Extratropical ZonalMean Circulation
291
Some Simple Zonally Averaged Models of the Middle Atmosphere
294
The Upper Mesosphere
301
The Winter Polar Stratosphere
304
Interpretation and Generalization
305
References
307

Gaseous Absorption Spectra
26
Transmission Functions
45
Infrared Radiative Exchange and Radiative Damping
60
Departure from Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium
68
Absorption of Solar Radiation
78
Radiative Equilibrium Temperature and HeatingRate Distributions
87
Remote Sounding
95
References
106
Basic Dynamics
109
The BetaPlane Approximation and QuasiGeostrophic Theory
114
The EulerianMean Equations
119
Linearized Disturbances to ZonalMean Flows
121
The Transformed EulerianMean Equations
123
The Generalized EliassenPalm Theorem and the CharneyDrazin Nonacceleration Theorem
126
The Lagrangian Approach
129
Isentropic Coordinates
134
The ZonalMean Equations in Isentropic Coordinates
138
Derivation of Some Equations in Isentropic Coordinates
140
Boundary Conditions on the Residual Circulation
143
References
145
Linear Wave Theory
146
Wave Disturbances to a Resting Spherical Atmosphere
147
Atmospheric Thermal Tides
153
Free Traveling Planetary Waves
165
Forced Planetary Waves
171
Gravity Waves
184
Equatorial Waves
196
RayTracing Theory and Wave Action in a Slowly Varying Medium
211
References
214
Extratropical PlanetaryScale Circulations
216
The Observed Annual Cycle
217
Detailed Linear Models of Stationary Planetary Waves in the Middle Atmosphere
235
Detailed Linear Models of Free Traveling Planetary Waves in the Atmosphere
241
Barotropic and Baroclinic Instability
244
PlanetaryWave Critical Layers
249
References
253
Stratospheric Sudden Warmings
255
Observed Features of Sudden Warmings
257
Equatorial Circulations
309
The Observed Structure of the Equatorial QuasiBiennial Oscillation
310
Theory of the QuasiBiennial Oscillation
315
Observed Structure of the Equatorial Semiannual Oscillations
327
Dynamics of the Equatorial Semiannual Oscillations
329
Inertial Instability in the Equatorial Zone
334
References
337
Tracer Transport in the Middle Atmosphere
339
LongLived Chemical Tracers
343
Transport in the Meridional Plane
345
Formulations of Eddy and MeanFlow Transport
350
Dispersive Wave Transport Irreversible Mixing of Tracers
357
TroposphereStratosphere Exchange
367
Transport Modeling
373
The Transformed EulerianMean Transport for SmallAmplitude Eddies
386
References
387
The Ozone Layer
388
The Climatology of Ozone
389
Elementary Aspects of Photochemical Modeling
394
Photochemistry of Ozone Catalytic Cycles
399
Models of the Natural and Perturbed Ozone Layer
402
The Continuity Equation for Chemical Species
409
References
410
General Circulation Modeling
411
Models of the Lower Stratosphere
413
The GFDL SKYHI model
418
Forecasting of Sudden Stratospheric Warmings
424
Transport Modeling
429
References
438
Interaction between the Middle Atmosphere and the Lower Atmosphere
439
Radiative Links Deductions from Simple Models
440
Radiative Links Deductions from GCMs
442
Dynamical Links Vertically Propagating Planetary Waves
446
Interannual Variability in the Stratosphere
449
References
457
Bibliography
459
Index
479
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About the author (1987)

James R. Holton was Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington until his death in 2004. A member of the National Academies of Science, during his career he was awarded every major honor available in the atmospheric sciences including AGU's Revelle Medal.

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