Wave motion in the ocean and the atmosphere

Lectures: 3 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

This course is an introduction to basic ideas of geophysical wave motion in rotating, stratified, and rotating-stratified fluids. Subject begins with general wave concepts of phase and group velocity. It also covers the dynamics and kinematics of gravity waves with a focus on dispersion, energy flux, initial value problems, etc. Also addressed are subject foundation used to study internal and inertial waves, Kelvin, Poincare, and Rossby waves in homogeneous and stratified fluids. Laplace tidal equations are applied to equatorial waves. Other topics include: resonant interactions, potential vorticity, wave-mean flow interactions, and instability.

12.800 Fluid Dynamics of the Atmosphere and Ocean

Pedlosky, Joseph. Waves in the Ocean and Atmosphere Introduction to Wave Dynamics. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag, 2003, p. 260. ISBN: 9783540003403.

Gill, Adrian. Atmosphere-Ocean Dynamics. New York, NY: Academic Press, 1982, p. 662. ISBN: 9780122835223.

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