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By Murry Salby, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado Roger Pielke, Colorado State University at Fort Collins, U.S.A. Renata Dmowska, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
Description Fundamentals of Atmospheric Physics emphasizes the interrelationships of physical and dynamical meteorology. The text
unifies four major subject areas: atmospheric thermodynamics, hydrostatic equilibrium and stability, atmospheric radiation and clouds,
and atmospheric dynamics. These fundamental areas serve as cornerstones of modern atmospheric research on environmental issues like global
change and ozone depletion. Physical concepts underlying these subject areas are developed from first principles, providing a self-contained
text for students and scholars from diverse backgrounds.
The presentation is Lagrangian (single-body problems) in perspective, with a
balance of theory and application. Each chapter includes detailed and extensive problems; selected answers are provided, as are appendices
of various constants. The text requires a thorough foundation in calculus.
Audience
This book is directed at first-year graduate students entering atmospheric or planetary science with diverse backgrounds in physics, chemistry,
mathematics, or engineering, but not necessarily having formal training in thermodynamics, radiation, and fluid mechanics. The material
can be digested by undergraduate seniors with similar preparation.
Contents
A Global View: Introduction to the Atmosphere. Composition and Structure. Radiative Equilibrium of the Planet. The Global
Energy Budget. The General Circulation.
The Second Law and Its Implications: Natural and Reversible Processes. Entropy
and the Second Law. Restricted Forms of the Second Law. The Fundamental Relations. Conditions for Thermodynamic Equilibrium. Relationship
of Entropy to Potential Temperature.
Heterogeneous Systems: Description of a Heterogeneous System. Chemical Equilibrium.
Fundamental Relations for a Multicomponent System. Thermodynamic Degrees of Freedom. Thermodynamic Characteristics of Water. Equilibrium
Phase Transformations.
Transformations of Moist Air: Description of Moist Air. Implications for the Distribution of
Water Vapor. State Variables of the Two-Component System. Thermodynamic Behavior Accompanying Vertical Motion. The Pseudo-Adiabatic Chart.
Hydrostatic Stability: Reaction to Vertical Displacement. Stability Categories. Implications
for Vertical Motion. Finite Displacements. Stabilizing and Destabilizing Influences. Turbulent Dispersion.
Atmospheric Radiation:
Shortwave and Longwave Radiation. Description of Radiative Transfer. Absorption Characteristics of Gases. Radiative Transfer in a Plane
Parallel Atmosphere. Thermal Equilibrium. Thermal Relaxation. The Greenhouse Effect.
Aerosol and Clouds: Morphology
of Atmospheric Aerosol. Microphysics of Clouds. Macroscopic Characteristics of Clouds. Radiative Transfer in Aerosol and Cloud. Roles
of Clouds and Aerosol in Climate.
Atmospheric Motion: Descriptions of Atmospheric Motion. Kinematics of Fluid Motion.
The Material Derivative. Reynolds Transport Theorem. Conservation of Mass. The Momentum Budget. The First Law of Thermodynamics.
Atmospheric
Equations of Motion: Curvilinear Coordinates. Spherical Coordinates. Special Forms of Motion. Prevailing Balances. Thermodynamic
Coordinates.
Large-Scale Motion: Geostrophic Equilibrium. Vertical Shear of the Geostrophic Wind. Frictional Geostrophic
Motion. Curvilinear Motion. Weakly Divergent Motion.
The Planetary Boundary Layer: Description of Turbulence. Structure
of the Boundary Layer. Influence of Stratification. Ekman Pumping.
Atmospheric Waves: Description of Wave Propagation.
Acoustic Waves. Buoyancy Waves. The Lamb Wave. Rossby Waves. Wave Absorption. Nonlinear Considerations.
The General Circulation:
Forms of Atmospheric Energy. Heat Transfer in an Axisymmetric Circulation. Heat Transfer in a Laboratory Analogue. Tropical Circulations.
The
Middle Atmosphere: Ozone Photochemistry. Involvement of Other Species. Air Motion. Sudden Stratospheric Warmings. The Quasi-Biennial
Oscillation. Direct Interactions with the Troposphere. Heterogeneous Chemical Reactions.
Appendix A: Conversion to SI
Units.
Appendix B: Thermodynamic Properties of Air and Water.
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