The Atmosphere and Ocean A Physical Introduction

by Wells, Neil C.

• ISBN13: 9780470694695
• ISBN10: 0470694696
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-11-30
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

The Atmosphere and Ocean, is a fully revised and updated student friendly physical introduction to the atmosphere and ocean. Now in its Third Edition, the book continues to provide students with an accessible description of the atmosphere and ocean with emphasis on their physical properties and inter-dependence. Clearly structured throughout, the book demonstrates that the atmosphere and ocean are both subject to the influence of the earth's rotation and therefore they have a common dynamical basis. The author clearly demonstrates the fundamental differences between the two environments and provides the reader with a much better understanding of the atmosphere and the ocean and an appreciation of their closest interactive relationship. There have been many developments in the field over the past ten years and this latest edition of a highly successful textbook brings together new material on the ocean-atmosphere system and climate, the observed circulation of the atmosphere and ocean and radiation in the atmosphere and ocean.

Author Biography

Dr Neil Wells is a lecturer in the Oceanography department at Southampton University in ocean modeling, climate and sea air interaction. Research in, large scale ocean modelling with interests in heat fluxes and heat content change. (ii) Application of ARGO data sets to determine ocean heat content change. (iii) Links of above with air-sea interaction from seasonal to decadal change. (iv) Storm surges and tidal interaction in coastal seas and relationship to climate change.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword	p. ix
Preface to the Third Edition	p. xi
The Earth within the Solar System	p. 1
The Sun and its constancy	p. 1
Orbital variations in solar radiation	p. 4
Radiative equilibrium temperature	p. 8
Thermal inertia of the atmosphere	p. 10
Albedo	p. 14
The topography of the Earth's surface	p. 18
Composition and Physical Properties of the Ocean and Atmosphere	p. 25
Evolution of the atmosphere and ocean	p. 25
Present-day composition of sea water	p. 29
Introduction to gases and liquids	p. 31
Hydrostatic equilibrium	p. 39
Adiabatic changes and potential temperature	p. 41
Vertical stability of the ocean and atmosphere	p. 46
Radiation, Temperature and Stability	p. 53
Vertical variation of atmospheric constituents	p. 53
The attenuation of solar radiation	p. 58
Absorption of planetary radiation	p. 65
Vertical temperature profile and its relation to radiation	p. 67
The absorption of solar radiation in the ocean	p. 75
Diurnal and seasonal temperature cycles in the ocean	p. 78
Water in the Atmosphere	p. 83
Introduction	p. 83
The moist atmosphere	p. 84
Measurement and observation of water vapour	p. 86
Stability in a moist atmosphere	p. 88
Processes of precipitation and evaporation: The formation of clouds	p. 94
Macroscopic processes in cloud formation	p. 106
Global Budgets of Heat, Water and Salt	p. 111
The measurement of heat budgets at the surface	p. 111
Observations of surface heat fluxes and budgets	p. 117
The measurement of the water budget	p. 126
Observations of the water budget	p. 127
The salt budget of the ocean	p. 131
Temperature and salinity relationships in the ocean	p. 134
Tracers in the ocean	p. 141
Observations of Winds and Currents	p. 147
Measurement of winds and currents	p. 147
Scales of motion in the atmosphere and ocean	p. 159
Time averaged circulation	p. 164
Time-dependent motion	p. 175
The Influence of the Earth's Rotation on Fluid Motion	p. 181
An introduction to the Earth's rotation	p. 181
Inertial motion	p. 184
Pressure gradients and geostrophic motion	p. 187
Vorticity and circulation	p. 197
The atmosphere and ocean boundary layers	p. 206
Equatorial winds and currents	p. 210
Waves and Tides	p. 219
The spectrum of surface waves	p. 219
Wind waves and swell	p. 223
Long waves	p. 230
Internal waves	p. 234
Ocean tides	p. 237
Storm surges	p. 244
Atmospheric waves and tides	p. 249
Energy Transfer in the Ocean-Atmosphere System	p. 253
Modes of energy in the ocean-atmosphere system	p. 253
The kinetic energy of the atmosphere and ocean	p. 259
Mechanisms of kinetic energy transfer	p. 262
General circulation of the atmosphere	p. 271
General circulation of the ocean	p. 277
Mathematical Modelling of the Ocean and Atmosphere	p. 283
Introduction	p. 283
Scientific modelling: A simple model of the surface layer of the ocean	p. 284
A dynamical model of the ocean surface layer	p. 288
Numerical solutions of mathematical models	p. 291
Numerical solutions for momentum on a rotating Earth	p. 293
Atmospheric and climate general circulation models	p. 295
Global ocean models	p. 301
Observations of the ocean and atmosphere	p. 305
Atmosphere-Ocean Interaction	p. 315
Air-sea interaction: An introduction	p. 315
Seasonal anomalies of the ocean-land-atmosphere system	p. 322
Interannual fluctuations in the ocean-atmosphere system	p. 326
Decadal variations in the ocean-atmosphere system	p. 332
Climate Change	p. 337
Past climate observations	p. 337
Mechanisms of climate change	p. 341
Current climate change	p. 346
Understanding recent climate change	p. 350
Predicting future climate	p. 351
Problems	p. 353
Glossary	p. 369
General Reading	p. 377
Further Reading and References	p. 379
Figure Sources	p. 335
Appendices
Standard International (SI) Units	p. 391
SI Unit Prefixes	p. 391
Index	p. 393
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