Thermal Physics of the Atmosphere

by Maarten Ambaum (University of Reading)

• ISBN13: 9780470710371
• ISBN10: 0470710373
• Format: eBook
• Copyright: 2010-04-01
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

Thermal Physics of the Atmosphere offers a concise and thorough introduction on how basic thermodynamics naturally leads on to advanced topics in atmospheric physics.The book starts by covering the basics of thermodynamics and its applications in atmospheric science. The later chapters describe major applications, specific to more specialized areas of atmospheric physics, including vertical structure and stability, cloud formation, and radiative processes. The book concludes with a discussion of non-equilibrium thermodynamics as applied to the atmosphere.This book provides a thorough introduction and invaluable grounding for specialised literature on the subject. Introduces a wide range of areas associated with atmospheric physics Starts from basic level thermal physics Ideally suited for readers with a general physics background Self-assessment questions included for each chapter Supplementary website to accompany the book

Table of Contents

Preface

Useful data

Ideal gases

Thermodynamic variables

Microscopic viewpoint

Ideal gas mixtures

Problems

The first and second laws

Work

Energy conservation: the first law

Entropy and the second law

Boltzmann entropy

Entropy and probability: a macroscopic example

Entropy and probability: a stochastic example

Problems

General applications

Thermodynamic potentials

Heat capacity

Properties of ideal gases

van der Waals' Gases

Open systems: enthalpy flux

Latent heat

Turbulent energy fluxes

Potential temperature

Problems

The atmosphere under gravity

Geopotential

Hydrostatic balance

Adiabatic lapse rate

Buoyancy

Dry static energy and Bernoulli function

Statistical mechanics

Problems

Water in the atmosphere

The Clausius Clapeyron equation

Calculation of saturated vapour pressure

Humidity variables

Moist static energy

Problems

Vertical structure of the moist atmosphere

Adiabatic lapse rate for moist air

Entropy budget for saturated air

Finite amplitude instabilities

Vertical structure in thermodynamic diagrams

Convective available potential energy

Cloud drops

Homogeneous nucleation: the Kelvin effect

Heterogeneous nucleation: the Raoult effect

Köhler theory

Charge-enhanced nucleation

Droplet growth

Problems

Mixtures and solutions

Chemical potentials

Ideal gas mixtures and ideal solutions

Raoult's law revisited

Boiling and freezing of solutions

Problems

Thermal radiation

Thermal radiation and Kirchhoff's law

The Stefan-Boltzmann and Wien displacement laws

Global energy budget and the greenhouse effect

Horizontal variations

Radiative intensity

Radiative transfer

Radiative-convective equilibrium

Thermodynamics of a photon gas

Derivation of the Planck law

Problems

Non-equilibrium processes

Energetics of motion

Diabatic effects and the second law

Thermodynamics of forced dissipative systems

Climate thermodynamics

Problems

Functions of several variables

Exergy and thermodynamic stability

Thermodynamic diagrams

Relationship between energy density and energy flux

Index

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