Chapter%201.%20Introduction

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Chapter 1. Introduction

• 1.1 Atmospheric Continuum
• Continuous fluid medium
• mass point air parcel (or air particle)
• Field variables p, r, T and their derivatives
  (all continuous functions)
• 1.2 SI Units
• SI base units m, kg, s, K
• SI derived units Hz, N, Pa, J, W
• Exception mb10-3b ? 1mb 100 Pa 1hPa
• pSL 101,325 Pa 1013.25 mb

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1.3 Scale Analysis

• Estimate the significance of various terms in the
  governing equations
• Magnitude of field variables
• Amplitude of their fluctuations
• Characteristic length and time duration of
  fluctuations
• Examples of horizontal scale sizes Table 1.4

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1.4 Fundamental Forces

• Laws of conservation of mass, energy, and
  momentum govern the motions of the atmosphere
• Fundamental forces
• Pressure gradient force
• Gravitational force
• Viscous force (important only in boundary layer)
• Apparent forces (due to Earth rotation)
• Centrifugal force
• Coriolis force

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Fundamental Forces
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Fundamental Forces contd
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Fundamental Forces contd
x-stress z-gradient of u
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1.5 Noninertial Reference Frames
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1.5.1 Centrifugal Force
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1.5.2 Gravity Force
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1.5.3 Coriolis Force
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Cartesian Components of FCo
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Horizontal Component of FCo
k
FCo
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1.6 Structure of the Static Atmosphere
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Hypsometric Equation
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Geopotential Height Z
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Generalized Vertical Coordinate
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Pressure as a Vertical Coordinate