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General Circulation of the Atmosphere (ATOC90014)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Off Campus
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March
Overview
Availability | March - Off Campus |
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Fees | Look up fees |
This subject provides an introduction to the large-scale circulation features of the atmosphere and the processes that maintain them. Students will be introduced to a set of mathematical tools that will be used to analyse the transport of energy, momentum and moisture through the atmosphere and to build a conceptual picture for how these transports are achieved by the atmospheric circulation. Topics covered will include:
- Review of the governing equations
- Reynolds decomposition and atmospheric transports
- Atmospheric reanalysis
- The Hadley circulation
- Monsoons
- Midlatitude eddies and jet formation
- The Ferrel Cell
- Isentropic and transformed Eulerian mean circulations
Intended learning outcomes
- Ability to identify the main features of the atmospheric circulation and the processes that contribute to their maintenance.
- Ability to apply mathematical tools to analyse the transports of energy/momentum through the atmosphere
- Ability to critically engage with the scientific literature regarding the large-scale atmospheric circulation and its possible changes under climate change
Generic skills
- Developing the ability to exercise critical judgement
- Rigorous and independent thinking
- Adopting a problem-solving approach to complex or ambiguous questions;
- High-level written report presentation skills; oral communication and presentation skills.
Last updated: 3 November 2022