MAST-806 Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (2012)
Andreas Muenchow


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Posted grades (2 A, 2 A-, 2 B+, 3 B) and solutions for section C and D

Posted Final Exam.

Posted e-mail on final matters.


Please Do Course Evaluations May-10 through May-16. Thank you.
Instructor: Andreas Muenchow
E-mail: muenchow at udel dot edu
www: http://muenchow.cms.udel.edu/classes/gfd
Tel.: 302-831-0742
Class Time:TueThu 14:00-15:15 in 105 (Tue) and 203 (Thu) Robinson Hall
Textbook (primary): Cushman-Roisin, B. and J.-M. Beckers, 2011: Introduction to Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Academic Press, Watham, MA, 828 pp.
Reference-1: Gill, A.E., 1982: Atmosphere-Ocean Dynamics, Academic Press Inc., Orlando, FL, 662pp.
Reference-2: Pedlosky, J., 1987: Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, 2nd Ed., Springer Press, New York, NY, 710pp.
Reference-3: Vallis, G.K., 2006: Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics, Cambridge Univseristy Press, Cambridge, UK, 745pp.
Pre-requisite: MEEG-863 and MEEG-864
Grading: 30% Final Exam, 20% mid-term exam, 50% homework problems
Goal: Students shall appreciate the physical foundations of atmospheric and oceanic fluid motions on a rotating sphere from a common theoretical perspective with some reference to observations.
Description
Development of the fundamental fluid dynamics used in analyzing flows in physical oceanography and meteorology. Fundamentals of vorticity dynamics and geostrophy, inviscid theory of Rossby waves, and Ekman boundary layers.

Scaling laws, non-dimensional parameters, and asymptotic expansions are all used to gain physical understanding from solutions to the Navier-Stokes equations in a rotating frame of reference. Immediate applications are the dynamics of weather, climate, oceans, and large lakes, however, engineering applications may relate to rapidly rotating systems with many degrees of freedom.
Outline

Last updated: Fri May 25 22:06:25 EDT 2012