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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2005/2006
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Home : College of Science and Engineering : School of GeoSciences (Schedule N) : Meteorology

Atmospheric Dynamics (U01863)

? Credit Points : 10  ? SCQF Level : 10  ? Acronym : GEO-4-MYAD

Introduces the fundamentals which govern atmospheric circulation including steady and unsteady flows and wave motions in the tropics and mid-latitudes and their role in transporting heat. Meteorological data will be used to illustrate phenomena such as cyclones, jetstreams and ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation).

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : At least 40 points at level 9/10 from schedule Q

Subject Areas

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 1 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

First Class Information

Date Start End Room Area Additional Information
20/09/2005 14:00 15:00 Lecture Room 3317, JCMB KB

All of the following classes

Type Day Start End Area
Lecture Tuesday 14:00 14:50 KB
Lecture Friday 14:00 14:50 External

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course it is intended that the student will be able to:

-show how to derive the Navier-Stokes equations expressed in an inertial frame of reference for inviscid motion of a compressible fluid and for the continuity of mass in the fluid starting from Newton's first law of motion and the conservation of mass

-explain how the Navier-Stokes equations are transformed for a frame of reference rotating with the earth

-demonstrate a grasp of the orders of magnitude of forces and accelerations present in synoptic-scale weather patterns and hence of the geostrophic and thermal wind approximations

-use those approximations to obtain estimates of winds in
synoptic-scale systems from pressure and temperature gradients

-discuss the concept of "potential temperature" and its relevance to the vertical stability of a compressible atmosphere

-discuss the experimental evidence from "rotating dishpan" experiments that degree of departure from zonal symmetry depends on
rotation rate and horizontal meridional temperature gradients

-discuss the typical configuration of meridional circulations in the tropics and their relation to the strength of the sub-tropical jet

-explain the concept of potential vorticity and its usefulness as tool for understanding fluid motion

-discuss the motivation for and limitations of treatment of atmospheric wave motion as a perturbation from a basic flow

-explain those aspects of the observed behaviour of mid-latitude planetary-scale waves which are accounted for by linear theory.

Assessment Information

Examination

Exam times

Diet Diet Month Paper Code Paper Name Length
1ST May 1 - 2 hour(s)

Contact and Further Information

The Course Secretary should be the first point of contact for all enquiries.

Course Secretary

Miss Manya Buchan
Tel : (0131 6)50 5254
Email : m.buchan@ed.ac.uk

Course Organiser

Prof Robert Harwood
Tel : (0131 6)50 5095
Email : bob.harwood@ed.ac.uk

School Website : http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/

College Website : http://www.scieng.ed.ac.uk/

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