Holton Dynamic Meteorology

[Delmiro Fain]

Duringthe past decade, the science of dynamic meteorology has continued its rapid advance. The scope of dynamic meteorology has broadened considerably. Much of the material is based on a two-term course for seniors majoring in atmospheric sciences.

This book presents a cogent explanation of the fundamentals of meteorology and explains storm dynamics for weather-oriented meteorologists. It discusses climate dynamics and the implications posed for global change. The new edition has added a companion website with MATLAB exercises and updated treatments of several key topics.

Holton was born in Spokane, Washington and grew up in nearby Pullman, the site of Washington State University where his father studied diseases of wheat and was director of a USDA laboratory. He went to Harvard College, where he received a B.S. degree in physics in 1960. Jim worked with Professor Jule Charney at MIT and earned his Ph.D. in 1964.

He received an NSF postdoctoral fellowship that allowed him to enjoy a year in Stockholm, Sweden, where he visited the group of Bert Bolin. Holton took up his assistant profes- sor position in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington in 1965 and remained there, except for occasional sojourns around the world, until his death.

His first work had to do with studying fluid dynamics in the laboratory using rotating tanks of salt water. He studied the role of viscous boundary layers in transient flow situa- tions, which led to an important paper on the nocturnal jet along the eastern slope of the Rockies. In 1968 he was au- thor of four important papers on the Quasi-Biennial Oscil- lation of the tropical stratosphere, including a paper with R. S. Lindzen, which is regarded as the essential explanation of the QBO.

Jim Holton was a brilliant lecturer, a well-loved teacher and an excellent mentor of young scientists. He leaves a tremendous legacy in the scientists he helped to develop. He supervised 26 doctoral students, and seven M. S. students. In addition, he worked with about 20 postdoctoral visitors at the University of Washington.

James R. Holton, 65, died on 3 March 2004 in University Hospital Seattle, Washington. Jim had suffered a stroke and heart attack while taking his mid-day run at Husky Stadium on 24 February 2004. He seemed in perfect health at the time. Holton had been a professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington for 38 years. He was a highly respected teacher and researcher, the author of a leading textbook in dynamic meteorology, and a member of the advisory board of Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology, Fourth Edition presents a cogent explanation of the fundamentals of meteorology, and explains storm dynamics for weather-oriented meteorologists. This revised edition features updated treatments on climate dynamics, tropical meteorology, middle atmosphere dynamics, and numerical prediction.

Gregory J. Hakim is Professor and Chair of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences in the College of the Environment at the University of Washington. His research focuses on problems in climate reconstruction, predictability, data assimilation, atmospheric dynamics, and synoptic meteorology. He teaches courses in weather, atmospheric sciences, atmospheric structure and analysis, atmospheric motions, synoptic meteorology, balance dynamics, and weather predictability and data assimilation.

Conservation law: Momentum equations on the sphere. Conservation of mass. Conservation of energy. Scale analysis and simplification of the momentum equations. Scale analysis of the thermodynamic equation. Adiabatic processes. Potential temperature and static stability.

Wind shear and thermal wind. Weather maps. Polar front. Baroclinic and barotropic atmosphere. Definition of circulation and vorticity. Bjerkness circulation theorem. Vorticity equation in height and pressure systems and its scale analysis. Simplification of the vorticity equation for synoptic scales. Conservation of absolute vorticity. Observed properties of synoptic motions in midlatitudes.

Perturbation method for Navier-Stokes equations: Method of linear pertubations applied to momentum and vorticity equations. Helmholtz theorem. Kinematics of synoptic flow. F-plane and beta-plane. Phase and group velocity, wave dispersion. Rossby waves.

Quasi-geostrophic theory: quasi-geostrophic approximations. Quasi-geostrophic vorticity equation. Quasi-geostrophic geopotential forecasting. Quasi-geostrophic omega equation. Ageostrophic wind. Hydrodnamic instability.

J.E. Martin: Mid-Latitude Atmospheric Dynamics. J. Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

J.R. Holton: An introduction to dynamic meteorology. Academic Press.

H.B. Bluestein: Synoptic-Dynamic Meteorology in Midlatitudes, Volumes I,II. Oxford University Press.

Systematic introduction of Navier-Stokes equation for atmospheric motions on synoptic scales in the midlatitudes. Basic analytical solutions for stationary and time-dependent synoptic-scale motions. Quasi-geostrophic theory and analytical solutions for the baroclinic development. Analysis of weather maps in

Knowledge and understanding: Knowledge of conservation laws applied to the atmosphere. Understanding of the multi-scale nature of atmospheric processes and methods for the simplification of the Navier-Stokes equations. Knowledge of the baroclinic instability process and application of the linear wave solutions methods to complex equation systems.

Enrollment in the master-level program after

completed BSc program in Meteorology or

equivalent

If the course is selected as optional,

prerequisites are completed courses

Introduction to meteorology and Dynamical

Meteorology I or courses with equivalent

contents

Passed problem-solving written examination

and seminar work is a prerequisite for the

theoretical part of the examination.

Definition of mesoscale processes

Boussinesq approximation

Dynamics at fronts: Semi-geostrophic

equations. Cross-frontal circulation.

Frontogenetic function. Frontogenesis and Q

vector. Sawyer-Eliassen equation. Geostrophic

paradox.

Mesoscale instabilities.

Symetrical instability

Mesoscale wave motions: Non-dispersive

wave solutions. Internal gravity waves. TaylorGoldstein equation. Orographically forced

waves. Lee waves. Severe downslope storms.

Bora. Inertio-gravity waves. Kelvin-Helmholtz

instability. Topographic Rossby waves.

Mesoscale thermodynamics: Equivalent

potential temperature. Pseudo-adiabatic

processes and conditional instability. CAPE.

Development of convective cells. Entrainment

models. Vorticity and convection.

Planetary boundary layer: Reynolds

averaging. Horizontally homogeneous

turbulence. K-theory. Mixing length and mixing

layer. Models of the Ekman and Prandtl layer.

Ekman pumping. Prognostic equations for

turbulent fluxes. Similarity theory and MoninObukov length. Theoretical forms of turbulence.

Turbulent kinetic energy equation. Problem of

the closure with examples.

Fundaments of general circulation: Zonallyaveraged equations. Representation of

atmospheric variability. Lorenz energy cycle.

Simplification of the Navier-Stokes for the

descritpion of frontal processes and mesoscale

waves. Analytical solutions and associated

physical arguments for mesoscale oscillations

and instabilitis. Physical description and

mathematical representation of convection.

Systematic approach to the treatment of

planetary boundary layer in observations and

models. Basic concepts and mathematical

formulation of general circulation.

Knowledge and understanding: Understanding

of the fontal dynamics, mesoscale wave

oscillations and three-dimensional turbulence.

Application of physical laws and mathematical

tools for the representation of turbulent

processes in the planetary boundary layer. Basic

understanding of the concepts and tools used

to discuss general circulation

Application: Students learn to apply physically

based thinking and mathematical tools to

describe dynamical aspects of mesoscale wave

motions and boundary-layer processes. Basic

understadning of general circulation

Reflection: The course builds systematic

understadning of atmospheric dynamics on

mesoscale and in the boundary layer. Students

are trained to recognize and analyze

atmospheric phenomea using underlying

physical laws.

Transferable skills: Simplification of complex natural problems with many dependent,

strongly non-linearly correlated variables.

oral exam (theory) A mandatory student seminar based on an article related to the course subject is a condition to attend the oral exam.

written exam (problem solving) The written exam consists of two colloquia that have equal weights in the grade or an exam.

grading: 5 (fail), 6-10 (pass) (according to the Statute of UL)

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