Instructors: Prof. Gregory Hakim (685.2439) (www)
Dr. Brian Ancell (685.2183)Department of Atmospheric Sciences; University of Washington
Description:This course surveys the dynamics of synoptic- and meso-scale disturbances including extratropical cyclones and fronts, inertia-gravity waves, and topographically forced flows. We will also consider atmospheric adjustment to geostrophy in extratropical latitudes and normal modes of the tropical atmosphere. Insight into the dynamics of these features is gained through systematic simplification of the governing equations applied to idealized, but realistic, approximations of atmospheric structure.
Prerequisites: ATMS 441 (503).
Class meets: M W 9:30-10:50 a.m. 610 (lecture) and Th 1:30-4:20 p.m. 610 (laboratory).
Lab home page
Text: An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology, by J. R. Holton (Academic Press, 2004, fourth edition)
GJH Office hours: Mondays 10 am-11 pm; Fridays 2:30-3:30 pm (except week of 8 Jan: no hours), or by appointment.
Syllabus ("Q" = Friday quiz):
| Week 1 | Math background; wave properties | |
| Week 2 | Waves in rotating shallow water. | |
| Week 3 | Q | Shallow water waves; geostrophic adjustment |
| Week 4 | Geostrophic adjustment; quasi-geostrophic (QG) equations | |
| Week 5 | Q | QG equations and cyclogenesis |
| Week 6 | Baroclinic instability | |
| Week 7 | Q | Frontogenesis |
| Week 8 | The energy cycle | |
| Week 9 | Q | Internal gravity waves and mountain flows |
| Week 10 | Tropical waves & hurricanes |
Holidays: 21 January (Martin Luther King Day); 18 February (Presidents Day).
Final Exam: Wednesday 19 March 8:30--10:20 am
Grading: Homework: 25%; Laboratory 25%; Quizes 25%; Final exam 25%.
Homework:
Additional resources:
Group velocity
- Sum of two plane waves in a stationary frame
- Sum of two plane waves in a frame moving with the group speed
- Sum of two plane waves in a frame moving witht the phase speed
- Hovmoeller diagram for a sum of two dispersive plane waves.
- Hovmoeller diagram for the sum of two non-dispersive plane waves.
- Page with both.
Cyclone climatology and preferred tracks.
Eady most unstable growing mode.
Eady most unstable decaying mode.
eady_442.m
Observations of baroclinic waves
Idealized cyclone development in Eady's model
Downstream development
Hovmoeller of an observed case of downstream development
Tropical beta-plane images:
dispersion
Kelvin wave
eastward gravity
westward gravity
Rossby wave (n=1)
Rossby wave (n=2)
mixed Rossby-gravity wave
Hovmoeller of tropical modes in outgoing longwave radiation
Western Pacific satellite image (another)
Hurricane maximum potential intensity
Hurricane structure images:
cross section 1
cross section 2
reflectivity
eyewall
