Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate Dynamics

Calendar

SES #	TOPICS	READINGS	LABS	KEY DATES
1	Introduction	Introduction	Lab experiment 0: Rotation stiffens fluids
2	Characteristics of the atmosphere	Chapter 1
3	Equation of state for the dry and moist air	Chapter 1
4	Earth’s radiation budget	Chapter 2
5	Greenhouse effect: I	Chapter 2
6	Greenhouse effect: II	Chapter 2		Problem set 1 due
7	Vertical structure of the atmosphere	Chapter 3
8	Convection in water	Chapter 4	Lab experiment 2: Convection
9	Convection in water (cont.)	Chapter 4		Problem set 2 due
10	Convection in water (cont.)	Chapter 4
11	Dry convection in air	Chapter 4
12	Potential temperature	Chapter 4		Problem set 3 due
13	Moist convection in air: I	Chapter 4	Lab experiment 1: Cloud formation on adiabatic expansion
14	Moist convection in air: II	Chapter 4		Problem set 4 due
15	Meridional structure of the atmosphere	Chapter 5
16	Partial differential equations	Chapter 6		Problem set 5 due
17	Radial inflow experiment	Chapter 6	Lab experiment 3: Radial inflow	Midterm due
18	Equations of motion for non-rotating fluids	Chapter 6
19	Equations of motion for rotating fluids	Chapter 6	Lab experiment 4: Parabolic table
20	Inertial motions	Chapter 6	Lab experiment 5: Inertial circles
21	Equations of motion on a sphere	Chapter 6		Presentations
22	Geostrophic balance	Chapter 7
23	Taylor-Proudman theorem	Chapter 7	Lab experiment 6: Perrot’s bathtub experiment
24	Thermal wind	Chapter 7	Lab experiment 8: Thermal wind and Hadley circulation
25	Ekman layers	Chapter 7	Lab experiment 9: Slope of a frontal surface	Problem set 6 due
26	The general circulation of the atmosphere	Chapter 8	Lab experiment 7: Taylor columns
27	Physical characteristics of the ocean	Chapter 9
28	The observed ocean circulation	Chapter 9		Problem set 7 due
29	Ekman layers in the ocean	Chapter 10
30	Ekman layers in the laboratory	Chapter 10	Lab experiment 10: Ekman layers
31	Taylor-Proudman on the sphere	Chapter 10	Lab experiment 11: Atmospheric general circulation	Problem set 8 due
32	The wind driven ocean circulation	Chapter 10
33	The abyssal ocean circulation	Chapter 11	Lab experiment 12: Ekman pumping and suction
34	Turbulent mixing and the abyssal ocean circulation	Chapter 12
35	The atmospheric and oceanic energy budget	Chapter 12
36	The Earth’s heat budget	Chapter 12		Problem set 9 due
37	Review
38	Review (cont.)