12.804 | Fall 2009 | Graduate

Large-scale Flow Dynamics Lab

Projects

For each topic, students have the choice of a few different projects, each with a different method/data set. Generally, the options are: numerical modeling, tank modeling, ocean data, and atmospheric data.

TOPICS FILES/DATA
2D inversion
2D pv inversion (numerical atmosphere)  
2D pv inversion (numerical ocean)  
Gulf Stream PV and inversion (ocean)  
Atmospheric PV and inversion (atmosphere)  
Atmospheric PV and inversion (old atmosphere)  
Radial inflow (tank)  
Geostrophic adjustment (ZIP)
Gulf Stream geostrophy (ocean)  
Geostrophic adjustment (atmosphere) (PDF)
Geostrophic adjustment (tank) (PDF)
Geostrophic adjustment (numerical) (PDF)
Vortex interaction (ZIP)
Point vortices (numerical) (PDF)
Vortex interactions (atmosphere) (PDF)
Vortex interactions (tank) (PDF)
Rossby waves (ZIP)
Rossby waves, barotropic PV inversion (numerical) (PDF)
Rossby waves (tank) (PDF)
Rossby waves (ocean) (PDF)
Frontal waves (ZIP)
Isentropic potential vorticity, tropopause maps, and frontal waves (atmosphere) (PDF)
Frontal waves (ocean) (PDF)
Frontal waves (numerical) (PDF)
Frontal waves (tank) (PDF)
Circular front  
Multiple circular fronts  
Waves on gulf stream front  
Baroclinic instability (ZIP)
Higher order balance – 3D PV inversion (atmosphere)  
Two layer PV inversion/baroclinic evolution and instability (numerical) (PDF)
Baroclinic instability (tank) (PDF)
Geostrophic balance
Coriolis forces (laboratory)  
Geostrophic and ageostrophic motion (atmosphere)  
Geostrophic balance and the barotropic vorticity equation (numerical)  

Quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity and omega equation (atmosphere)

Note: The geostrophic balance projects can be used as a background at the beginning of the class.