. – Physics of the Atmosphere
Prof. Silvio Davolio
COURSE CONTENT
Atmospheric structure and composition.
Atmospheric thermodynamics: gas law for dry and moist air, water vapour,
hydrostatic equation and its applications, geopotential, first law of
thermodynamics, adiabatic processes, potential temperature, static stability (dry
and moist atmosphere), thermodynamic diagrams and meteorological applications,
second law of thermodynamics. Formation and classification of clouds and
precipitation.
Atmospheric dynamics: conservation laws, primitive equations, scale analysis and
solution of simplified equations: geostrophic, inertial, cyclostrofic and gradient
flows. Ageostrophic wind and vertical motion, cyclonic and anticyclonic
circulation. Barotropic/baroclinic atmosphere and thermal wind.
Radiation: black body radiation, physical laws, radiation balance for the sun-earthatmosphere system, scattering and absorption, radiation balance at the earth surface
and at the top of the atmosphere. Greenhouse effect. Radiative transfer equations.
Introduction to general circulation of the atmosphere
Overview of numerical weather prediction models, interpretation of weather charts.
READING LIST
WALLACE J.M. & HOBBS P.V., Atmospheric Sciences, an introductory survey, Academic Press, 2006.
HOLTON J.R., An introduction to dynamic meteorology, Academic Press, 1992.
STULL R.B., Meteorology for scientists and engineers, Brooks/Cole, 1999.
HARTMANN D.L., Global physical climatology, Academic Press, 1994.
PEIXOTO J.P. & OORT A.H., Physics of climate, American Institute of Physics, 1993.
TEACHING METHOD
Lectures.
ASSESSMENT METHOD
Oral exam.
NOTES
Further information can be found on the
lecturer’s webpage
http://www2.unicatt.it/unicattolica/docenti/index.html or on the Faculty notice board.
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