Monday, 14-16 lecture, PEP room

Prof. Dr. Gerrit Lohmann

Monday, 16-17 tutorial, PEP room

Dragos Chirila & Sagar Bora

The focus of the course is to identify the underlying dynamics for the atmosphere-ocean system. This is done through theory, numerical models, and statistical data analysis. It has been recognized that the atmospheric and oceanic flow binds together the interactions between the biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and atmosphere that control the planetary environment. The fundamental concepts of atmosphere-ocean flow, energetics, vorticity, wave motion are described. This includes atmospheric wave motion, extratropical synoptic scale systems, the oceanic wind driven and thermohaline circulation. These phenomena are described using the dynamical equations, observational and proxy data, as well basic physical and mathematical concepts. Practicals complement the lessons. Specific aspects:

• Approximate equations of motion for various scales of flow
• Dynamical concepts for climate dynamics: Bifurcations, Feedback analysis
• Instabilities in the atmosphere-ocean system and the dynamics of waves
• Stochastic climate model
• Statistical approach of fluid dynamics
• Atmospheric dynamics and related teleconnection patterns like ENSO, PNA, and NAO
• Fundamental models: Charney-DeVore model of the atmosphere, Milankovitch theory of the ice ages, Stommel's box model of the ocean circulation, etc.

Lesson 1, 12 April: Introduction, Overview, Continuity equation, Diffusion and Advection

Tutorial 1, 12 April: Programing in Fortran and R (please bring your laptops); Exercise 1

Lesson 2, 19 April: Approximate equations of motion for various scales of flow, Vorticity

Tutorial 2, 12 April: Programing in Fortran and R (please bring your laptops) continued; Exercise 2

Lesson 3, 26 April:

Tutorial 3, 26 April: Exercise 3; discussion Exercise 1

Lesson 4, 3 May:

Tutorial 4, 3 May: Exercise 4; discussion Exercise 2

Lesson 5, 10 May:

Tutorial 5, 10 May: Exercise 5; discussion Exercise 3

Lesson 6, 17 May:

Tutorial 6, 17 May: Exercise 6; discussion Exercise 4

Lesson 7, 31 May:

Tutorial 7, 31 May: Exercise 7; discussion Exercise 5

Lesson 8, 7 June:

Tutorial 8, 7 June: Exercise 8; discussion Exercise 6

Lesson 9, 14 June:

Tutorial 9, 14 June: Exercise 9; discussion Exercise 7

Lesson 10, 21 June:

Tutorial 10, 21 June: Exercise 10; discussion Exercise 8

Lesson 11, 28 June:

Tutorial 11, 28 June: discussion Exercise 9; Preparation for the exam

Lesson 12, 5 July: Summary and outlook of the course

Tutorial 12, 5 July: discussion Exercise 10; Preparation for the exam

Literature:

• R. H. Stewart, 2008: Introduction To Physical Oceanography, online Version: oceanworld.tamu.edu/home/course_book.htm
• J. Marchal & R. A. Plumb, 2008: Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate Dynamics: An Introductory Text. Academic Press, 344 pp, www.elsevierdirect.com/companion.jsp
• A. E. Gill, 1982: Atmosphere--Ocean Dynamics, Academic Press, Orlando
• G. Lohmann, 2010, Script (in prep)
• J. R. Holton, Introduction to Dynamical Meteorology, Academic Press
• A. Gill, Atmosphere-Ocean Dynamics, Academic Press
• J. A. Dutton, The Ceaseless Wind, Dover
• B. Cushman-Roisin, & J.-M. Beckers, Introduction to Geophysical Fluid Dynamics: Physical and Numerical Aspects
• N. Gershenfeld, 2003: The nature of mathematical modeling, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 344 pp.

How to get the Credit Points / Schein?

Exercises & Practical work >50%

Active participation (discussion of exercises)

Oral exam (30 min): repeat lessons and exercises (proposed day: 3 August 2010)