Essentials of Atmospheric and Oceanic Dynamics

This is a modern, introductory textbook on the dynamics of the atmosphere and ocean, with a healthy dose of geophysical fluid dynamics. It will be invaluable for intermediate to advanced undergraduate and graduate students in meteorology, oceanography, mathematics, and physics. It is unique in taking the reader from very basic concepts to the forefront of research. It also forms an excellent refresher for researchers in atmospheric science and oceanography. It differs from other books at this level in both style and content: as well as very basic material it includes some elementary introductions to more advanced topics. The advanced sections can easily be omitted for a more introductory course, as they are clearly marked in the text. Readers who wish to explore these topics in more detail can refer to this book's parent, Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics: Fundamentals and Large-Scale Circulation, now in its second edition.

Part I. Geophysical Fluid Dynamics: 1. Fluid fundamentals; 2. Equations for a rotating planet; 3. Dynamics on a rotating planet; 4. Shallow water equations; 5. Geostrophic theory; 6. Rossby waves; 7. Gravity waves; 8. Instability; 9. Waves and mean-flows; 10. Turbulence; Part II. Atmospheres: 11. The Hadley cell and the tropics; 12. Midlatitudes and the stratosphere; 13. Planetary atmospheres; Part III. Oceans: 14. Wind-driven gyres; 15. The thermocline and overturning circulation; 16. The equatorial ocean and El Niño; References; Index.

Geoffrey K. Vallis is a Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Exeter. Prior to taking up his position there, he taught for many years at Princeton University, New Jersey. He has carried out research in the atmospheric sciences, oceanography and the planetary sciences, and has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles. He is the recipient of various prizes and awards, including the Adrian Gill Prize (Royal Meteorological Society) and the Stanislaw M. Ulam Distinguished Scholar award (Los Alamos National Laboratory). He is the author of Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics: Fundamentals and Large-Scale Circulation (2nd Edition, Cambridge, 2017).