The Earth's Atmosphere: Its Physics and Dynamics / Edition 1

by Kshudiram Saha

Overview

The author has sought to incorporate in the book some of the fundamental concepts and principles of the physics and dynamics of the atmosphere, a knowledge and understanding of which should help an average student of science to comprehend some of the great complexities of the earth-atmosphere system, in which a thr- way interaction between the atmosphere, the land and the ocean tends to maintain an overall mass and energy balance in the system through physical and dynamical processes. The book, divided into two parts and consisting of 19 chapters, introduces only those aspects of the subject that, according to the author, are deemed essential to meet the objective in view. The emphasis is more on clarity and understanding of physical and dynamical principles than on details of complex theories and ma- ematics. Attempt is made to treat each subject from first principles and trace its development to present state, as far as possible. However, a knowledge of basic c- culus and differential equations is sine qua non especially for some of the chapters which appear later in the book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783642097171
Publisher:	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publication date:	12/16/2010
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of hardcover 1st ed. 2008
Pages:	367
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.24(d)

Table of Contents

Physics of the Earth’s Atmosphere.- The Sun and the Earth – The Solar System and the Earth’s Gravitation.- The Earth’s Atmosphere – Its Origin, Composition and Properties.- Heat and Thermodynamics of the Atmosphere.- Water Vapour in the Atmosphere: Thermodynamics of Moist Air.- Physics of Cloud and Precipitation.- Physics of Radiation – Fundamental Laws.- The Sun and its Radiation.- The Incoming Solar Radiation – Interaction with the Earth’s Atmosphere and Surface.- Heat Balance of the Earth’s Surface – Upward and Downward Transfer of Heat.- Heat Balance of the Earth-Atmosphere System – Heat Sources and Sinks.- Dynamics of the Earth’s Atmosphere – The General Circulation.- Winds on a Rotating Earth – The Dynamical Equations and the Conservation Laws.- Simplified Equations of Motion – Quasi-Balanced Winds.- Circulation, Vorticity and Divergence.- The Boundary Layers of the Atmosphere and the Ocean.- Waves and Oscillations in the Atmosphere and the Ocean.- Equatorial Waves and Oscillations.- Dynamical Models and Numerical Weather Prediction (N.W.P.).- Dynamical Instability of Atmospheric Flows – Energetics and Energy Conversions.- The General Circulation of the Atmosphere.

Editorial Reviews

From the reviews:

"The objective of this book is to describe the earth’s atmosphere and the earth-atmosphere system from a physical point of view. … the book is intended for undergraduate students pursuing courses in earth and atmospheric sciences. … The book will also prove to be useful to students and scientists who are working in other fields, because it provides excellent examples of the application of the fundamental laws of physics to an environment with which the reader is already very familiar." (Fernande Grandjean and Gary J. Long, Belgian Physical Society Magazine, Issue (1), March, 2009)

"The Earth’s Atmosphere is a course resource for atmospheric science … . With the issue of global warming occupying political and public interest, this volume supplies the necessary foundation for students to understand the controlling factors and physics behind atmospheric processes. … Saha has done an excellent job developing a resource that will be useful not only to students in meterology, but also in geophysics, planetary science, and environmental science. … Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and graduate students." (S. A. Russell Gonzalez, Choice, Vol. 46 (8), April, 2009)

"The author tries to explain in the book some of the fundamental concepts and principles of the physics and dynamics of the atmosphere … . The book is primarily aimed at meeting the needs of students of undergraduate level pursuing courses in earth and atmospheric sciences, but could also be used as a reference book by graduate students as well as scientists working in other fields of science, desirous of learning more about the earth-atmosphere system." (Claudia-Veronika Meister, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1156, 2009)

From the Publisher