Introduction to geophysical fluid dynamics. Physical and numerical aspects / Введение в геофизическую гидродинамику. Физические и численные аспекты

The intent of Introduction to Geophysical Fluid Dynamics—Physical and Numerical Aspects is to introduce its readers to the principles governing air and water flows on large terrestrial scales and to the methods by which these flows can be simulated on the computer. First and foremost, the book is directed to students and scientists in dynamical meteorology and physical oceanography. In addition, the environmental concerns raised by the possible impact of industrial activities on climate and the accompanying variability of the atmosphere and oceans create a strong desire on the part of atmospheric chemists, biologists, engineers, and many others to understand the basic concepts of atmospheric and oceanic dynamics. It is hoped that those will find here a readable reference text that will provide them with the necessary fundamentals.

The present volume is a significantly enlarged and updated revision of Introduction to Geophysical Fluid Dynamics published by Prentice-Hall in 1994, but the objective has not changed, namely to provide an introductory textbook and an approachable reference book. Simplicity and clarity have therefore remained the guiding principles in writing the text. Whenever possible, the physical principles are illustrated with the aid of the simplest existing models, and the computer methods are shown in juxtaposition with the equations to which they apply. The terminology and notation have also been selected to alleviate to a maximum the intellectual effort necessary to extract the meaning from the text. For example, the expressions planetary wave and stratification frequency are preferred to Rossby wave and Brunt-V¨ais¨al¨a frequency, respectively. <...>