Objectives: The course aims to introduce students to advanced topics in atmospheric dynamics taking the students to the frontiers of the scientific field in certain topics. The students will acquire new and deeper knowledge about the dynamics of the atmosphere and learn new solution techniques to solve advanced physical problems. The course thereby aims to aid the students in understanding the complex workings of the atmosphere and its circulation.

Content: The course treats advanced Atmospheric Dynamics utilitzing the governing equations scaled for various problems ranging from the large- to the meso-scale. The quasi-geostrophic vorticity equation will be used for extended treatment of baroclinic instability, discussing the differences of the Eady, Charney and Phillips models and their relevance to real atmospheric flow. The course will expand the concept of potential vorticity and discuss synoptic to meso-scale atmospheric phenomena in the light of potential vorticity thinking. The concept of eddy-mean-flow interactions and wave breaking will be introduced together with the Eliassen-Palm flux. In this context, vertical and horizontal propagation of Rossby waves will be discussed as well.

On completion of the course the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• has understanding of the use of potential vorticity thinking to diagnose and interpret atmospheric flow and instabilities
• has learned the basics of wave-mean-flow interactions, wave breaking, and the Eliassen-Palm flux
• is able to describe and discuss different types of baroclinic instability using quasi-geostrophic theory

Skills

The student

• can derive and use dispersion relations for gravity and planetary waves
• can formulate and solve advanced problems in the quasi-geostrophic framework
• can write a computer code to solve numerical problems and to visualize the results
• can present and defend scientific results in front of a group

General competence

The student

• is able to develop ideas for analytical and (to some extent) numerical solutions to a problem
• is able to formulate problems in a physical and mathematical framework
• is able to give presentations and defend own ideas in front of a group

- Regular attendance of the course and exercises

- Presentation of at least three own solutions during the exercise,

Valid for two semester: The semester the course runs and the following semester.

• Mid-term exam, counts 20 per cent of the final grade
• Final exam, oral, 45 minutes. Counts 80 per cent of the final grade and must be passed