Syllabus

Atm 622 General Circulation of the Atmosphere Fall 2012

Instructor: Lance F. Bosart, ES-227

Class Number: 9094

Credits: 3

Class Times: Tu/Th 2:45-4:05 pm in ES-232

Phone: 518-442-4564

Email: lbosart@albany.edu

Office Hours: Tu/Th 1:00-2:30 pm, by appointment, or by open door

Class Homepage: ATM622 Homepage

Course Objective:

Provide the student with a theoretical and observational basis for understanding the general circulation of the atmosphere. Incorporate critical scientific issues and findings related to the general circulation that were presented at the NCAR ASP summer 2012 Colloquium on the Weather-Climate Interface into the course.

Course Requirements:

Paper Discussion: 10%

Problem Sets: 10%

Two Class Exams: 40%

Semester Project: 40%

Grading: A-E

Course Reading Resources:

Holton, J. R., 2004, An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology, 4^th Edition, Elsevier, 535 pp. (http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Dynamic-Meteorology-International-Geophysics/dp/0123540151)

Vallis, G.K., 2006, Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, 745 pp. (http://www.vallisbook.org/)

NCAR-ASP summer 2012 Weather-Climate Interface Colloquium: (http://www.asp.ucar.edu/colloquium/2012/index.php)

Course Outline:

Provide a historical context for the current scientific understanding of the general circulation of the atmosphere given by the Starr (1948) essay on the topic and the Phillips (1956) paper on the first numerical simulation of the general circulation.

Apply the two-layer quasi-geostrophic (QG) model to understand the dynamics and energetics of baroclinic waves and use the QG model to explore the importance of extratropical cyclones to the general circulation of the atmosphere.

Examine the classical zonally averaged flow view of the general circulation of the atmosphere and the role of the mean meridional circulation versus the transient eddies in maintaining the general circulation.

Explore the current view of the time- and zonally varying general circulation, the interaction of the time-mean flow with longitudinally varying transient features in the atmosphere, and the impact of these interactions on the maintenance of the general circulation.

Investigate how climatological mean stationary waves contribute to the structure and evolution of low-frequency variability on interannual (ENSO) and intraseasonal (MJO) time scales, how persistent flow anomalies around the Northern Hemisphere impact the general circulation, and how middle latitude transient eddies act to maintain the general circulation.

Discuss how the subtropical jet (STJ) serves as the atmosphere’s “traffic cop” through tropical cyclone-STJ interactions, MJO-STJ interactions, and midlatitude baroclinic disturbance-STJ interactions with resulting downstream baroclinic development manifest as amplified Rossby wave trains with the possible occurrence of extreme weather events.

Consider how ENSO, the global monsoon system, the MJO, and weather regimes, atmospheric blocking, and explosive cyclogenesis contribute to climate variability on interannual, annual, intraseasonal, and synoptic time scales, respectively.

Use the perspective on the general circulation gained from the NCAR-ASP summer 2012 colloquium on the weather-climate interface to help put course material in context and to provide a basis for new research opportunities in general circulation research.