Dynamic Meteorology - Introduction Atmospheric dynamics – the study of atmospheric motions that are associated with weather and climate We will consider the atmosphere to be a continuous fluid medium, or continuum. Each “point” in the atmosphere will be made up of a large number of molecules, with certain properties. These properties are assumed to be continuous functions of position and time in the fluid. The basic laws of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics can be expressed in terms of partial differential equations, with space and time as independent variables and the atmospheric properties as dependent variables. Physical Dimensions and Units Dimensional homogeneity – all terms in the equations that describe the atmosphere must have the same physical dimensions (units) The four base units we will use are:From these we will also use the following derived units: Fundamental Forces Newton’s Second Law: F=ma In atmospheric science it is typical to consider the force per unit mass acting on the atmosphere: € Forcemass= a In order to understand atmospheric motion (accelerations) we need to know what forces act on the atmosphere. What are the fundamental forces of interest in atmospheric science? Body (or volume) force – a force that acts on the center of mass of a fluid parcel Surface force – a force that acts across the boundary separating a fluid parcel from its surroundings. The magnitude of surface forces are independent of the mass of the parcel. What are examples of body and surface forces?Pressure Gradient Force Example: Real-time weather map The force exerted on the left face of this air parcel due to pressure is: € pA = pδyδz The force exerted on the right face of this air parcel due to pressure is: € − p +δp( )δyδz = − p +∂p∂xδx      δyδz The net force exerted by pressure on this air parcel is the sum of these forces and is equal to: € −∂p∂xδxδyδz By dividing by the mass of the air parcel (€ ρδxδyδz) we get the force per unit mass due to changes in pressure (i.e. the pressure gradient force): €  P g• i = −1ρ∂p∂xWe can write all three components of the pressure gradient force as: €  P g= −1ρ∂p∂x i +∂p∂y j +∂p∂z k       In vector form this can be expressed as: €  P g= −1ρ∇p where € ∇p =∂p∂x i +∂p∂y j +∂p∂z k In what direction does this force act relative to locations with high and low pressure? Example: Direction and magnitude of the pressure gradient force from a weather map Gravitational Force Newton’s law of universal gravitation – any two elements of mass in the universe attract each other with a force proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance separating them€  F g= −GMmr2       r r      G – gravitational constant (= 6.673x10-11 N m2 kg-2) M – mass of Earth (=5.988x1024 kg) m – mass of air parcel r – distance between objects The gravitational force exerted on a unit mass of the atmosphere is: €  F gm≡ g *= −GMr2       r r      The distance r is given by: r = a + z, where a = mean radius of the earth (= 6.37x106 m) z = distance above sea level The gravitational force per unit mass of atmosphere at sea level is: €  g 0*= −GMa2       r r      and €  g 0*= g0* = 9.85 m s-2 At height z €  g * is given by €  g *= −GMa + z( )2         r r      = −GMa2( )1 +za      2             r r      = g 0*1 +za      2 For meteorological applications z « a and €  g *≈ g 0* Therefore we can treat the gravitational force as a constant.Viscous Force Viscosity – internal friction which causes a fluid to resist the tendency to flow Consider the fluid illustrated below, confined between two plates: The fluid in contact with the plates moves at the speed of the plate. The force required to keep the upper plate moving is: € F =µAu0l, where µ = dynamic viscosity coefficient (a constant of proportionality) A = area of the plate u0 = speed of upper plate l = distance between the plates In a steady state the force exerted on the plate is exactly equal to the force that the plate exerts on the fluid in contact with the plate and exactly opposite the force exerted by the fluid on the plate. Each layer of fluid exerts the same force on the layer of fluid below. The force can also be expressed as: € F =µAδuδz, where € δu =u0lδz and δz is the layer of fluid being considered.The shearing stress (τzx), defined as the viscous force per unit area is: € τzx= limδz→0µδuδz=µ∂u∂z The subscript zx indicates that this is the shearing stress in the x direction due to the vertical (z) shear of the x velocity component (u) of the flow. What is the physical interpretation of the shearing stress? Now, consider the more general case where τzx varies in the vertical: The shear stress acting across the top boundary, on the fluid below, is: € τzx+∂τzx∂zδz2 while the shear stress acting across the bottom boundary, on the fluid above, is: € −τzx−∂τzx∂zδz2      and the viscous force at each boundary is equal to the shear stress multiplied by the surface area of the boundary (δxδy).Then the net viscous force acting on this volume in the x-direction is: € τzx+∂τzx∂zδz2      δxδy −τzx−∂τzx∂zδz2      δxδy =∂τzx∂zδxδyδz The viscous force per unit mass is: € ∂τzx∂zδxδyδzρδxδyδz=1ρ∂τzx∂z=1ρ∂∂zµ∂u∂z      Assuming that µ is constant gives: € µρ∂2u∂z2=ν∂2u∂z2, where € ν=µρ is the kinematic viscosity coefficient (=1.46x10-5 m2 s-1 for standard atmospheric conditions at sea level) The total viscous force due to shear stresses in all three directions for all three components of the flow, and commonly referred to as the frictional force, is given by: € Frx=ν∂2u∂x2+∂2u∂y2+∂2u∂z2      Fry=ν∂2v∂x2+∂2v∂y2+∂2v∂z2     