Chapters 5-9: Basics
Physics concepts
- Free body diagrams!
- vertical: to understand hydrostatic balance
- horizontal: to understand geostrophic balance
- conservation laws:
- conservation (and types) of energy
- conservation of momentum
- conservation of angular momentum
- first law of thermodynamis
- adiabatic processes
Weather and Climate concepts
- forcing and response
- feedbacks
- what are positive & negative feedbacks?
- ice-albedo feedback
- water vapor feedback
- multiple feedbacks (know how to interpret equation 5.5)
- How can clouds be both a positive and negative feedback?
- Chapter 6:
- Walker circulation (Hadley-Walker circulation)
- Understand figure 6.5
- What happens to Hadley circulation in warmer world? What
are some consequences?
- Chapter 7: Weather & climate models
- grid, resolution, parameterizations
- what are some difficulties in modeling weather? climate?
- El Nino
- MJO
Reading Guide, and useful links