Atmospheric Frontal Dynamics

The first self-contained and comprehensive volume on atmospheric fronts, for students and instructors in atmospheric sciences and meteorology.

Mankin Mak (Author)

9781107133204, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 16 November 2017

204 pages, 128 colour illus.
26.1 x 18.2 x 1.6 cm, 0.62 kg

'Professor Mak has adroitly consolidated into one volume, for the first time, what we know about the dynamics of surface and upper-level fronts in the atmosphere from the perspective of a hierarchy of models. This book contains a wealth of material that will serve as an excellent resource for graduate courses in meteorology as well as for researchers.' Howie Bluestein, University of Oklahoma

Atmospheric Frontal Dynamics is the first book to present a self-contained and comprehensive coverage of the ubiquitous surface and upper-level fronts, which are boundaries separating two air masses of different densities. Atmospheric fronts are a product of interaction between planetary, synoptic, meso and small scales of motions. They are uniquely important in weather forecasting since many meteorological phenomena are closely associated with them. The discussions of the multifaceted aspects of basic frontal dynamics are based on illustrative analyses of a hierarchy of semi-geostrophic frontal models performed in physical, as opposed to geostrophic, coordinates. Such analyses enable us to systematically and quantitatively delineate the physical nature of different types of fronts in a relatively straightforward manner. They are further supplemented by two illustrative analyses using a state-of-the-art model. 'Learning-by-doing' is the guiding principle behind the book, making it an asset to both students and instructors in atmospheric science and meteorology.

Preface
Acknowledgement
1. Overview
2. Semi-geostrophic (SG) models
3. Construction of two initial states for modeling fronts
4. Two-dimensional SG frontal dynamics
5. Three-dimensional SG frontal dynamics
6. Impact of latent heat release on SG frontal dynamics
7. General frontal dynamics
8. Concluding remarks
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Mechanics of fluids [TGMF], Meteorology & climatology [RBP], Earth sciences [RB], Atmospheric physics [PHVJ], Fluid mechanics [PHDF]