Brown R.A. Fluid Mechanics of the Atmosphere

International Geophysics Series, 1991, Volume 47. Academic Press, New York, London, 1991. – 502 pp.
This text presents the fundamental equations which govern most of the flow problems studied by atmospheric scientists. The equations are derived in a systematic way which is intended to encourage critical evaluation. This goal is a result of widespread observations that very frequently the atmospheric scientist uses "seat of the pants" approaches, often quite effectively, but without deeper analysis. This is a result of the nature of the atmospheric laboratory, where the potential set of significant physical factors is enormous, the amount of hard observational data is sparse, and the mathematical apparatus is often obtuse and evolving. The few pertinent analytical results are often found inadequate to explain actual phenomena. Under such circumstances, the tendency is to seek simple correlations from whatever observations exist. This situation is changing. Now, data are being produced at a much faster rate than are being analyzed or absorbed. Fundamental equations are being used in numerical analyses and many "results" are being shown without any recognition of the underlying mechanisms which produce the response.
The goal of this text is twofold. First, to furnish the student with a background familiarity with the underlying physics behind the mathematics. Second, to explore some systematic methods of relating these physics to atmospheric problems.Fundamentals of Fluid Dynamics
Flow Parameters
Methods of Analysis
Tensors and Relative Motion
Conservation of Mass—Continuity
Momentum Dynamics
Conservation of Energy
Vorticity
Potential Flow
Perturbation Equations
Boundary Layers
Summary. Problems. Suggested Reading. Answers to Selected Problems. Index