Waves in the Ocean and Atmosphere

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-VIII

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Joseph Pedlosky

   Pages 1-7

3. Kinematic Generalization

   • Joseph Pedlosky

   Pages 9-18

4. Equations of Motion; Surface Gravity Waves

   • Joseph Pedlosky

   Pages 19-31

5. Fields of Motion in Gravity Waves and Energy

   • Joseph Pedlosky

   Pages 33-40

6. The Initial Value Problem

   • Joseph Pedlosky

   Pages 41-52

7. Discussion of Initial Value Problem (Continued)

   • Joseph Pedlosky

   Pages 53-58

8. Internal Gravity Waves

   • Joseph Pedlosky

   Pages 59-66

9. Internal Waves, Group Velocity and Reflection

   • Joseph Pedlosky

   Pages 67-74

10. WKB Theory for Internal Gravity Waves

    • Joseph Pedlosky

    Pages 75-89

11. Vertical Propagation of Waves: Steady Flow and the Radiation Condition

    • Joseph Pedlosky

    Pages 91-106

12. Rotation and Potential Vorticity

    • Joseph Pedlosky

    Pages 107-117

13. Large-Scale Hydrostatic Motions

    • Joseph Pedlosky

    Pages 119-131

14. Shallow Water Waves in a Rotating Fluid; Poincaré and Kelvin Waves

    • Joseph Pedlosky

    Pages 133-148

15. Rossby Waves

    • Joseph Pedlosky

    Pages 149-158

16. Rossby Waves (Continued), Quasi-Geostrophy

    • Joseph Pedlosky

    Pages 159-171

17. Energy and Energy Flux in Rossby Waves

    • Joseph Pedlosky

    Pages 173-182

18. Laplace Tidal Equations and the Vertical Structure Equation

    • Joseph Pedlosky

    Pages 183-191

19. Equatorial Beta-Plane and Equatorial Waves

    • Joseph Pedlosky

    Pages 193-204

20. Stratified Quasi-Geostrophic Motion and Instability Waves

    • Joseph Pedlosky

    Pages 205-219

For over twenty years, the Joint Program in Physical Oceanography of MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has based its education program on a series of core courses in Geophysical Fluid Dynamics and Physical Oceanography. One of the central courses in the Core is one on wave theory, tailored to meet the needs of both physical oceanography and meteorology students. I have had the pleasure of teaching of years, and I have particularly enjoyed the response of the the course for a number students to their exposure to the fascination of wave phenomena and theory. This book is a reworking of course notes that I have prepared for the students, and I was encouraged by their enthusiastic response to the notes to reach a larger audience with this material. The emphasis, both in the course and in this text, is twofold: the de­ velopment of the basic ideas of wave theory and the description of specific types of waves of special interest to oceanographers and meteorologists. Throughout the course, each wave type is introduced both for its own intrinsic interest and importance and as a ve­ hicle for illustrating some general concept in the theory of waves. Topics covered range from small-scale surface gravity waves to large-scale planetary vorticity waves.

• Fluid Dynamics
• Lee wave
• Meteorology
• Meterology
• Ocean
• Oceanography
• Scale
• Waves
• fluid- and aerodynamics

From the reviews:

Praise for Joseph Pedlosky's Waves in the ocean and atmosphere

American Meteorological Society

"This title presents a study of the fundamental theory of waves appropriate for first year graduate students. After an elementary overview of the basic wave concept, specific phenomena are then examined, including surface and internal gravity waves, lee waves, geostrophic adjustment, wave-mean flow interaction, and unstable waves. Each wave topic is used to introduce either a new technique or concept in general wave theory. Emphasis is placed on connectivity between the various subjects and on the physical interpretation of the mathematical results"

"Pedlosky has spent his time well in writing Waves in the Ocean and Atmosphere. … The writing is informal and engaging. … the clarity of the figures and text is uniformly high. … my message to students and researchers working in the fields of atmospheric and oceanic dynamics is ‘buy this book’. You will find it an invaluable reference work." (Andrew J. Willmott, Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics, Vol. 99 (4), August, 2005)

"This book is based on the author’s lecture notes for a core course on wave theory … . The treatment is avowedly informal, making the presentation more easily accessible to beginning students … . the book is a welcome contribution to the literature by a distinguished investigator … . It can benefit students whether or not it is the required text for a course, and can be used as well as a reference or guide by others. The opportunity to share the insights of a teacher … should not be missed." (John Merrill, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, April, 2005)

 

• Department of Physical Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, USA

  Joseph Pedlosky

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