An Introduction to Atmospheric Gravity Waves

by Carmen J. Nappo

Overview

Gravity waves exist in all types of geophysical fluids, such as lakes, oceans, and atmospheres. They play an important role in redistributing energy at disturbances, such as mountains or seamounts and they are routinely studied in meteorology and oceanography, particularly simulation models, atmospheric weather models, turbulence, air pollution, and climate research.

An Introduction to Atmospheric Gravity Waves provides readers with a working background of the fundamental physics and mathematics of gravity waves, and introduces a wide variety of applications and numerous recent advances.

Nappo provides a concise volume on gravity waves with a lucid discussion of current observational techniques and instrumentation.

An accompanying CD-ROM contains real data, computer codes for data analysis, and linear gravity wave models to further enhance the reader's understanding of the book's material. Foreword is written by Prof. George Chimonas, a renowned expert on the interactions of gravity waves with turbulence.

Author Biography: Carmen J. Nappo, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Air Resources Laboratory, Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780080491660
Publisher:	Elsevier Science & Technology Books
Publication date:	09/12/2002
Series:	International Geophysics , #102
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	279
File size:	8 MB

About the Author

Carmen Nappo received his Ph.D. in Geophysical Sciences from The Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA. His research topic was gravity-wave stress over topography in the planetary boundary layer. His professional career began in 1968 at the NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ. where he performed diagnostic studies and evaluations of global-scale atmospheric models. In 1971, he transferred to the NOAA Air Resources Laboratory, Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, in Oak Ridge, TN where we worked until retiring in 2005. In 1994, Dr. Nappo received the American Meteorological Society's Editors Award for his reviews for the Journal of Applied Meteorology and in 2006 he received the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Distinguished Career Award. Dr. Nappo has published over 100 scientific papers, seven book chapters, and helped organize international scientific workshops and symposia. He has been a guest scientist and lecturer at universities and institutions in Australia, Germany, South Korea, Sweden, The Netherlands, Turkey, and the USA. Dr. Nappo resides in Knoxville, Tennessee with his wife Joan MacReynolds and their cat Lily.

Table of Contents

1. Fundamentals2. The Linear Theory3. Mountain Waves4. Ducted Gravity Waves5. Gravity Wave Instability and Turbulence6. Wave Stress7. Gravity Waves in the Middle Atmosphere8. Wave Stress Parameterization9. Observations10. Gravity Wave AnalysesAppendix A: The Hydrostatic AtmosphereAppendix B: Computer Codes and Data on on Companion Website

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

This second edition presents a direct path from the basics of gravity wave theory to analyses of gravity wave characteristics

Editorial Reviews

This book/CD-ROM package guides readers through the basics of linear wave theory and the many applications of this theory in atmospheric dynamics. Written for students in atmospheric dynamics, atmospheric physics, planetary boundary layer studies, and numerical modeling the book covers terrain-generated gravity waves, ducted gravity waves, gravity wave energetics, waves and turbulence, the parametrization of wave stress, observational techniques, and data analysis and numerical methods. The CD-ROM contains FORTRAN-77 programs for calculating terrain-generated gravity waves and ducted wave modes. The author is affiliated with the Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Air Resources Laboratory. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR