Lectures on Tropical Meteorology
Roger K. Smith
Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich
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Preamble
These lectures on tropical meteorology were originally based on a lecture course that Dr. Peter Webster gave at Monash University, Australia, in the 1980's and have been progressively modified and extended over the years. A list of topics with links is as follows. The html version is not yet complete. At this time, just the first four chapters are available. More will be added as the semester proceeds.
The lectures are available also as a pdf file (click here) Please let me know if you find errors in the notes or web pages: email: roger.smith@lmu.de.
For a related set of lectures on tropical cyclones (click here)
Chapter 1. Introduction to Tropical Meteorology and Deep Convection
Contents click here
1.1 The zonal mean circulation
1.2 Data network in the Tropics
1.3 Field Experiments
1.4 Macroscale circulations
1.5 More on the Walker Circulation
1.6 El Nino and the Southern Oscillation
1.7 The Madden-Julian/Intraseasonal Oscillation
1.8 More on Monsoons
1.8.1 The Regional Theory
1.8.2 The Planetary Theory
1.9 Monsoon variability
1.10 Synoptic-scale disturbances
Chapter 2. Equations of motion: scaling at low latitudes
Contents click here
2.1 The governing equations on a sphere
2.2 The hydrostatic equation at low latitudes
2.3 Scaling at low latitudes
2.4 Diabatic effects, radiative cooling
2.5 Some further notes on the scaling at low latitudes
2.6 The weak temperature gradient approximation
Chapter 3. More on diabatic processes
Chapter 4. Heat lows
Contents click here
Chapter 5. The Hadley circulation
Contents click here
5.1 The Held-Hou Model of the Hadley Circulation
5.2 Extensions to the Held-Hou Model
5.3 Further reading on the Hadley circulation
Chapter 6. Waves at low latitudes
Contents click here
5.1 The equatorial beta-plane approximation
5.2 The Kelvin Wave
5.3 Equatorial Gravity Waves
5.4 Equatorial Rossby Waves
5.5 The mixed Rossby-gravity wave
5.6 The equatorial waveguide
5.7 The planetary wave motions
5.8 Baroclinic motions in low latitudes
5.9 Vertically-propagating wave motions
5.9.1 Kelvin wave
5.9.2 Mixed Rossby-gravity wave
5.10 Further reading on equatorial waves
Chapter 7. Steady and transient forced waves
Contents
6.1 Response to steady forcing
6.1.1 Zonally-independent flow
6.1.2 Zonally-dependent flow
6.2 Response to transient forcing
6.3 Winter time cold surges
Chapter 8. Moist convection and convective systems
Contents
8.1 Moist versus dry convection
8.2 Conditional instability
8.3 Shallow convection
8.4 Precipitating convection
8.5 Precipitation-cooled downdraughts
8.6 Organized convective systems
8.7 Clouds in the tropics
8.8 Interaction between convection and the large-scale flow
8.9 Further reading on the moist convection
Copyright © Roger Smith, Date 1 Jun 2015