3 ECTS Credits — Semester 2 — Elective
Upon completion of this course, students will have acquired knowledge enabling them to understand the physical functioning of the climate system, focusing on the atmosphere, which will be the only envelope addressed.
Syllabus
- Relevant geophysical variables for describing the climate system
- The planet’s energy balance
- Movement of fluid envelopes: general circulation and vertical movements.
- Identify and define the physical meaning of terms used in the conservation laws for the climate system.
- Formulate a climate-related problem using natural language.
- Simplify the equations describing the climate system and solve the problem.
- Calculate ODGs (Operational Determinants of Global Quality) related to the problem.
Suggested bibliography
- Fondamentaux de météorologie, S. Malardel, Editions Cepaduès/Météo France
- Physique et chimie de l’atmosphère, R. Delmas, G. Mégie, et V.-H. Pe.
- Dynamique de l’atmosphère et de l’océan, P. Bougeault et R. Sadourny, Les éditions de l’Ecole Polytechnique
Prerequisites
- Ability to perform simple vector calculations (gradientapplication, curl, divergence, Laplacian, etc.)
- Ability to manipulate partial derivatives
- Ability to project a vector equation onto the axes of a coordinate system in Cartesian, cylindrical coordinates