Joseph Pedlosky - Böcker

This second edition of the widely acclaimed Geophysical Fluid Dynamics by Joseph Pedlosky offers the reader a high-level, unified treatment of the theory of the dynamics of large-scale motions of the oceans and atmosphere. Revised and updated, it includes expanded discussions of * the fundamentals of geostrophic turbulence * the theory of wave-mean flow interaction * thermocline theory * finite amplitude barocline instability.

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.

The waters of the earth are gathered in shallow, irregular, interconnecting basins. Heated by the sun and driven by the wind, the oceans circulate endlessly. The general circulation of the ocean is the persistent pattern of this flow on the scale of the basins. It is the heart and soul of physical oceanography, and the explanation and prediction of the flow from the principles of fluid dynamics is the chief goal of the physical oceanographer. Along with the pattern of the motion, the associated fields of pressure, temperature, salinity, and density are also necessary components of a complete theory for the ocean circulation since they are dynamically linked to the motion of the oceans. The physical problem posed by the general circulation of the oceans is a difficult one both experimentally and theoretically. From the point of view of theoretical fluid mechanics the difficulty springs fundamentally from the recirculating character of the circulation. The fluid is gathered into a single, though highly contorted basin.

The content of this book is based, largely, on the core curriculum in geophys­ ical fluid dynamics which land my colleagues in the Department of Geophysical Sciences at The University of Chicago have taught for the past decade. Our purpose in developing a core curriculum was to provide to advanced undergraduates and entering graduate students a coherent and systematic introduction to the theory of geophysical fluid dynamics. The curriculum and the outline of this book were devised to form a sequence of courses of roughly one and a half academic years (five academic quarters) in length. The goal of the sequence is to help the student rapidly advance to the point where independent study and research are practical expectations. It quickly became apparent that several topics (e. g. , some aspects of potential theory) usually thought of as forming the foundations of a fluid-dynamics curriculum were merely classical rather than essential and could be, however sadly, dispensed with for our purposes. At the same time, the diversity of interests of our students is so great that no curriculum can truly be exhaust­ ive in such a curriculum period. It seems to me that the best that can be achieved as a compromise is a systematic introduction to some important segment of the total scope of geophysical fluid dynamics which is illustrative of its most fruitful methods.

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.

Along with the pattern of the motion, the associated fields of pressure, temperature, salinity, and density are also necessary components of a complete theory for the ocean circulation since they are dynamically linked to the motion of the oceans.