Open AccessOn the propagation of waves in the atmosphere
Author(s) -
Adrian Constantin,
R. S. Johnson
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
proceedings - royal society. mathematical, physical and engineering sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1471-2946
pISSN - 1364-5021
DOI - 10.1098/rspa.2020.0424
Subject(s) - physics , atmosphere (unit) , classical mechanics , boussinesq approximation (buoyancy) , equator , mechanics , primitive equations , geoid , field (mathematics) , geophysics , meteorology , differential equation , mathematics , heat transfer , simultaneous equations , natural convection , quantum mechanics , astronomy , rayleigh number , pure mathematics , latitude , measured depth
The leading-order equations governing the unsteady dynamics of large-scaleatmospheric motions are derived,via a systematic asymptoticapproach based on the thin-shell approximation applied to the ellipsoidal modelof the Earth’s geoid. We present some solutions of this single set ofequations that capture properties of specific atmospheric flows, using fielddata to choose models for the heat sources that drive the motion. In particular,we describe standing-waves solutions, waves propagating towards the Equator,equatorially trapped waves and we discuss the African Easterly Jet/Waves. Thiswork aims to show the benefits of a systematic analysis based on the governingequations of fluid dynamics.