Coastal Meteorology (eBook)

Front Cover 1
Coastal Meteorology 4
Copyright Page 5
Table of Contents 6
Preface 8
Chapter 1. Introduction 10
1.1 Composition of the Atmosphere 10
1.2 The Physical Foundation 11
1.3 Scales of Atmospheric Motion 11
1.4 The Air-Sea-Land Boundary 12
1.5 Scope of Coastal Meteorology 13
1.6 Interdisciplinary Approach 13
Chapter 2. Radiation 14
2.1 Some Physics of Radiation 14
2.2 Solar and Terrestrial Radiation 15
2.3 Radiation and Heat Balance 16
2.4 Remote Sensing from Space 21
Chapter 3. Atmospheric Thermodynamics 24
3.1 The Equation of State 24
3.2 Some Principles of Thermodynamics 25
3.3 Some Aspects of Moist Air 27
3.4 Atmospheric Stability 31
Chapter 4. Atmospheric Dynamics 37
4.1 The Continuity Equation 37
4.2 The Equations of Motion 39
4.3 Horizontal Motion under Balance of Forces 44
4.4 The Equation of Motion in Turbulent Flow 49
4.5 Some Kinematics of Fluid Flow 54
Chapter 5. Synoptic Meteorology 56
5.1 The General Circulation 56
5.2 Air Masses and Fronts 59
5.3 Extratropical Cyclones and Cyclogenesis 65
5.4 Tropical Storms 75
5.5 Some Aspects of Weather Analysis and Forecasting 94
Chapter 6. Atmospheric Boundary Layers and Air-Sea Interaction 105
6.1 The Surface Boundary Layer 105
6.2 The Logarithmic Wind Profile 108
6.3 The Nonadiabatic Wind Profile 111
6.4 Profiles of Temperature and Humidity 117
6.5 The Transition (or Ekman) Layer 118
6.6 Surface Fluxes of Momentum, Heat, and Moisture 120
6.7 Wind Stress (Drag) Coefficient over Water Surfaces 123
6.8 Some Aspects of Air-Sea Interactions across Ocean Fronts 132
Chapter 7. Air-Sea-Land Interaction 149
7.1 Land- and Sea-Breeze Systems 149
7.2 Coastal Upwelling 156
7.3 Coastal Fog 162
7.4 Coastal Jets 164
7.5 Other Coastal Phenomena 172
Chapter 8. Engineering Meteorology 189
8.1 Estimating Wind Speeds for Offshore Applications 189
8.2 Estimates of Atmospheric Dispersion 197
8.3 Vertical Variations of Wind Speed 208
8.4 Radiometeorology 212
8.5 Storm Surges 220
8.6 Estimating Wind Waves and Ocean Currents 227
8.7 Sand Transport by Wind Action 234
8.8 Transport of Sea Salts in the Shoreline Environment 242
Appendix A: Units, Constants, and Conversions 247
Appendix B: The Beaufort Wind Scale 249
Appendix C: The Saffir/Simpson Damage-Potential Scale 252
Appendix D: Decomposition of the Vector Wind into u and v Components 254
Appendix E: List of Symbols for Surface Analyses 256
References 257
Index 266