Geosciences Dept. Seminar: Understanding dynamics of atmospheric vortices with shallow water models: from giant planets to boundary layer

Abstract: 

We will show that some essential features of dynamics of atmospheric vortices at very different scales can be understood within rotating shallow water model "augmented" to include thermodynamical effects. After explaining how such "augmented" models: thermal shallow water and moist-convective shallow water are constructed, we apply them to give a dynamical explanation of the hexagonal form of Saturn's polar vortex, understand the influence of moisture and condensation upon development of barotropic and baroclinic instabilities of midlatitude vortices and tropical cyclones, and to predict a new class of instabilities of vortices in well-mixed boundary layers.

Seminar Organizer: Prof. Eyal Haifetz