12.810 class web page

eaps.mit.edu/~rap/courses/12810.html

•Handout notes

•Additional remarks

•Links to other material

•Problem Sets

500 hPa height , surface pressure

2015 Feb 04 18Z

500 hPa height , surface pressure

2015 Feb 04 18Z

Smaller scale features less evident in middle/upper troposphere

Large scales completely dominate in the stratosphere

(near 30 km)

Large scales completely dominate in the stratosphere

(near 30 km)

850 hPa , 2006 Feb 04-06

Feb 04 Feb 05 Feb 06

850 hPa , 2006 Feb 04-06

Feb 04 Feb 05 Feb 06

Synoptic scale eddies can develop rapidly (1-2 d.) and move generally eastward

Z , 2006 Feb 06

850 hPa

300 hPa

Z , 2006 Feb 06

850 hPa

300 hPa

Synoptic scale eddies tilt

westward with height

(less so when mature)

Jan 500 hPa

climatology

Quasi-stationary

planetary-scale waves

Jan 850/500/300 hPa climatology

Jan 850/500/300 hPa climatology

little if any phase shift with height (in the

troposphere)

Observed zonal mean u, T DJF

JJA

Observed zonal mean u, T DJF

JJA

tropopause

Observed zonal mean u, T DJF

JJA

main

tropospheric

jets

Observed zonal mean u, T DJF

JJA

midlatitude surface

westerlies

tropical easterlies

Observed zonal mean u, T DJF

JJA

polar night jets in winter

stratosphere

summertime

stratospheric

easterlies

Mean meridional circulation DJF

Mean meridional circulation DJF

V ~ 1 m/s

Mean meridional circulation DJF Hadley cells

Ferrell cells

Seasonal variation of the

Hadley circulation

Different averaging approaches

(Townsend & Johnson, JAS, 1985)

Average at fixed p

Average at fixed θ

mass streamfunction