General Information
The honours/master's level unit "General circulation of the atmosphere" will be running during semester 1, 2024. The unit will be taught by Martin Singh.
Class dates & times
There are two 2-hour classes per week at the following times:
- Friday 10am-12pm
- Friday 2pm-4pm
Classes will run for the duration of semester 1, between the 26th of February and the 24th of May. However, there will be no classes on the following dates:
- 29th March (Week 5: Good Friday)
- 5th April (mid-semester break)
All classes will be held in person in G60, in 9 Rainforest Walk on the Clayton campus (campus map).
Exam
The exam will be take home, the exact format and date TBD.
Unit details
This unit introduces students to the large-scale circulation in Earth’s atmosphere and the processes by which this circulation is maintained. The unit will begin with a discussion of the mathematical techniques used to estimate the atmospheric state and analyse the behaviour of atmospheric circulations. This will include an introduction to state estimation and data assimilation as well as a discussion of Reynold’s decomposition and its application to the analysis of atmospheric motions.
Next, the unit will introduce the basic theory underpinning the tropical general circulation, including the Hadley circulation and monsoons. Theoretical concepts will be demonstrated using real-world data from the atmosphere and in qualitative experiments using a rotating tank apparatus. The unit will also consider the midlatitude circulation and the maintenance of the global angular momentum budget. Concepts of eddy-mean flow interaction and the transformed Eulerian mean will be used to explain the formation of jets at midlatitudes, and the existence of the thermally indirect Ferrel cell. Finally, the course will consider the water budget of the atmosphere and theories of how it may vary in the future. This will serve as an entry point for students to engage with the scientific literature regarding changes in the atmospheric general circulation with climate change.Unit outcomes
On completion of this unit students will be able to:
- Describe the various analysis techniques used to estimate the atmospheric thermodynamic state and large-scale circulation and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.
- Identify the main features of the atmospheric circulation and the processes that contribute to their maintenance.
- Apply mathematical tools to analyse the transports of energy, momentum and water through the atmosphere.
- Critically engage with the scientific literature regarding the large-scale atmospheric circulation and its possible changes under climate change.
Assessment
Assessment in this unit is a combination of assignments and reports (50%) and an end-of-semester exam (50%).
The breakdown of marks for the unit is as follows:
- Assignment 1: 15%
- Assignment 2: 15%
- Paper report and presentation: 20%
Students are required to summarise a paper from the literature (1500 words) and present it the class orally (10 minutes). . - Exam: 50%
Open book written exam.
PhD students attending the class for credit as part of the Monash Doctoral Program must do the continuous assessment but are not required to sit the exam.