EGS XXV General Assembly, Nice, France, April 2000

NP7. Balance in atmosphere-ocean dynamics (co-sponsored by OA):

Event Information

The object of research in this session is 'balance', the central theme of geophysical fluid dynamics, with applications to large-scale atmosphere-ocean dynamics. We encourage fluid dynamicists, numericists, atmospheric scientists and oceanographers, and theoreticians to discuss balance and related concepts and their use in understanding the complicated vortex-wave interactions in shallow-water, stratified fluids and compressible fluids. A session of 2 1/2 days is planned, with method-oriented subsessions to ensure a 'balanced approach' to fundamental and applied research, centered around the following problem-oriented themes: Vortex-Wave Interactions: What observations exist of vortex-wave interactions in atmosphere and oceans? How can vortex-wave interactions of spontaneously emitted gravity waves with a vortex be related to the fuzziness of the slow manifold? How is this associated with fundamental limitations to the concept of balance in a system with slow and fast modes? What is the relation between balance and stability in coherent vortex structures? What can be learned from acoustics and from vortex shedding in musical instruments? The Art of Diagnosis: How can diagnostic tools be used to stimulate an intelligent interplay between theory and numerics? What are suitable diagnostics to assess the accuracy of numerical results at high resolutions where benchmarks are unavailable? How can the diagnostic part of balanced models be used in data-assimilation and in the analysis of vortex-wave interactions? Is it possible to develop diagnostics for laboratory rotating tank experiments to test the balance condition? Balance at the Boundary: What is the role of boundary conditions in balanced dynamics? How can we deal with the equator problem in quasi-geostrophic and semi-geostrophic balanced models? How can order-one coastal topography be incorporated in balanced models? What is the significance of radiation conditions and critical lines in the flow? The Role and Use of Potential Vorticity: What is the role of PV as a key dynamical variable? How can the definition of PV be extended to incorporate additional physics? How can PV on isentropic surfaces be used for visualization? How are PV anomalies generated by baroclinic activity and topography? How can PV be used to understand the adjustment process and vortex-wave interactions? Education and Research of GFD in the 21 Century: How should GFD be educated in the 21st century? What is the role of numerics and visualization in research and education? Should balanced dynamics be taught in textbooks? What is the future of dynamical meteorology and climate dynamics? Is dynamics essential in atmospheric science and oceanography? Does climate dynamics need balanced dynamics? We invite papers on laboratory rotating tank experiments, numerical algorithms and simulations, balanced models, the adjustment problem, balance in the atmosphere, data-assimilation and initialization, diagnostics, gravity waves and wave-mean flow interaction, the role and use of potential vorticity, balance in the ocean, Hamiltonian models, elimination of fast variables, the slow manifold, coherent vortex structures beyond the geostrophic regime, vortex-wave interactions, acoustics, stability, and education of GFD.

Preliminary List of Solicited Speakers

Co-Sponsorship