Saha K. The Earth’s Atmosphere. Its Physics and Dynamics

Springer, 2008. — 367 pp. — ISBN: 978-3-540-78427-2The author has sought to incorporate in the book some of the fundamental concepts and principles of the physics and dynamics of the atmosphere, a knowledge and understanding of which should help an average student of science to comprehend some of the great complexities of the earth-atmosphere system, in which a threeway interaction between the atmosphere, the land and the ocean tends to maintain an overall mass and energy balance in the system through physical and dynamical processes.The Sun and the Earth – The Solar System and the Earth’s Gravitation
The Earth’s Atmosphere – Its Origin, Composition and Properties
Heat and Thermodynamics of the Atmosphere
Water Vapour in the Atmosphere: Thermodynamics of Moist Air
Physics of Cloud and Precipitation
Physics of Radiation – Fundamental Laws
The Sun and its Radiation
The Incoming Solar Radiation – Interaction with the Earth’s Atmosphere and Surface
Heat Balance of the Earth’s Surface – Upward and Downward Transfer of Heat
Heat Balance of the Earth-Atmosphere System – Heat Sources and Sinks
Winds on a Rotating Earth – The Dynamical Equations and the Conservation Laws
Simplified Equations of Motion – Quasi-Balanced Winds
Circulation, Vorticity and Divergence
The Boundary Layers of the Atmosphere and the Ocean
Waves and Oscillations in the Atmosphere and the Ocean
Equatorial Waves and Oscillations
Dynamical Models and Numerical Weather Prediction (N.W.P.)
Dynamical Instability of Atmospheric Flows – Energetics and Energy Conversions
The General Circulation of the Atmosphere