Characteristics of the atmosphere
- Geometry
- Chemical composition of the atmosphere
- Physical properties of air: Dry air, Moist air
- The global energy balance
- Planetary emission temperature
- The atmospheric absorption spectrum
The greenhouse effect
- A simple greenhouse model
- A leaky greenhouse
- A more opaque greenhouse
- Climate feedbacks
The vertical structure of the atmosphere
- Vertical distribution of temperature and greenhouse gases
- Typical temperature profile
- Atmospheric layers
- The relationship between pressure and density: hydrostatic balance
- Vertical structure of pressure and density
- Isothermal atmosphere
- Non-isothermal atmosphere
Convection
- The nature of convection
- Convection in a shallow fluid
- Instability
- Buoyancy
- Stability
Dry convection in a compressible atmosphere
- The adiabatic lapse rate
- The atmosphere under stable conditions
- Temperature inversions
- Moist convection
- Humidity: Saturated adiabatic lapse rate
The meridional structure of the atmosphere
- Radiative forcing and temperature
- Incoming radiation
- Outgoing radiation
- The energy balance of the atmosphere
- Meridional structure of temperature
- Pressure and geopotential height
The equations of fluid motion
- Differentiation following the motion
- Equation of motion for a nonrotating fluid
- Forces on a fluid parcel
- The equations of motion
- Hydrostatic balance
- Conservation of mass
- Equations of motion for a rotating fluid
- Geostrophic motion
The general circulation of the atmosphere
- mechanistic view of the circulation
- The tropical Hadley circulation
- The extratropical circulation
- Baroclinic instability
Chemistry of the atmosphere
-Basic reactions
-Photochemistry
-Daytime vs nighttime chemistry
-Degradation of the air quality