35. Review and Overview

The Atmosphere, the Ocean and Environmental Change (GG 140)

The material covered throughout the course is reviewed. Properties of air and water are discussed. Hydrostatic balance is discussed as related to the atmosphere, ocean and solid earth. Geostrophic balance is a force balance between the Coriolis force and the pressure gradient force, and applies to winds in the atmosphere as well as currents in the ocean. Several examples of equilibrium states are reviewed. Heat and mass are transported by fluid motion in the earth system through winds, ocean currents and rivers. Mixing, dilution and concentration is discussed as related to ocean and atmosphere pollutants as well as salinity in the ocean. Finally, symmetry between the northern and southern hemispheres is discussed, focusing on differences in land mass, Coriolis force and the seasons.

00:00 - Chapter 1. Overview of Course Material
09:00 - Chapter 2. Properties of Air and Water
13:40 - Chapter 3. Physical Balances
17:47 - Chapter 4. Equilibrium States
26:01 - Chapter 5. Static Stability
28:18 - Chapter 6. Transport of Heat and Mass
29:57 - Chapter 7. Mixing, Dilution and Concentration
31:47 - Chapter 8. Symmetry between the Hemispheres

Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://oyc.yale.edu

This course was recorded in Fall 2011.