Thermal Physics of the Atmosphere (Volume 1) (Developments in Weather and Climate Science, Volume 1)

Description

Thermal Physics of the Atmosphere, Second Edition offers a concise and thorough introduction on how basic thermodynamics naturally leads to advanced topics in atmospheric physics. Chapters cover the basics of thermodynamics and its applications in atmospheric science and describe major applications, specifically more specialized areas of atmospheric physics, including vertical structure and stability, cloud formation and radiative processes. The book is fully revised, featuring informative sections on radiative transfer, thermodynamic cycles, the historical context to potential temperature concept, vertical thermodynamic coordinates, dewpoint temperature, the Penman equation, and entropy of moist air. This book is a necessary guide for students (graduate, advanced undergraduate, master’s level) of atmospheric science, meteorology, climate science and researchers in these fields. Front Matter Copyright Contents Preface 1 Ideal gases 1.1 Thermodynamic variables 1.2 Microscopic viewpoint 1.3 Ideal gas mixtures Problems 2 The first and second laws 2.1 Work 2.2 Energy conservation: the first law 2.3 Entropy and the second law 2.4 Thermodynamic heat engines 2.5 Boltzmann entropy 2.6 Entropy and probability: a macroscopic example Problems 3 General applications 3.1 Thermodynamic potentials 3.1.1 Internal energy 3.1.2 Enthalpy 3.1.3 Helmholtz free energy 3.1.4 Gibbs function 3.2 Heat capacity 3.3 Properties of ideal gases 3.4 Potential temperature 3.5 Open systems: enthalpy flux 3.6 Latent heat 3.7 Turbulent energy fluxes 3.8 Van der Waals' gases Problems 4 The atmosphere under gravity 4.1 Geopotential 4.2 Hydrostatic balance 4.3 Adiabatic lapse rate 4.4 Buoyancy 4.5 Dry static energy and Bernoulli function 4.6 Vertical coordinates 4.7 Statistical mechanics Problems 5 Water in the atmosphere 5.1 The Clausius–Clapeyron equation 5.2 Calculation of saturated vapour pressure 5.3 Humidity variables 5.4 Dewpoint temperature 5.5 Wet-bulb temperature 5.6 Moist static energy 5.7 The Penman equation Problems 6 Vertical structure of the moist atmosphere 6.1 Adiabatic lapse rate for moist air 6.2 Entropy of moist air 6.3 Finite amplitude instabilities 6.4 Vertical structure in thermodynamic diagrams 6.5 Convective available potential energy Problems 7 Cloud drops 7.1 Homogeneous nucleation: the Kelvin effect 7.2 Heterogeneous nucleation: the Raoult effect 7.3 Köhler theory 7.4 Charge-enhanced nucleation 7.5 Drop growth by diffusion 7.6 Drop growth by collision and coalescence Problems 8 Mixtures and solutions 8.1 Chemical potentials 8.2 Ideal gas mixtures and ideal solutions 8.3 Raoult's law revisited 8.4 Boiling and freezing of solutions 8.5 Affinity and chemical equilibrium Problems 9 Thermal radiation 9.1 Thermal radiation and Kirchhoff's law 9.2 The Stefan–Boltzmann and Wien displacement laws 9.3 Global energy budget and the greenhouse effect 9.4 Climate feedbacks and the hydrological cycle 9.5 Thermodynamics of a photon gas 9.6 Derivation of the Planck law 9.7 Energy flux, and the Stefan–Boltzmann integral Problems 10 Radiative transfer 10.1 Radiative intensity 10.2 Radiative transfer 10.3 Zenith angles 10.4 Radiative–convective equilibrium 10.5 Optically thin layers Problems 11 Non-equilibrium processes 11.1 Energetics of motion 11.2 Diabatic effects and the second law 11.3 Thermodynamics of forced dissipative systems 11.4 Climate thermodynamics Problems A Functions of several variables B Thermodynamic diagrams Index Useful data