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01/24/2013 - 01/24/2013 | Greifswald

Atmosphere-ocean dynamics: from three major enigmas to a major paradigm change

Innerhalb des Greifswalder Physikalischen Kolloquiums hält Prof. Dr. M. E. McIntyre (Cambridge) folgenden Vortrag: "Atmosphere-ocean dynamics: from three major enigmas to a major paradigm change".

Abstract: Over the past century, there has been a gradual but profound paradigm change in the way we think about global-scale atmospheric circulations and the eddy transport processes involved, especially those responsible for the global-scale eddy transport of angular momentum. In the first half of the 20th century, it was usual to think of the eddy momentum transport as "turbulent", because of the enormous Reynolds numbers involved. The new paradigm recognizes that wave-induced momentum transport -- "radiation stress" in the language of physics -- is dominant. This easily solves what used to be regarded as three great atmospheric-dynamics enigmas of the mid-twentieth century: first Victor Starr's "negative viscosity", second the cause of the "quasi-biennial oscillation", and third the extreme coldness of the summer mesopause at around 85 km altitude where one observes the world's highest clouds. The same aradigm change has recently led, moreover, to a breakthrough in understanding the Sun's internal differential rotation. Some of the historical twists and turns well illustrate the "Michelson-Morley principle" that negative results in science can have far-reaching importance.

Information on participating / attending:
Organisation: Prof. H. Fehske, Prof. L. Schweikhard
Interessierte sind herzlich eingeladen!

Ansprechpartner: Institut für Physik, Felix-Hausdorff-Straße 6, 17487 Greifswald,
Telefon 03834 86-4700, info@physik.uni-greifswald.de

Date:

01/24/2013 17:00 - 01/24/2013 18:00

Event venue:

Großer Hörsaal Physik
Felix-Hausdorff-Straße 6
17489 Greifswald
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Germany

Target group:

Scientists and scholars, Students

Relevance:

transregional, national

Subject areas:

Physics / astronomy

Types of events:

Presentation / colloquium / lecture

Entry:

01/15/2013

Sender/author:

Sabine Köditz

Department:

Presse- und Informationsstelle

Event is free:

no

Language of the text:

German

URL of this event: http://idw-online.de/en/event42238


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