The influence of convection on large-scale circulations : 1988 Summer Study Program in Geophysical Fluid Dynamics

Abstract

The topic for the 30th Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Summer Program was "The Influence of Convection on Large- Scale Motions." The principal lecturer, Kerry Emanual, presented the essential elements of dry convection, the thermodynamics of moist air, and moist convection (both precipitating and not). Building upon this excellent summary of the fundamentals of atmospheric convection, he then discussed its role in the dynamics of squall lines, tropical cyclones, and the 40-day tropical wave. Moist convection has not been discussed in recent GFD seminars, and Kerry's lectures provided a superb introduction to the topic for both Fellows and Staff. Other meteorologists discussed recent theoretical and observational research on atmospheric convecting systems. Convectively-driven flows in the ocean were described by Peter Killworth; Ed Spiegel and Christian Elphick reviewed the theory of nonlinear convection. These views of convection in other systems lent valuable perspectives on the atmospheric problem.