Geophysical Waves and Flows

Waves and flows are pervasive on and within Earth. This book presents a unified physical and mathematical approach to waves and flows in the atmosphere, oceans, rivers, volcanoes and the mantle, emphasizing the common physical principles and mathematical methods that apply to a variety of phenomena and disciplines. It is organized into seven parts: introductory material; kinematics, dynamics and rheology; waves in non-rotating fluids; waves in rotating fluids; non-rotating flows; rotating flows; and silicate flows. The chapters are supplemented by 47 'fundaments', containing knowledge that is fundamental to the material presented in the main text, organized into seven appendices: mathematics; dimensions and units; kinematics; dynamics; thermodynamics; waves; and flows. This book is an ideal reference for graduate students and researchers seeking an introduction to the mathematics of waves and flows in the Earth system, and will serve as a supplementary textbook for a number of courses in geophysical fluid dynamics.

David E. Loper is an Emeritus Professor at Florida State University. After completing his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, and after a brief stint in the aerospace industry and a postdoctoral appointment at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Professor Loper took a joint position in Applied Mathematics and the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Institute at Florida State University, where he is a Distinguished Research Professor. Later in his career, his departmental affiliation changed to Geology. He was a co-founder and secretary of SEDI (Study of the Earth's Deep Interior, a Committee of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics) and is Fellow of the American Geophysical Union.