Wikibooks: Meteorology/Dynamics/Kinematics

• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Subjects: North Pole
• Online Access: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Meteorology/Dynamics/Kinematics

Meteorology TOC show=ch2 float=right Kinematic Structures The kinematics branch of dynamics describes the properties of pure motion without regard to force momentum or energy topics discussed in later subchapters. Kinematic variables include translation advection and deformation. Meteorologists use various conventions to apply the laws of physics to the atmosphere. The first set of conventions involves the coordinate system. Each application may imply or call for a different set of conventions. Meteorologists use some conventions more commonly than others and sometimes choose conventions for the problem at hand or to comport with those utilized in available tools. In confusing situations meteorologists use multiple incompatible conventions simultaneously. = Coordinate systems = A or uniquely identifies each point of the atmosphere (or any other continuum). The atmosphere of the earth mostly concentrates in a very thin shell around an almost spherical planet earth making traditional inertial reference frames mathematically difficult to apply to the equations of atmospheric dynamics. = Measuring distance meters = The leads from the origin of the coordinate system to a point in space thus specifying the position of this point relative to the chosen coordinate system. In any coordinate system at least one specified component of the position vector must have dimensions of length and hence fundamental units of s in . The Revolutionary French originally devised the International System of Units hence its French name and acronym. The French Academy of Sciences in 1791 defined the meter such that ten million meters along a meridian of constant longitude equal the length of one quadrant the shortest distance along the surface of the earth from the Equator to the North Pole through Paris France. According to this definition the circumference of the spherical earth four times the distance along the surface of the earth from the Equator to the North Pole equals 40 million meters (40×10 6 m or 40 000 km). Because the ...