![Buoyant ascent of warm, moist air. Buoyant ascent of warm, moist air.](/courses/earth-atmospheric-and-planetary-sciences/12-811-tropical-meteorology-spring-2011/12-811s11.jpg)
Moist convection. (Image courtesy of Prof. Kerry Emanuel.)
Instructor(s)
Prof. Kerry Emanuel
Allison Wing
(Teaching Assistant)
MIT Course Number
12.811
As Taught In
Spring 2011
Level
Graduate
Course Description
Course Features
Course Description
This course describes the large-scale circulation systems of the tropical atmosphere and analyses the dynamics of such systems. Topics include: Radiative-convective equilibrium; the Hadley and walker circulation; monsoons; tropical boundary layers; theory of the response of the tropical atmosphere to localized sea-surface temperature anomalies; intraseasonal oscillations; equatorial waves; El Niño/Southern Oscillation; easterly waves; and tropical cyclones.