Spectral Numerical Weather Prediction Models

This book provides a comprehensive overview of numerical weather prediction (NWP) focusing on the application of the spectral method in NWP models. The author illustrates the use of the spectral method in theory as well as in its application to building a full prototypical spectral NWP model, from the formulation of continuous model equations through development of their discretized forms to coded statements of the model.
The author describes the implementation of a specific model PEAK (Primitive-Equation Atmospheric Research Model Kernel) to illustrate the steps needed to construct a global spectral NWP model. The book brings together all the spectral, time, and vertical discretization aspects relevant for such a model. Spectral Numerical Weather Prediction Models provides readers with information necessary to construct spectral NWP models; a self-contained, well-documented, coded spectral NWP model; and theoretical and practical exercises, some of which include solutions.

Audience: This book is intended for anyone with a basic mathematics and physics background who is interested in numerical weather prediction, with a specific interest in any aspect of NWP, and in learning fundamentals of atmospheric dynamics. The audience also includes other mathematicians and physicists, students, researchers, teachers, and engineers.

Contents: Preface; Acknowledgments; List of Figures; List of Tables; List of Algorithms; Part I: Atmospheric Dynamical Models: Chapter 1: Introduction; Chapter 2: Governing Atmospheric Dynamics; Chapter 3: The Primitive Equations; Chapter 4: The Shallow-Water Model; Chapter 5: The Barotropic Vorticity Equation; Chapter 6: Balanced Flow; Part II: Spectral Numerical Models: Chapter 7: The Spectral Method; Chapter 8: Vertical Discretization; Chapter 9: Time Integration; Chapter 10: Code Structure of PEAK; Chapter 11: Experimentation with PEAK; Chapter 12: Barotropic PEAK Configurations; Part III: Appendices: Appendix A: Tensor Analysis; Appendix B: Spectral Basis Functions; Appendix C: The PEAK Model Code; Afterword; Bibliography; Index.