Large-scale winds and currents tend to balance Coriolis and pressure
gradient forces. The time evolution of these winds and currents is the
subject of the quasi-geostrophic theory.
Chapter 1 presents concepts and equations of classical inertial fluid
mechanics.
Chapter 2 deals with the equations of thermodynamics that close the
governing equations of the fluids. Then, the motion is reformulated in a
uniformly rotating reference frame.
Chapter 3 deals with the shallow-water model and the homogeneous model
of wind-driven circulation. The chapter also describes a classical
application of the Ekman layer to the atmosphere.
Chapter 4 considers the two-layer model, as an introduction to
baroclinic flows, together with the concept of available potential
energy.
Chapter 5 takes into account continuously stratified flows in the ocean
and in the atmosphere.