Advection

Consider a parcel of temperature T at time ‘t0’ and coordinates

(x0, y0, z0) moving to the point (x0 + δx, y0 +δy, z0 +δz) in time
increment δt. Let the new temperature be (T + δT)
By Taylor’s series
∂T ∂T ∂T ∂T
δT = δt + δx+ δy + δz
∂t ∂x ∂y ∂z

Neglect higher order terms. divide by δt and take limit δt →0

dT ∂T ∂T ∂T ∂T
∴ = + u + v + w
dt ∂t ∂x ∂y ∂z
dT ∂T
= + U.∇T Advection equation
dt ∂t
∂T d T
= − U.∇T Advection term. Contributing to local
∂t dt
Local derivate temperature due to air motion
Total or substantial derivative. Rate of change of temperature
following the motion.
Cold Advection
Wind blowing from cold to warm region ( − U .∇T is -ve )
Warm Advection
Wind is blowing from warm to cold region. (Above is +ve )

The total derivate is actually defined following the motion

Field rather than the wind field.

The pressure change measured by a barometer on a moving ship

to the local pressure change can also be related by this advection
equation. In fact it is applied to any of the field variables.
Example of Advection:
The surface pressure decreases by 3 mb/180km in the west-east direction
A ship streaming eastward at 10km/hour measures a pressure fall
of 1mb/3hrs. What is pressure change on an island which the ship
is passing by. ∂p
Rate of pressure fall observed/measured by the ship Island
∂t
dp 1 mb x
= − u = 10km/hour
dt 3 hour
∂p 3 mb
Rate of surface pressure fall along west-east = −
∂x 180 km
∂p dp ∂p
Using advection equation = −u
∂t dt ∂x
Thus local change of pressure on the island

∂p 1mb km ⎛ 3mb ⎞ ⎛ 1 1⎞ 1
= − −10 ⎜− ⎜ ⎟
⎟ = ⎜ − ⎟ mb / hr = − mb / hr
∂t 3 hr hr ⎝ 180km ⎠ ⎝3 6⎠ 6
Thus the rate of pressure fall on the island is only half the rate
measured on the moving ship.

If the total derivative of the field variable is zero, then that variable
is a conserved quantity following the motion. The local change is
then entirely due to advection.
Total differentiation of a vector in a rotating system

r
Consider an arbitrary vector A
in an inertial frame (
) ) )
)
i , j, k
r ) ) )
A = i A x + j A y + k A z (1)

Consider the rotating

r frame with
angular velocity Ω
r
The vector A is represented by
r ) ) )
A = i ′ A′x + j′ A′y + k ′ A′z (2)
r
Rate of change of vector A in inertial frame: from (1)
r
dA ) dA x ) dA y ) dA z
=i +j +k
dt dt dt dt
 r
Rate of change of vector A in rotating frame as viewed from inertial frame (from 2)
r
da A d )
( ) )
= i ′ A′x + j′ A′y + k′ A′z
dt dt
)
) ) )
) dA′x ) dA′y ) dA′z di′ d j′ dk′
= i′ + j′ + k′ + A′x + A′y + A′z
dt dt dt dt dt dt
r
But rate of change of vector A as viewed in rotating frame
r
d r A ) d A ′x ) d A ′y ) d A ′z
= i′ + j′ + k′
dt dt dt dt
) ) )
d i′ r ) d j′ r ) dk′ r )
Also = Ω × i′, = Ω × j′ , = Ω × k′
dt dt dt
r r
daA d rA r r
∴ = + Ω × A
dt dt
r
dA r r
i.e., ≡Ω × A
dt
 r r
δa = a Sin η δθ
r r
da δa
= lim
dt δt → 0 δt
r δθ
= a Sin η lim
δt → 0 δ t

r dθ
= a Sin η
dt
r r
= Ω a Sin η
r r r
da
= Ω×a
dt
Momentum Equation
r
da Ua 1r r* r
= − ∇p + g + F (1)
dt ρ
Accln following the motion as viewed in initial frame
r r
daUa drUa r r
= + Ω × Ua
dt dt
r r
r daR drR r r
Ua = = +Ω×R
dt dt
r r r
= Ur + Ω × R
r
( ) ( )
daUa dr r r r r r r r
∴ = Ur + Ω × R + Ω × Ur + Ω × R
dt dt
r
(
dr r r
)
drUr r r r
= +2 Ω×R +Ω×Ω×R
dt dt
r
drUr r r r r r
= + 2Ω×Ur + Ω ×Ω × R
dt
r r r r r r r r r
A × B×C = A o C B − A o B C
r r r
( )
r r r r r r
Ω×Ω× R = Ω o R Ω −Ω oΩ R =− Ω R
r2 r
 r r
da Ua dr Ur r r r2r
= + 2 Ω× Ur − Ω R (2)
dt dt
Equating r.h.s of (1) & (2) and dropping subscript ‘r’
r
dU r r r2r 1r r* r
+ 2 Ω × U − Ω R = − ∇p + g + F
dt ρ
r
dU 1r r r r r
= − ∇p − 2 Ω × U + g + F
dt ρ
r r* r 2 r
Since g ≡ g +Ω R (3)
) ) )
i j k
r r
2 Ω ×U = 0 ΩCosφ ΩSinφ
u v w
) )
= 2i (w ΩCosφ − v ΩSinφ ) − 2 j (0 − uΩSinφ )
)
+ 2k (0 − uΩCosφ )
r r ) )
− 2 Ω ×U = − (2 ΩwCosφ − 2 ΩvSinφ )i − 2ΩuSinφ j
)
+ 2uΩCosφ k
 r ) ) ) r ) ∂p ) ∂p ) ∂p r )
U = i u + j v + k w ; ∇p = i +j +k ; g = gk
∂x ∂y ∂z
Thus component equations of (3) are
du 1 ∂p
=− − 2 Ω(w Cosφ − v Sinφ ) + Fx
dt ρ ∂x
dv 1 ∂p
=− − 2 Ωu Sinφ + Fy
dt ρ ∂y
dw 1 ∂p
=− + 2 Ωu Cosφ − g + Fz
dt ρ ∂z
) ) )
Actually d i , d j and dk terms exist, but are small and hence may be neglected
dt dt dt
 ) )
di
dt
=u
∂i
∂x
=
u
a cos φ
( ) )
j sinφ − kcosφ )
) ) )
dj ∂j ∂j )
= u +v ; j = f(x, y)
dt ∂x ∂y
)
dj u ) v)
= − tanφ i − k
dt a a
) ) )
dk ∂k ∂k )
= u +v ; k = f(x, y)
dt ∂x ∂y
)
dk u) v)
= i+ j
dt a a