General Seminar: Dr. Jonathan Aurnou

Abstract: Rotating tanks are a powerful teaching tool from the elementary through graduate school levels. They are ideal for demonstrating the basic fluid dynamics that underlie weather, climate, ocean circulation, and planetary and stellar interior fluid motions. Over the past 5 years, we have developed a series of do-it-yourself (DIY) kits for building and carrying out desktop rotating tank experiments. In this talk, Dr. Aurnou will go over the basic concepts and then carry out a set of desktop experiments with participants taking active part in these hands-on science activities. With the interesting weather we have been having the last few weeks, winter-time instabilities of the polar jet stream will be the main problem we hone in on.

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