12307: Weather and Climate Laboratory

The Tank Experiments

The four 'projects' that make up 12.307 will make use of some, but not all, of the following experiments. Click on the images to learn about them and to view pictures and movie loops.

• GFDI: Rotation stiffens fluids
• GFDII: Convection
• GFDIII: Radial inflow
• GFDIV: Parabolic table
• GFDV: Inertial Circles
• GFDVI: Taylor Columns
• GFDVII: Thermal Wind and Hadley Circulation
• GFDVIII: Slope of a frontal surface
• GFDIX: Ekman layers
• GFDX: Perrot's bathtub experiment
• GFDXI: Atmospheric General circulation
• GFDXII: Stress-driven circulation and Ekman layers
• GFDXIII: Ocean gyres
• GFDXIV: Thermohaline Circulation

GFD I: Rotating fluids have weird properties

Taylor Columns revealed by food coloring in a rotating tank

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GFD II: Convection

Convection due to heating from below

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GFD III: Radial inflow

Radial inflow

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GFD IV: Parabolic table

Parabolic table

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GFD V: Inertial Circles

Visualizing the Coriolis effect

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GFD VI: Taylor Columns

Taylor Columns over a bump

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GFD VII: Thermal Wind

Thermal wind and the Hadley circulation

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GFD VIII: Fronts

Slope of a frontal surface

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GFD IX: Ekman layers

 

Spin down of a cyclone

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GFD X: Perrot's bathtub experiment

Experiment on Earth's rotation

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GFD XI: General circulation

 

General circulation of the atmosphere

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GFD XII: Stress-driven circulation and Ekman layers

 

Stress-driven flow

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GFD XIII: Wind-driven circulation ocean circulation

Ocean gyres

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GFD XIV: Thermohaline circulation

Stommel-Arons

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