A Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab Founded by Undergraduate Students

An atmospheric and oceanic fluid dynamics lab has been established by a group of undergraduate students in the School of Atmospheric Sciences at Nanjing University. A series of classical experiments have been conducted including Taylor column, topographic Rossby waves, and propagating density currents. With very limited funding, all instruments were designed and assembled by students. Their hands-on experimental abilities and understanding of the fundamental theories of geophysical fluid dynamics are greatly enhanced. The students work in groups on a dedicated experiment. A student project on rotating convection was even presented in APS DFD fall meeting last year. This year, we present some new laboratory demonstrative experiments of geophysical flow and introduce how they are incorporated in the undergraduate courseswork.