method of characteristics

From Glossary of Meteorology
A method of solving systems of nonlinear differential equations by constructing the characteristics for the equations over the region of known initial data and proceeding along these lines to determine the solutions for later times or for new regions of space.

This method has been used successfully in the study of gas flows and has been applied to the meteorological problem of one-dimensional unsteady flow of air under an inversion surface.
Freeman, J. C. 1951. Compendium of Meteorology. 421–433.

  1. The study of the physics, chemistry, and dynamics of the earth's atmosphere, including the related effects at the air–earth boundary over both land and the oceans. Fundamental topics include the composition, structure, and motion of the atmosphere. The goals ascribed to meteorology are the complete understanding and accurate prediction of atmospheric phenomena.
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