Both indicial and boldface notations are used to indicate vectors and tensors. The comma notation to represent spatial derivatives (for example, A _,i for ?A/ ?x _i) is used in only two sections of the book (Sections 5.6 and 13.7), when the algebra became cumbersome otherwise. Equal to by definition is denoted by ?; for example, the ratio of specific heats is introduced as ? ? C _p/C _v. Nearly equal to is written as ?, proportional to is written as a, and of the order is written as .

Plane polar coordinates are denoted by (r, ?), cylindrical polar coordinates are denoted by either (R, ?, x) or (r, ?, x), and spherical polar coordinates are denoted by ( r, ?, ?) (see Figure 3.1). The velocity components in the three Cartesian directions (x, y, z) are indicated by (u, v, w). In geophysical situations the z-axis points upward.

In some cases equations are referred to by a descriptive name rather than a number (for example, "the x-momentum equation shows that "). Those equations and/or results deemed especially important have been indicated by a box.

A list of literature cited and supplemental reading is provided at the end of most chapters. The list has been deliberately kept short and includes only those sources that serve one of the following three purposes: (1)...