Fundamentals of Weather and ClimateFamiliarity and modern, sheltered lifestyles can dull our awareness of the ever changing sky above us. But an unusually colourful sunset or threatening storm can rekindle interest, admiration, and even fear. Even so, we generally fail to comprehend the enormous scale, power, and complexity of the atmosphere. With the effects of global climate change becoming increasingly apparent, an understanding of the processes that underpin our weather and climate is vital. Fundamentals of Weather and Climate offers an engaging and insightful treatment of the behaviour of the lower atmosphere and takes a quantitative approach to describing the mechanisms involved. Beginning with an overview of the atmosphere and its components, the reader is introduced to the physics that drive weather systems, before setting these principles in the context of specific systems of differing scales and latitudes. Finally, the text draws this information together in relation to the problem of anthropogenic climate change. Custom drawn illustrations enliven and enhance the educational value of the text, enabling students to visualize the processes and interactions described more easily • Enhanced mathematical support opens the text to those without a strong mathematical background • Key points throughout reinforce the essential facts and themes being presented Online Resource Centre The Online Resource Centre to accompany Fundamentals of Weather and Climate features: For students: • Selected solutions to end of chapter problems • Hyperlinked bibliography • Useful weblinks For lecturers: • Selected solutions to end of chapter problems • Figures from the book in electronic format, ready to download |
Contents
1 Introduction | 1 |
2 Observations | 15 |
3 The constitution of the atmosphere | 54 |
4 The state of the atmosphere | 86 |
5 Atmospheric thermodynamics | 119 |
6 Cloud and precipitation | 157 |
| 202 | |
8 Radiation convection and advection | 280 |
10 Surface and boundary layer | 384 |
11 Smallerscale weather systems | 436 |
12 Largescale weather systems in midlatitudes | 485 |
13 Largescale weather systems in low latitudes | 526 |
14 Climate and climate change | 556 |
Glossary | 608 |
| 619 | |
| 625 | |
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Common terms and phrases
acceleration advection air density air flow air parcel albedo anticyclone atmosphere average boundary layer climate cloud base column condensation convection cooling Coriolis cumulonimbus cumulus droplets dry adiabatic Earth’s surface effect energy equation equilibrium evaporation extratropical cyclones fall Figure force friction geostrophic global gravity Hadley circulation heat capacity heat flux height hemisphere high troposphere horizontal humidity increasing input isobaric jet stream lapse rate latent heat low troposphere mass meridional metres middle latitudes molecular motion observed ocean poleward potential temperature precipitation pressure gradient radiative radius rain rainfall relative rise rotation saturated adiabatic scale sea level seasonal Section shear shows slope solar specific humidity storm stratosphere synoptic synoptic scale tephigram thermal tropical cyclones tropopause troposphere turbosphere turbulent typical updrafts variations velocity vertical warm water vapour wavelengths waves weather systems wind shear wind speed zone