Essentials of Meteorology With Infotrac

by AHRENS

• ISBN13: 9780534372002
• ISBN10: 0534372007
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-11-28
• Publisher: Brooks Cole

Summary

This total learning package for the introductory meteorology course includes much more than a text--the book is packaged with the exciting Blue Skiesâ,¢ CD-ROM and four months' free access to InfoTracAr College Edition, an online university library. At the core of this learning package is Ahrens' respected text, which presents the fundamental concepts of meteorology in the context of everyday weather observations. Fun and easy to understand and relate to, the book and its cumulative organization enables students to build on each concept and gain greater understanding into the dynamic nature of the atmosphere.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
The Earth's Atmosphere	1	(24)
Overview of the Earth's Atmosphere	2	(5)
Composition of the Atmosphere	2	(4)
The Early Atmosphere	6	(1)
Vertical Structure of the Atmosphere	7	(6)
A Brief Look at Air Pressure and Air Density	7	(2)
Layers of the Atmosphere	9	(2)
Focus on an Observation: The Radiosonde	11	(1)
The Ionosphere	12	(1)
Weather and Climate	13	(8)
A Satellite's View of the Weather	13	(1)
Storms of All Sizes	14	(1)
A Look at a Weather Map	15	(2)
Weather and Climate in Our Lives	17	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: Meteorology---A Brief History	18	(3)
Summary	21	(1)
Key Terms	22	(1)
Questions for Review	22	(1)
Questions for Thought and Exploration	23	(2)
Warming the Earth and the Atmosphere	25	(28)
Temperature and Heat Transfer	26	(8)
Temperature Scales	26	(1)
Latent Heat---The Hidden Warmth	27	(2)
Conduction	29	(1)
Convection	29	(2)
Radiation	31	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: Rising Air Cools and Sinking Air Warms	31	(2)
Focus on a Special Topic: Sun Burning and UV Rays	33	(1)
Balancing Act---Absorption, Emission, and Equilibrium	34	(5)
Selective Absorbers and the Atmospheric Greenhouse Effect	35	(2)
Enhancement of the Greenhouse Effect	37	(1)
Warming the Air from Below	38	(1)
Incoming Solar Energy	39	(11)
Scattered and Reflected Light	39	(1)
The Earth's Annual Energy Balance	40	(2)
Why the Earth Has Seasons	42	(1)
Focus on an Observation: The Aurora---A Dazzling Light Show	43	(1)
Seasons in the Northern Hemisphere	44	(4)
Seasons in the Southern Hemisphere	48	(1)
Local Seasonal Variations	49	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: Is December 21 Really the First Day of Winter?	49	(1)
Summary	50	(1)
Key Terms	50	(1)
Questions for Review	51	(1)
Questions for Thought and Exploration	51	(2)
Air Temperature	53	(22)
Daily Temperature Variations	54	(6)
Daytime Warming	54	(1)
Nighttime Cooling	55	(1)
Cold Air Near the Surface	55	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: Record High Temperatures	56	(1)
Protecting Crops from the Cold Night Air	57	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: Record Low Temperatures	58	(2)
The Controls of Temperature	60	(2)
Air Temperature Data	62	(4)
Daily, Monthly, and Yearly Temperatures	62	(2)
The Use of Temperature Data	64	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: When It Comes to Temperature, What's Normal?	64	(2)
Air Temperature and Human Comfort	66	(2)
Focus on a Special Topic: A Thousand Degrees and Freezing to Death	67	(1)
Measuring Air Temperature	68	(3)
Focus on an Observation: Thermometers Should Be Read in the Shade	70	(1)
Summary	71	(1)
Key Terms	71	(1)
Questions for Review	72	(1)
Questions for Thought and Exploration	72	(3)
Humidity, Condensation, and Clouds	75	(34)
Circulation of Water in the Atmosphere	76	(1)
Evaporation, Condensation, and Saturation	76	(2)
Humidity	78	(8)
Vapor Pressure	78	(1)
Relative Humidity	79	(2)
Relative Humidity and Dew Point	81	(1)
Relative Humidity and Human Discomfort	82	(1)
Measuring Humidity	83	(2)
Focus on a Special Topic: Humid Air and Dry Air Do Not Weigh the Same	85	(1)
Dew and Frost	86	(1)
Fog	87	(4)
Foggy Weather	91	(2)
Focus on a Special Topic: Fog Dispersal	92	(1)
Clouds	93	(12)
Classification of Clouds	93	(1)
Cloud Identification	94	(1)
High Clouds	94	(1)
Middle Clouds	94	(2)
Low Clouds	96	(2)
Clouds with Vertical Development	98	(3)
Some Unusual Clouds	101	(4)
Summary	105	(1)
Key Terms	105	(1)
Questions for Review	105	(1)
Questions for Thought and Exploration	106	(3)
Cloud Development and Precipitation	109	(30)
Atmospheric Stability	110	(1)
Determining Stability	111	(4)
Stable Air	111	(1)
Unstable Air	112	(2)
Conditionally Unstable Air	114	(1)
Cloud Development and Stability	115	(4)
Convection and Clouds	115	(2)
Topography and Clouds	117	(2)
Precipitation Processes	119	(7)
Collision and Coalescence Process	120	(1)
Ice-Crystal Process	121	(3)
Cloud Seeding and Precipitation	124	(1)
Precipitation in Clouds	124	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: Does Cloud Seeding Enhance Precipitation?	125	(1)
Precipitation Types	126	(6)
Rain	126	(1)
Snow	127	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: Are Raindrops Tear-Shaped?	127	(2)
Sleet and Freezing Rain	129	(1)
Focus on an Observation: Aircraft Icing	130	(1)
Snow Grains and Snow Pellets	130	(1)
Hail	131	(1)
Measuring Precipitation	132	(3)
Instruments	132	(1)
Doppler Radar and Precipitation	133	(2)
Summary	135	(1)
Key Terms	135	(1)
Questions for Review	135	(1)
Questions for Thought and Exploration	136	(3)
Air Pressure and Winds	139	(26)
Atmospheric Pressure	140	(1)
Measuring Air Pressure	141	(5)
Focus on a Special Topic: The Atmosphere Obeys the Gas Law	142	(1)
Barometers	142	(2)
Pressure Readings	144	(2)
Surface and Upper-Air Charts	146	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: Isobaric Maps	147	(1)
Why the Wind Blows	147	(8)
Newton's Laws of Motion	147	(1)
Forces That Influence the Wind	148	(1)
Pressure Gradient Force	149	(1)
Coriolis Force	150	(1)
Straight-Line Flow Aloft	151	(2)
Curved Winds Around Lows and Highs Aloft	153	(1)
Winds on Upper-Level Charts	154	(1)
Focus on an Observation: Winds Aloft in the Southern Hemisphere	154	(1)
Surface Winds	155	(1)
Focus on an Observation: Estimating Wind Direction and Pressure Patterns Aloft	156	(1)
Winds and Vertical Air Motions	156	(2)
Measuring and Determining Winds	158	(4)
The Influence of Prevailing Winds	158	(1)
Wind Instruments	159	(2)
Focus on a Special Topic: Wind Power	161	(1)
Summary	162	(1)
Key Terms	162	(1)
Questions for Review	162	(1)
Questions for Thought and Exploration	163	(2)
Atmospheric Circulations	165	(32)
Scales of Atmospheric Motion	166	(1)
Eddies---Big and Small	167	(1)
Local Wind Systems	168	(10)
Thermal Circulations	168	(1)
Focus on an Observation: Eddies and ``Air Pockets''	169	(1)
Sea and Land Breezes	170	(1)
Seasonally Changing Winds---the Monsoon	171	(2)
Mountain and Valley Breezes	173	(1)
Katabatic Winds	174	(1)
Chinook (Foehn) Winds	175	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: Snow Eaters and Rapid Temperature Changes	175	(1)
Santa Ana Winds	176	(1)
Desert Winds	176	(2)
Global Winds	178	(9)
General Circulation of the Atmosphere	179	(1)
Single-Cell Model	179	(1)
Three-Cell Model	180	(2)
Average Surface Winds and Pressure: The Real World	182	(2)
The General Circulation and Precipitation Patterns	184	(1)
Westerly Winds and the Jet Stream	185	(2)
Global Wind Patterns and the Oceans	187	(6)
Winds and Upwelling	189	(1)
El Nino and the Southern Oscillation	190	(3)
Summary	193	(1)
Key Terms	194	(1)
Questions for Review	194	(1)
Questions for Thought and Exploration	195	(2)
Air Masses, Fronts, and Middle-Latitude Cyclones	197	(30)
Air Masses	198	(10)
Source Regions	198	(1)
Classification	199	(1)
Air Masses of North America	199	(1)
cP (Continental Polar) and cA (Continental Arctic) Air Masses	199	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: Lake-Effect (Enhanced) Snows	200	(2)
mP (Maritime Polar) Air Masses	202	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: The Return of the Siberian Express	203	(2)
mT (Maritime Tropical) Air Masses	205	(2)
cT (Continental Tropical) Air Masses	207	(1)
Fronts	208	(7)
Stationary Fronts	208	(1)
Cold Fronts	208	(3)
Warm Fronts	211	(2)
Occluded Fronts	213	(2)
Middle-Latitude Cyclones	215	(9)
Polar Front Theory	215	(3)
Where Do Mid-Latitude Cyclones Tend to Form?	218	(1)
Developing Mid-Latitude Cyclones and Anticyclones	218	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: Northeasters	219	(2)
Jet Streams and Developing Mid-Latitude Cyclones	221	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: A Closer Look at Convergence and Divergence	221	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: Waves in the Westerlies	222	(2)
Summary	224	(1)
Key Terms	224	(1)
Questions for Review	224	(1)
Questions for Thought and Exploration	225	(2)
Weather Forecasting	227	(26)
Acquisition of Weather Information	228	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: Watches, Warnings, and Advisories	229	(1)
Weather Forecasting Methods and Tools	229	(15)
The Computer and Weather Forecasting: Numerical Weather Prediction	230	(1)
Why Forecasts Go Awry	230	(2)
Tools for Forecasting the Weather	232	(1)
Satellites and Weather Forecasting	233	(4)
Other Forecasting Methods	237	(3)
Accuracy and Skill in Weather Forecasting	240	(1)
Focus on an Observation: TV Weathercasters---How Do They Do It?	241	(1)
Predicting the Weather from Local Signs	242	(2)
Weather Forecasting Using Surface Charts	244	(5)
Determining the Movement of Weather Systems	244	(1)
A Forecast for Six Cities	245	(1)
Weather Forecast for Augusta, Georgia	246	(1)
Rain or Snow for Washington, D.C?	246	(1)
Big Snowstorm for Chicago	247	(1)
Mixed Bag of Weather for Memphis	247	(1)
Cold Wave for Dallas	248	(1)
Clear but Cold for Denver	248	(1)
Summary	249	(1)
Key Terms	249	(1)
Questions for Review	250	(1)
Questions for Thought and Exploration	250	(3)
Thunderstorms and Tornadoes	253	(36)
What Are Thunderstorms?	254	(1)
Ordinary (Air-Mass) Thunderstorms	254	(2)
Severe Thunderstorms	256	(7)
The Gust Front and Microburst	257	(3)
Supercell and Squall-Line Thunderstorms	260	(2)
Severe Thunderstorms and the Dryline	262	(1)
Mesoscale Convective Complexes	263	(1)
Floods and Flash Floods	264	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: The Terrifying Flash Flood in the Big Thompson Canyon	265	(1)
Distribution of Thunderstorms	265	(2)
Lightning and Thunder	267	(6)
Electrification of Clouds	267	(1)
The Lightning Stroke	268	(3)
Lightning Detection and Suppression	271	(1)
Focus on an Observation: Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree	272	(1)
Tornadoes	273	(9)
Tornado Occurrence	274	(1)
Tornado Winds	275	(2)
Tornado Formation	277	(3)
Observing Tornadoes	280	(2)
Focus on an Observation: Thunderstorm Rotation	282	(1)
Severe Weather and Doppler Radar	282	(2)
Waterspouts	284	(1)
Summary	285	(1)
Key Terms	286	(1)
Questions for Review	286	(1)
Questions for Thought and Exploration	286	(3)
Hurricanes	289	(24)
Tropical Weather	290	(1)
Anatomy of a Hurricane	290	(3)
Hurricane Formation and Dissipation	293	(14)
Hurricane Stages of Development	296	(1)
Hurricane Movement	297	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: How Do Hurricanes Compare with Middle-Latitude Storms?	298	(2)
Destruction and Warning	300	(2)
Focus on a Special Topic: Modifying Hurricanes	302	(5)
Naming Hurricanes	307	(2)
Summary	309	(1)
Key Terms	309	(1)
Questions for Review	309	(1)
Questions for Thought and Exploration	310	(3)
Air Pollution	313	(26)
A Brief History of Air Pollution	314	(1)
Types and Sources of Air Pollutants	315	(11)
Principal Air Pollutants	316	(3)
Ozone in the Troposphere	319	(2)
Ozone in the Stratosphere	321	(2)
Air Pollution: Trends and Patterns	323	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: The Ozone Hole	324	(2)
Factors That Affect Air Pollution	326	(4)
The Role of the Wind	326	(1)
The Role of Stability and Inversions	327	(71)
Focus on an Observation: Smokestack Plumes	398
The Role of Topography	329	(1)
Severe Air Pollution Potential	330	(1)
Air Pollution and the Urban Environment	330	(3)
Focus on an Observation: Five Days in Donora---An Air Pollution Episode	331	(2)
Acid Deposition	333	(2)
Summary	335	(1)
Key Terms	336	(1)
Questions for Review	336	(1)
Questions for Thought and Explocation	337	(2)
Global Climate	339	(32)
A World with Many Climates	340	(6)
Global Temperatures	340	(1)
Global Precipitation	341	(5)
Focus on a Special Topic: Precipitation Extremes	346	(1)
Climatic Classification---The Koppen System	346	(3)
The Global Pattern of Climate	349	(18)
Tropical Moist Climates (Group A)	349	(4)
Dry Climates (Group B)	353	(3)
Moist Subtropical Mid-Latitude Climates (Group C)	356	(2)
Focus on a Special Topic: A Desert with Clouds and Drizzle	358	(3)
Moist Continental Climates (Group D)	361	(3)
Polar Climates (Group E)	364	(1)
Highland Climates (Group H)	365	(2)
Summary	367	(1)
Key Terms	367	(1)
Questions for Review	368	(1)
Questions for Thought and Exploration	368	(3)
Climate Change	371	(28)
The Earth's Changing Climate	372	(4)
Determining Past Climates	372	(2)
Climate through the Ages	374	(1)
Climate during the Last 1000 Years	375	(1)
Possible Causes of Climatic Change	376	(11)
Climate Change and Feedback Mechanisms	376	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: The Greenhouse Effect on Venus	377	(1)
Climate Change, Plate Tectonics, and Mountain-Building	378	(2)
Climate Change and Variations in the Earth's Orbit	380	(2)
Climate Change and Atmospheric Particles	382	(1)
Aerosols in the Troposphere	382	(1)
Volcanic Eruptions and Aerosols in the Stratosphere	383	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: Nuclear Winter, Cold Summers, and Dead Dinosaurs	384	(2)
Climate Change and Variations in Solar Output	386	(1)
Carbon Dioxide, the Greenhouse Effect, and Recent Global Warming	387	(9)
Oceans, Clouds, and Global Warming	388	(1)
Possible Consequences of Global Warming	389	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: The Ocean Conveyer Belt and Climate Change	390	(2)
Is the Warming Real?	392	(2)
In Perspective	394	(1)
Focus on a Special Topic: The Sahel---An Example of Climatic Variability and Human Existence	395	(1)
Summary	396	(1)
Key Terms	396	(1)
Questions for Review	396	(1)
Questions for Thought and Exploration	397	(2)
Light, Color, and Atmospheric Optics	399	(22)
White and Colors	400	(1)
White Clouds and Scattered Light	400	(1)
Blue Skies and Hazy Days	401	(3)
Red Suns and Blue Moons	404	(1)
Twinkling, Twilight, and the Green Flash	405	(3)
The Mirage: Seeing Is Not Believing	408	(3)
Focus on an Observation: The Fata Morgana	410	(1)
Halos, Sundogs, and Sun Pillars	411	(2)
Rainbows	413	(3)
Coronas and Cloud Iridescence	416	(3)
Focus on an Observation: Glories and the Heiligenschein	418	(1)
Summary	419	(1)
Key Terms	419	(1)
Questions for Review	419	(1)
Questions for Thought and Exploration	420	(1)
Appendix A Units, Conversions, Abbreviations, and Equations	421	(3)
Appendix B Equations and Constants	424	(3)
Appendix C Weather Symbols and the Station Model	427	(2)
Appendix D Humidity and Dew-Point Tables (Psychromatic Tables)	429	(4)
Appendix E Koppen's Climatic Classification System	433	(1)
Appendix F Heat Index (HI) Table	434	(1)
Appendix G Beaufort Wind Scale (Overland)	435	(1)
Appendix H Standard Atmosphere	436	(1)
Additional Reading Material	437	(3)
Glossary	440	(15)
Index	455	(10)
Credits	465