Essentials of Meteorology

by Ahrens, C. Donald

• ISBN13: 9780495115588
• ISBN10: 0495115584
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-01-31
• Publisher: Cengage Learning

Summary

This updated and enhanced Fifth Edition of ESSENTIALS OF METEOROLOGY is written by the widely read and authoritative author in introductory meteorology-Donald Ahrens. Ahrens's ability to explain relatively complicated ideas in a student-friendly, manageable fashion will allow you to easily visualize the principles of meteorology. ESSENTIALS OF METEOROLOGY is completely updated with over 250 new images and figures and the latest research and coverage. This new edition is accompanied by a self-paced tutorial system--ThomsonNOW for ESSENTIALS OF METEOROLOGY. ThomsonNOW is Web-based, assessment-driven, completely flexible, and contains a wealth of book-specific interactivities. It offers a personalized study plan based on your assessment results, helping you focus on the concepts you don't yet understand.

Table of Contents

The Earth's Atmosphere

Overview of the Earth's Atmosphere

Vertical Structure of the Atmosphere

Weather and Climate

Warming The Earth And The Atmosphere

Temperature and Heat Transfer

Balancing Act-Absorption, Emission, and Equilibrium

Incoming Solar Energy

Air Temperature

Daily Temperature Variations

The Controls of Temperature

Air Temperature Data

Measuring Air Temperature

Humidity, Condensation, And Clouds

Circulation of Water in the Atmosphere

Evaporation, Condensation, and Saturation

Humidity

Dew and Frost

Fog

Foggy Weather

Clouds

Cloud Development And Precipitation

Atmospheric Stability

Determining Stability

Cloud Development and Stability

Precipitation Processes

Precipitation Types

Measuring Precipitation

Air Pressure And Winds

Atmospheric Pressure

Measuring Air Pressure

Surface and Upper-Air Charts

Why the Wind Blows

Surface Winds

Winds and Vertical Air Motions

Measuring and Determining Winds

Atmospheric Circulations

Scale of Atmospheric Motion

Eddies-Big and Small

Local Wind Systems

Global Winds

Global Wind Patterns and the Oceans

Air Masses, Fronts, And Middle-Latitude Cyclones

Air Masses

Fronts

Middle-Latitude Cyclones

Weather Forecasting

Acquisition of Weather Information

Weather Forecasting Methods

Weather Forecasting Using Surface Charts

Thunderstorms And Tornadoes

Thunderstorms

Tornadoes

Severe Weather and Doppler Radar

Waterspouts

Hurricanes

Tropical Weather

Anatomy of a Hurricane

Hurricane Formation and Dissipation

Naming Hurricanes

Air Pollution

A Brief History of Air Pollution

Types and Sources of Air Pollutants

Factors That Affect Air Pollution

Air Pollution and the Urban Environment

Acid Deposition

Global Climate

A World with Many Climates

Climatic Classification-The Koppen System

The Global Pattern of Climate

Climate Change

The Earth's Changing Climate

Possible Causes of Climatic Change

Global Warming

Light, Color, And Atmospheric Optics

White and Colors

White Clouds and Scattered Light

Blue Skies and Hazy Days

Red Suns and Blue Moons

Twinkling, Twilight, and the Green Flash

The Mirage: Seeing is Not Believing

Halos, Sundogs, and Sun Pillars

Rainbows

Coronas and Cloud Iridescence

Units, Conversions, Abbreviations, and Equations

Equations and Constants

Weather Symbols and the Station Model

Humidity and Dew-Point Tables (Psychromatic Tables)

Standard Atmosphere

Beaufort Wind Scale (Over Land)

Annual Global Pattern of Precipitation

Koppen's Climatic Classification System

Additional Reading Material

Glossary

Index

Credits

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.