Meteorology Today with Infotrac: An Introduction to Weather, climate, and the Environment

by AHRENS

• ISBN13: 9780495012986
• ISBN10: 049501298X
• Edition: 7th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-11-01
• Publisher: Brooks Cole

Summary

METEOROLOGY TODAY has for many years been one of the most widely used and authoritative texts for the introductory meteorology course. Each edition is extensively reviewed by leading researchers in the field to ensure that the text remains completely up-to-date and reflects today's current understanding of meteorological concepts. Author Donald Ahrens has been widely praised for his ability to explain relatively complicated ideas so that even under-prepared students can understand them. The text's clear and inviting presentation is supplemented by numerous pedagogical features that help augment students' understanding. Introductory stories found at the beginning of each chapter draws students naturally into the discussion. In-chapter reviews then help students to consolidate their understanding as they read, while four types of end-of-chapter exercises provide opportunities for everything from further review to in-class discussion questions. Graphics are carefully designed and subsequently refined so that the key ideas clearly emerge. Many of the photos in the book are taken by the author and provide unmatched images of dramatic weather phenomena. A unique and popular feature over this title's seven editions has been the foldout cloud chart at the back of the book. The package of teaching and learning tools to accompany this text will now include course management, and a FREE, brand-new, student tutorial system - MeteorologyNow. MeteorologyNow is Web-based, assessment-driven, completely flexible, and contains a wealth of book-specific interactivities. It also offers a personalized learning plan based on each student?s assessment results, helping the student focus on the concepts they don?t yet understand. This complete teaching package provides each student with fun, interactive learning opportunities and an even greater chance for success.

Table of Contents

1. The earth and its atmosphere. 2. Energy: warming the earth and the atmosphere. 3. Seasonal and daily temperatures. 4. Light, color, and atmospheric optics. 5. Atmospheric moisture. 6. Condensation: dew, fog, and clouds. 7. Stability and cloud development. 8. Precipitation. 9. The atmosphere in motion: air pressure, forces, and winds. 10. Wind: small-scale and local systems. 11. Wind: global systems. 12. Air masses and fronts. 13. Middle latitude cyclones. 14. Weather forecasting. 15. Thunderstorms and tornadoes. 16. Hurricanes. 17. Air pollution. 18. Global climate. 19. Climate change. Appendix A. Units, Conversions, Abbreviations, and Equations. Appendix B. Weather Symbols and the Station Model. Appendix C. Beaufort Wind Scale. Appendix D. Humidity and Dew-Point Tables. Appendix E. Instant Weather Forecast Chart. Appendix F. Changing GMT and UTC to Local Time. Appendix G. Heat Index (HI) Table. Appendix H. Standard Atmosphere. Appendix I. Hurricane Tracking Chart. Appendix J. Adiabatic Chart. Appendix K. Köppen Climatic Classification System. Appendix L. Annual Global Pattern of Precipitation. Appendix M. Climatic Data for Cities Throughout the World.