Mountain Weather and Climate

by Roger G. Barry

• ISBN13: 9780521681582
• ISBN10: 0521681588
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-07-28
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Mountain Weather and Climate remains the only all-encompassing textbook describing mountain weather and climate processes. Results from several recent major field programs have been incorporated into this completely updated edition, including the European Alpine Experiment, studies of air drainage in the western United States and experiments on air flow over low hills. There are many new figures and selected regional case studies including new material on central Asia, Tibet, Greenland, Antarctica, the Andes, New Zealand, the Alps and equatorial East Africa. Chapters examine topics from human bioclimatology, weather hazards and air pollution, to current climate change in mountain regions. Beginning with historical aspects of mountain meteorology, the book deals with the latitudinal, altitudinal and topographic controls of meteorological elements, circulation systems related to orography, and the climatic characteristics of mountains. It is ideal for graduates and researchers in meteorology, climatology, ecology, forestry, glaciology and hydrology.

Table of Contents

List of figures	p. vii
List of tables	p. xix
Preface to the Third Edition	p. xxi
Acknowledgments	p. xxii
Mountains and their climatological study	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
Characteristics of mountain areas	p. 2
History of research into mountain weather and climate	p. 5
The study of mountain weather and climate	p. 11
Geographical controls of mountain meteorological elements	p. 24
Latitude	p. 24
Continentality	p. 26
Altitude	p. 31
Topography	p. 72
Notes	p. 108
Circulation systems related to orography	p. 125
Dynamic modification	p. 125
Thermally induced winds	p. 186
Notes	p. 230
Climatic characteristics of mountains	p. 251
Energy budgets	p. 251
Temperature	p. 259
Clouds	p. 266
Precipitation	p. 273
Other hydrometeors	p. 316
Evaporation	p. 328
Notes	p. 342
Regional case studies	p. 363
Equatorial mountains - New Guinea and East Africa	p. 363
The Himalaya	p. 368
Sub-tropical desert mountains - the Hoggar and Tibesti	p. 378
Central Asia	p. 381
The Alps	p. 386
The maritime mountains of Great Britain	p. 397
The Rocky Mountains in Colorado	p. 401
The sub-polar St. Elias mountains - Alaska/Yukon	p. 407
High plateaus	p. 411
The Andes	p. 421
New Zealand Alps	p. 426
Note	p. 427
Mountain bioclimatology	p. 444
Human bioclimatology	p. 444
Weather hazards	p. 456
Air pollution in mountain regions	p. 460
Changes in mountain climates	p. 474
Evidence	p. 474
Significance	p. 486
Appendix	p. 495
Index	p. 497
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