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This student-friendly text offers a comprehensive introduction to the atmosphere - its components, problems, and applications. It contains easy-to-understand and everyday examples that reinforce basic concepts and related science principles. The coverage of environmental issues has been expanded. A natural (atmospheric) hazard theme is present throughout - for example hail; heat waves; avalanches; and mud slide hazards. The volume also features expanded discussions on the subjects of thunderstorms; tornadoes; and hurricanes. It also incorporates: chapter-end web site lists; special interest boxes; explore applications and highlights interesting examples and related science principles without disrupting the chapter flow; flexible organization; and permits instructors to rearrange or omit chapters without losing continuity.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Preface(p. x)
• Chapter 1 Introduction to the Atmosphere(p. 1)
• Weather and Climate(p. 2)
• Atmospheric Hazards: Assault by the Elements(p. 4)
• The Atmosphere: A Part of the Earth System(p. 6)
• Earth's Four Spheres(p. 6)
• Earth's Spheres Interact(p. 7)
• The Carbon Cycle(p. 8)
• Composition of the Atmosphere(p. 9)
• Major Components(p. 9)
• Carbon Dioxide(p. 9)
• Variable Components(p. 10)
• Ozone Depletion--A Global Issue(p. 12)
• The Ozone Hole(p. 12)
• Effects of Ozone Depletion(p. 13)
• Montreal Protocol(p. 14)
• Probing the Atmosphere(p. 14)
• Height and Structure of the Atmosphere(p. 16)
• Pressure Changes(p. 17)
• Temperature Changes(p. 17)
• Vertical Variations in Composition(p. 21)
• The Ionosphere(p. 21)
• Chapter 2 Heating Earth's Surface and Atmosphere(p. 27)
• Earth-Sun Relationships(p. 28)
• Earth's Motions(p. 28)
• The Seasons(p. 28)
• Earth's Orientation(p. 30)
• Solstices and Equinoxes(p. 31)
• Energy, Heat, and Temperature(p. 35)
• Types of Energy(p. 35)
• Heat Energy Versus Temperature(p. 35)
• Mechanisms of Energy Transfer(p. 36)
• Conduction(p. 36)
• Convection(p. 36)
• Radiation(p. 37)
• Laws of Radiation(p. 38)
• The Fate of Incoming Solar Radiation(p. 39)
• Reflection and Scattering(p. 40)
• Absorption by Earth's Surface and Atmosphere(p. 45)
• Radiation Emitted by Earth(p. 45)
• Heating the Atmosphere(p. 45)
• The "Greenhouse Effect"(p. 47)
• Role of Clouds in Heating Earth(p. 48)
• Heat Budget(p. 48)
• Latitudinal Heat Balance(p. 50)
• Chapter 3 Temperature(p. 56)
• For the Record: Air Temperature Data(p. 57)
• Why Temperatures Vary: The Controls of Temperature(p. 59)
• Land and Water(p. 60)
• Ocean Currents(p. 63)
• Altitude(p. 64)
• Geographic Position(p. 66)
• Cloud Cover and Albedo(p. 67)
• World Distribution of Temperatures(p. 68)
• Cycles of Air Temperature(p. 70)
• Daily Temperature Variations(p. 70)
• Magnitude of Daily Temperature Changes(p. 72)
• Annual Temperature Variations(p. 73)
• Temperature Measurement(p. 73)
• Mechanical Thermometers(p. 73)
• Electrical Thermometers(p. 76)
• Instrument Shelters(p. 77)
• Temperature Scales(p. 77)
• Applications of Temperature Data(p. 78)
• Heating Degree-Days(p. 79)
• Cooling Degree-Days(p. 80)
• Growing Degree-Days(p. 80)
• Temperature and Comfort(p. 81)
• Chapter 4 Moisture and Atmospheric Stability(p. 86)
• Movement of Water Through the Atmosphere(p. 87)
• Water's Changes of State(p. 88)
• Water in the Atmosphere(p. 90)
• Vapor Pressure and Saturation(p. 90)
• Relative Humidity(p. 92)
• How Relative Humidity Changes(p. 94)
• Natural Change in Relative Humidity(p. 96)
• Dew Point Temperature(p. 96)
• Humidity Measurement(p. 98)
• Adiabatic Temperature Changes(p. 99)
• Adiabatic Cooling and Condensation(p. 101)
• Lifting Processes(p. 103)
• Orographic Lifting(p. 103)
• Frontal Wedging(p. 105)
• Convergence(p. 105)
• Localized Convective Lifting(p. 106)
• The Critical Weathermaker: Atmospheric Stability(p. 107)
• Types of Stability(p. 108)
• Stability and Daily Weather(p. 112)
• How Stability Changes(p. 112)
• Temperature Changes and Stability(p. 113)
• Vertical Air Movement and Stability(p. 113)
• Chapter 5 Forms of Condensation and Precipitation(p. 118)
• Condensation(p. 119)
• Condensation Aloft and Cloud Formation(p. 120)
• Clouds(p. 120)
• Cloud Classification(p. 120)
• Cloud Descriptions(p. 120)
• Fog(p. 128)
• Fogs Formed by Cooling(p. 128)
• Fogs Formed by Evaporation(p. 129)
• Dew and Frost(p. 130)
• How Precipitation Forms(p. 130)
• Precipitation from Cold Clouds: The Bergeron Process(p. 131)
• Precipitation from Warm Clouds: The Collision-Coalescence Process(p. 133)
• Forms of Precipitation(p. 136)
• Rain(p. 137)
• Snow(p. 137)
• Sleet and Glaze(p. 138)
• Hail(p. 139)
• Rime(p. 141)
• Precipitation Measurement(p. 142)
• Standard Instruments(p. 143)
• Measuring Snowfall(p. 144)
• Measurement Errors(p. 144)
• Precipitation Measurement by Weather Radar(p. 146)
• Intentional Weather Modification(p. 146)
• Cloud Seeding(p. 147)
• Fog and Cloud Dispersal(p. 148)
• Hail Suppression(p. 148)
• Frost Prevention(p. 150)
• Inadvertent Weather Modification: Urban-Induced Precipitation(p. 150)
• Chapter 6 Air Pressure and Winds(p. 156)
• Understanding Air Pressure(p. 157)
• Measuring Air Pressure(p. 158)
• Factors Affecting Air Pressure(p. 161)
• Pressure Changes With Altitude(p. 162)
• Factors Affecting Wind(p. 163)
• Pressure-Gradient Force(p. 164)
• Coriolis Force(p. 168)
• Friction(p. 170)
• Winds Aloft and Geostrophic Flow(p. 171)
• Curved Flow and the Gradient Wind(p. 173)
• Surface Winds(p. 175)
• How Winds Generate Vertical Air Motion(p. 175)
• Vertical Airflow Associated with Cyclones and Anticyclones(p. 176)
• Factors That Promote Vertical Airflow(p. 177)
• Wind Measurement(p. 178)
• Chapter 7 Circulation of the Atmosphere(p. 184)
• Scales of Atmospheric Motion(p. 185)
• Large- and Small-Scale Circulation(p. 185)
• Structure of Wind Patterns(p. 187)
• Local Winds(p. 187)
• Land and Sea Breezes(p. 187)
• Mountain and Valley Breezes(p. 189)
• Chinook (Foehn) Winds(p. 190)
• Katabatic (Fall) Winds(p. 190)
• Country Breeze(p. 190)
• Global Circulation(p. 192)
• Single-Cell Circulation Model(p. 192)
• Three-Cell Circulation Model(p. 192)
• Observed Distribution of Pressure and Winds(p. 194)
• Idealized Zonal Pressure Belts(p. 194)
• Semipermanent Pressure Systems: The Real World(p. 195)
• Monsoons(p. 197)
• The Asian Monsoon(p. 197)
• The North American Monsoon(p. 199)
• The Westerlies(p. 199)
• Why Westerlies?(p. 200)
• Jet Streams(p. 200)
• Origin of the Midlatitude Jet Stream(p. 201)
• Subtropical Jet Stream(p. 202)
• Waves in the Westerlies(p. 202)
• Westerlies and Earth's Heat Budget(p. 203)
• Global Winds and Ocean Currents(p. 205)
• The Importance of Ocean Currents(p. 206)
• Ocean Currents and Upwelling(p. 207)
• El Nino and La Nina(p. 207)
• Global Distribution of Precipitation(p. 211)
• Zonal Distribution of Precipitation(p. 211)
• Distribution of Precipitation Over the Continents(p. 213)
• Precipitation Regimes on a Hypothetical Continent(p. 215)
• Chapter 8 Air Masses(p. 220)
• What Is an Air Mass?(p. 221)
• Source Regions(p. 222)
• Classifying Air Masses(p. 223)
• Air-Mass Modification(p. 224)
• Properties of North American Air Masses(p. 224)
• Continental Polar (cP) and Continental Aretic (cA) Air Masses(p. 225)
• Lake-Effect Snow: Cold Air Over Warm Water(p. 227)
• Maritime Polar (mP) Air Masses(p. 229)
• Maritime Tropical (mT) Air Masses(p. 231)
• Continental Tropical (cT) Air Masses(p. 233)
• Chapter 9 Weather Patterns(p. 236)
• Polar-Front Theory(p. 238)
• Fronts(p. 239)
• Warm Fronts(p. 240)
• Cold Fronts(p. 242)
• Stationary Fronts(p. 243)
• Occluded Fronts(p. 243)
• Drylines(p. 243)
• Life Cycle of a Midlatitude Cyclone(p. 245)
• Formation: The Clash of Two Air Masses(p. 245)
• Development of Cyclonic Flow(p. 245)
• Occlusion: The Beginning of the End(p. 247)
• Idealized Weather of a Midlatitude Cyclone(p. 248)
• Cyclogenesis(p. 250)
• Cyclonic and Anticyclonic Circulation(p. 250)
• Divergence and Convergence Aloft(p. 252)
• Traveling Cyclones(p. 254)
• Patterns of Movement(p. 255)
• Anticyclonic Weather and Blocking Highs(p. 256)
• Case Study of a Midlatitude Cyclone(p. 257)
• Violent Spring Weather(p. 257)
• Weather in Peoria(p. 264)
• Chapter 10 Thunderstorms and Tornadoes(p. 268)
• What's in a Name?(p. 269)
• Thunderstorms(p. 270)
• Air-Mass Thunderstorms(p. 271)
• Stages of Development(p. 271)
• Occurrence(p. 273)
• Severe Thunderstorms(p. 273)
• Supercell Thunderstorms(p. 273)
• Squall Lines and Mesoscale Convective Complexes(p. 276)
• Lightning and Thunder(p. 280)
• What Causes Lightning?(p. 280)
• The Lightning Stroke(p. 281)
• Thunder(p. 282)
• Tornadoes(p. 284)
• The Development and Occurrence of Tornadoes(p. 286)
• Tornado Development(p. 286)
• Tornado Climatology(p. 286)
• Profile of a Tornado(p. 288)
• Tornado Destruction(p. 289)
• Tornado Forecasting(p. 290)
• Tornado Watches and Warnings(p. 291)
• Doppler Radar(p. 292)
• Chapter 11 Hurricanes(p. 299)
• Profile of a Hurricane(p. 301)
• Hurricane Formation and Decay(p. 302)
• Hurricane Formation(p. 303)
• Hurricane Decay(p. 307)
• Hurricane Destruction(p. 307)
• Storm Surge(p. 307)
• Wind Damage(p. 310)
• Inland Flooding(p. 310)
• Detecting and Tracking Hurricanes(p. 314)
• The Role of Satellites(p. 314)
• Aircraft Reconnaissance(p. 315)
• Radar and Data Buoys(p. 315)
• Hurricane Watches and Warnings(p. 316)
• Chapter 12 Weather Analysis and Forecasting(p. 319)
• The Weather Business: A Brief Overview(p. 320)
• Weather Analysis(p. 321)
• Gathering Data(p. 322)
• Weather Maps: Pictures of the Atmosphere(p. 322)
• Weather Forecasting(p. 324)
• Synoptic Weather Forecasting(p. 324)
• Numerical Weather Prediction(p. 328)
• Statistical Methods(p. 329)
• Techniques Used in Short-Range Forecasting(p. 329)
• Long-Range Forecasts(p. 330)
• Forecast Accuracy(p. 332)
• Tools in Weather Forecasting(p. 335)
• Satellites in Weather Forecasting(p. 336)
• What Weather Satellites Reveal(p. 337)
• Measurement by Satellite(p. 338)
• Weather Forecasting and Upper-Level Flow(p. 339)
• The Winter of 1977(p. 341)
• Chapter 13 Air Pollution(p. 347)
• A Brief Historical Perspective(p. 348)
• Air Pollution: Not a New Problem(p. 348)
• Some Historic Episodes(p. 350)
• Sources and Types of Air Pollution(p. 350)
• Primary Pollutants(p. 351)
• Secondary Pollutants(p. 354)
• Trends in Air Quality(p. 355)
• Meteorological Factors Affecting Air Pollution(p. 359)
• Wind as a Factor(p. 359)
• The Role of Atmospheric Stability(p. 359)
• Acid Precipitation(p. 362)
• Extent and Potency of Acid Precipitation(p. 362)
• Effects of Acid Precipitation(p. 363)
• Chapter 14 The Changing Climate(p. 367)
• The Climate System(p. 368)
• Is Our Climate Changing?(p. 369)
• How Do We Detect Climate Change?(p. 369)
• Evidence from Sea-Floor Sediment(p. 369)
• Evidence from Oxygen Isotope Analysis(p. 370)
• Evidence from Other Sources(p. 370)
• Natural Causes of Climate Change(p. 372)
• Plate Tectonics and Climate Change(p. 372)
• Volcanic Activity and Climate Change(p. 373)
• Orbital Variations(p. 376)
• Solar Variability and Climate(p. 378)
• Human Impact on Global Climate(p. 379)
• Carbon Dioxide, Trace Gases, and Climate Change(p. 380)
• How Do Aerosols Influence Climate?(p. 382)
• Climate-Feedback Mechanisms(p. 384)
• Some Possible Consequences of a Greenhouse Warming(p. 385)
• Water Resources and Agriculture(p. 385)
• Sea-Level Rise(p. 385)
• New Weather Patterns(p. 386)
• Chapter 15 World Climates(p. 390)
• Climate Classification(p. 391)
• Climate Controls: A Summary(p. 392)
• Latitude(p. 396)
• Land and Water(p. 397)
• Geographic Position and Prevailing Winds(p. 397)
• Mountains and Highlands(p. 397)
• Ocean Currents(p. 397)
• Pressure and Wind Systems(p. 397)
• World Climates--An Overview(p. 398)
• The Wet Tropics (Af, Am)(p. 398)
• Temperature Characteristics(p. 399)
• Precipitation Characteristics(p. 401)
• Tropical Wet and Dry (Aw)(p. 403)
• Temperature Characteristics(p. 404)
• Precipitation Characteristics(p. 404)
• The Monsoon(p. 404)
• The Cw Variant(p. 406)
• The Dry Climates (B)(p. 406)
• What Is Meant by "Dry"?(p. 406)
• Subtropical Desert (BWh) and Steppe (BSh)(p. 408)
• West Coast Subtropical Deserts(p. 411)
• Middle-Latitude Desert (BWk) and Steppe (BSk)(p. 412)
• Humid Middle-Latitude Climates with Mild Winters (C)(p. 413)
• Humid Subtropical Climate (Cfa)(p. 413)
• The Marine West Coast Climate (Cfb)(p. 414)
• The Dry-Summer Subtropical (Mediterranean) Climate (Csa, Csb)(p. 415)
• Humid Continental Climates with Severe Winters (D)(p. 416)
• Humid Continental Climate (Dfa)(p. 416)
• The Subarctic Climate (Dfc, Dfd)(p. 421)
• The Polar Climates (E)(p. 422)
• The Tundra Climate (ET)(p. 422)
• The Ice Cap Climate (EF)(p. 424)
• Highland Climates(p. 425)
• Chapter 16 Optical Phenomena of the Atmosphere(p. 413)
• Nature of Light(p. 432)
• Reflection(p. 432)
• Refraction(p. 433)
• Mirages(p. 435)
• Rainbows(p. 437)
• Halos, Sun Dogs, and Solar Pillars(p. 440)
• The Glory(p. 442)
• The Corona(p. 443)
• Appendix A Metric Units(p. 447)
• Appendix B Explanation ad Decoding of the Daily Weather Map(p. 450)
• Appendix C Relative Humidity and Dew Point Tables(p. 457)
• Appendix D Correcting Mercurial Barometer Readings(p. 459)
• Appendix E Laws Relating to Gases(p. 464)
• Appendix F Climate Data(p. 466)
• Glossary(p. 471)
• Index(p. 481)