Reviews (6)

Great story and well told
You should read this book if you are at all interested in ice ages, geology, history of science, climate change, or just a good story. It's a quick but thorough telling of the discovery of the ice ages and how their nature and origin have been slowly uncovered over the following 150 years (and still going!). No other book does so much in such a short space on the subject. One of the authors was personally involved in the story, so he has insider authority. Unfortunately, this probably accounts for the slower pace of the last few chapters, where events close to him are described in much greater detail. And even though the book is only 15 years old the last chapter (on a future ice age and the potential for global warming) seems outdated. Still, the book is well worth a quick read.

The Earth's past climate-more important than you think
As a geologist, this book answered a lot of questions I've had concerning the cause(s) of the ice ages. I'd known about rumours about the configuration of the continents, Milankovitch's astronomical cycles, variation in sun output, changes in ocean currents, and so on, for some years, but I really needed a detailed analysis of the historical arguments, and the more recent evidence as to why these changes in the earth's climate occur. This book answers just about all I needed to know, as well as being a good study of historical science. It was some time before all the pieces began to fit, and there are still some unexplained aspects, such as why the 100,000 glacial cycle is stronger than the 20,000 and 40,000 year cycles. Also, early arguments revolving around the Biblical flood are enlightening.

This book details all the theories, and the history behind their development. From deep sea radiolarians, to terraced reefs in the equatorial regions, to vegetation studies in Europe, to the level of snow on Ethiopia's mountains, to axis and ellitpical variations in the earth's orbit, to the gravitational effect of the pull on the earth from other planets, to oxygen isotope studies, to graphs of variation in thermal energy, temperature and sea level at different lattitudes-both expected from Milankovitch cycles-and actual from deep sea analysis, this book pretty much covers all you need to know. The only drawback is it has missed a few recent ideas in the 1980s to 1990s, but the story was pretty much over by then. Pretty conclusive evidence is detailed on how regular and episodic variations in the earth's orbit around the sun trigger periodically cooler climates than at present. These have been particularly strong in the last 1.5 million years or so, which is thought to do with the configuration of recent continental geography. In the last 7,000 years the tmeperature has dropped around 2 degrees, and will continue to drop over the next several thousand years at least, albeit very slowly, if it wasn't of course for the already verified greenhouse warming. Unfortunately, being published in the late 1970s, the book has not captured much of the recent data and debate concerning the greenhouse effect, but is nevertheless an intriguing and enlightening expose of earth climate variations.

The other thing which struck me just a little, was the fact that the major ice age periods in the earth's past have been at or around 3 interesting changes or developments in evolutionary history-the Permo-Carboniferous (ie Permian-Triassic extinction), Pre-Cambrian (multicelled organisms), and Quaternary-Recent (hominids). Certianly the hominid succession has been mostly within major changes in the earths climate, including significantly colder periods, and vast ice sheets across northern lattitudes. Maybe coincidental, but something to think about.

Interesting Book
I found this a well written account of the subject. The authors include an extensive history of the intellectual development of the concept as well as scientific documentation of the cyclical nature of ice ages. This would be a good book to read along with The Ice Finders, which is a somewhat more intimate account of the early research on ice ages.

A very interesting, readable book
In addition to providing an interesting explanation for long-term climate change, this book gives a fascinating account of the dawning realization first that the Earth had ever experienced an Ice Age, then that the Earth had in fact experienced numerous Ice Ages, and finally that the Ice Ages have come and gone in time with variations in the Earth's orbit. While some of the early work was carried out by the usual lot of well-bred and well-educated (but sometimes eccentric) elites, the stories behind Croll and Milankovitch leave one amazed at the degree of focus that some individuals can bring to bear on a problem. It is a level of obsession and dedication that has to excite a certain amount of admiration.

I thus recommend this book for its historic, personal, and scientific content. Read it!

Very well done indeed...
I am very impressed with this book and use it as a textbook for side reading in my glacial geology classes. ... Read more

Book Description

Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize

The early years of the nineteenth century saw an intriguing yet little-known scientific advance catapult a shy young Quaker to the dizzy heights of fame. The Invention of Clouds tells the extraordinary story of an amateur meteorologist, Luke Howard, and his groundbreaking work to define what had hitherto been random and unknowable structures—clouds.

In December 1802, Luke Howard delivered a lecture that was to be a defining point in natural history and meteorology. He named the clouds, classifying them in terms that remain familiar to this day: cirrus, stratus, cumulus, and nimbus. This new and precise nomenclature sparked worldwide interest and captured the imaginations of some of the century's greatest figures in the fields of art, literature, and science. Goethe, Constable, and Coleridge were among those who came to revere Howard's vision of an aerial landscape. Legitimized by the elevation of this new classification and nomenclature, meteorology fast became a respectable science.

Although his work is still the basis of modern meteorology, Luke Howard himself has long been overlooked. Part history of science, part cultural excavation, The Invention of Clouds is a detailed and informative examination of Howard's life and achievements and introduces a new audience to the language of the skies.
... Read more

Reviews (16)

Excellent book regarding clouds and their names
This oddly shaped (5.5 inches tall by 8 inches long) historical volume deftly captures the societal context and impact of pharmacist Luke Howard's classification of cloud types in the early 1800s. Hamblyn, a British historian of geophysical sciences, superbly limns the self-improving scientific ethos of Howard's Quaker working-class milieu. This portion of the book is excellent history, not just excellent history of science. However, the center of the book does not quite hold: Howard and the invention of his cloud scheme can be covered in far fewer than 403 pages. The last quarter of The Invention of Clouds strays farther and farther from the title, e.g., with a diverting chapter on the Beaufort wind scale. Hamblyn's failure to fully examine Howard's classification scheme in light of modern cloud observations will frustrate meteorologists. Even more frustrating for the general reader is the lack of any cloud photographs--despite the fact that the design of the book is perfect for landscape-oriented plates. Nevertheless, Hamblyn's prose brings Luke Howard, his time, and his clouds to life for the first time, a praiseworthy accomplishment. Suitable for most readers; the meteorology is explained at the introductory level.

The Man Who Named the Clouds
"The Invention of Clouds" is an endearing little book about a generally forgotten moment in the history of science. It seems obvious to us today but until Englishman Luke Howard, a chemist with an interest in the then-young science of meteorology, gave a public lecture on cloud classification in London in 1802, nobody had been able to categorize cloud formations in an easily-understood and consistent manner. The terms we take for granted-cumulus, cirrus, stratus and so forth-were applied by the 30 year-old Howard for the first time. He drew upon his classical education to find suitable Latin names for what he termed "the modifications of clouds." He understood that clouds pass through stages and in his lecture he described the changes they underwent. His audience understood immediately the importance of his lecture and it was published soon afterwards to great acclaim.

Luke Howard became famous throughout the world. It is clear that he must have viewed this with mixed feelings. As a modest Quaker, he did not seek celebrity but as a scientist he was undoubtedly proud of his accomplishment. It is a beautiful achievement. By naming that which was ever-present but unnamed, Luke Howard helped forge the language of meteorology and provided some of the most important tools for weather observation and forecasting. His Latin names speak to the universality of climate and his detractors, who felt that the classifications should have been in English, were soon silenced. The book describes the reaction of artists as well. On the one hand, there were those who believed that clouds, as objects of great natural beauty and a symbol of freedom, would lose something by being systematically classified, as if they were species of beetles, but others, including the painter Constable, used the classification of the clouds as a basis for their art. The great genius of the period, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, completely enchanted by Luke Howard's work and personality, dedicated a series of marvellous poems to him, with each stanza based on one of the new cloud-forms.

But even having poetry dedicated to you by Goethe is not enough to claim enduring fame. Luke Howard seems to have lived a quiet existence, marked by some success in business and a happy family life. He died at the age of 91, remembered fondly by only his relatives. Richard Hamblyn, in writing this book, must have struggled to develop enough material as it appears that the lecture of 1802 was the high point of Luke Howard's scientific life and his attention was then taken up more by commerce and religious issues. Mr. Hamblyn gives us a history of the earlier attempts to define clouds, reaching back to Aristotle. He throws in the story of the Beaufort Wind Scale, which was inspired by but not as readily-accepted as Luke Howard's cloud system. He deals with the subsequent amendments to the cloud classifications and we learn of the International Meterological Conference and its winsomely-named Cloud Committee, which was to produce the International Cloud Atlas.

All very interesting, but it is in the sections about Luke Howard and his contemporaries, fascinated by the rapid progress in science at the end of the 18th Century, where the book is most alive. Richard Hamblyn ably paints a picture of London's crowded lecture halls where science was popular culture, of dangerous experiments and fantastic personalities. Men of brilliant and adventurous minds, often denied higher education due to their religion, could look into the future and stake a claim. The author, in sharing Luke Howard's triumph with us, has written an elegant work brimming with enthusiasm.

A look at how early 19th-century science worked
This book takes you to England of around 1800, when a young amateur scientist managed to come up with the nomenclature we use to this day to classify clouds. The life of Luke Howard is fascinating in and of itself as he goes about his scientific and business dealings. The author also notes why Mr. Howard's system became the system used today, even though it was only one of several major attempts to classify clouds as meteorology became more systematic. The book covers its topic well and would be of interest to anyone interested in the history of meteorology or scientific inquiry.

The creation of a new language of science and art.
A young man, obsessed with clouds and their formation, makes a detailed study of them. All this has been done before, but never in such a concise, visionary way, nor with a naming convention as brilliant in its simplicity, expressiveness and utility as Luke Howard's.

His story is dealt with in a series of chapters that digress from the main thrust of the book to outline the history of the philosophical changes that were taking place, in Europe particularly. Almost any cockeyed idea found a ready audience, who were equally ready to dismiss ideas out-of-hand. The trick was presentation. Many of the famous names in science at the end of the 18th century were showmen, financing their researches by giving displays or private shows... getting your name known was half the battle.
Luke Howard was born into a world where being in the right place at the right time meant more than any social connections or political clout.
But, being a Dissenter, he had no formal education, no political clout and no social connections - not much chance for him to get his ideas aired, it seemed. Nor was he a showman - his Quaker upbringing saw to that - so luck, and dedication, came to his assistance.

Philosophical societies and journals were in their infancy, and were ready to embrace anyone who could increase membership or circulation. This was the chance, and in an hour-long presentation, young Howard captivated his audience and introduced a naming system for clouds, which is still in use today, 200 years on. This was what meteorology had been waiting for - a standard method of logging cloud formations. This was invaluable too for poets and writers, who suddenly found a new addition to their descriptive vocabulary. Small wonder that cirrus, cumulus and nimbus quickly entered everyday conversation (the Englishman's main topic being the weather).

The book is very well written, giving us a feel for the social, political and philosophical climate in the Napoleonic era. By various pertinent descriptions of people and events directly and indirectly connected with Howard, we are introduced to some of the greats of the Age of Enlightenment; but none of it feels contrived or beside the point, nor is it ever boring.

This is an enthralling read, illustrating how easily a single person or idea can change the direction and thrust of a science... Well worth reading.

Reading Atop Cloud Nine
Luke Howard was an amateur in the true sense of the word; Luke Howard named the clouds for the love of them. Richard Hamblyn does a fine job telling the story of Luke Howard's life, his naming of the clouds, and Howard's milieu in the book The Invention Of Clouds. Howard, a Quaker and a pharmacist, went from unknown working man to celebrity when he presented his paper "On The Modifications Of Clouds" to the Askesian Society in London on a night in December of 1802. The paper had the right combination of insights, poetry, and luck to insure that the terms cirrus, stratus, cumulus, and nimbus [or derivatives] are still being used by meteorologists today. Hamblyn's weave of biography, history, art, and science was enjoyable to read and held together most of the time [Chapter 10: The Beaufort Scale was not as well connected to book as the rest of the material]. The hardback is such a beautiful and unusual book, I shelved my copy, waited for the paperback to read it, and then donated the paperback to the high school library. I highly recommend The Invention Of Clouds to anyone with an interest in meteorology, history, Quakerism, or biography. ... Read more

Book Description

John Houghton explores the scientific basis of global warming and the likely impacts of climate change on human society in this comprehensive guide to the subject. He then addresses the action that could be taken by governments, industry and individuals to mitigate the effects of global warming. Previous Edition Hb (1997): 0-521-62089-9 Previous Edition Pb (1997): 0-521-62932-2 ... Read more

Reviews (3)

confusing
This is the first book I've read on global warming. I'm writing an argumentative essay for my college english class about global warming, and this book isn't helping me much. I haven't finished reading it, but what I have read just confuses me. It is, however, very informative.

Much ado about nothing
Houghton writes well, of course, but his book misses the actual point of the global warming debate. Global warming is probably not man-made. It matters little how many arguments for this view can be amassed, what matters is that the evidence against anthropogenic climate influence is studiously ignored.

A book should strive to tell the truth. The truth does not come through if it is avoided. The author should have been careful to meet all arguments against belief in anthropogenetic climate alteration, but chose not to. That is cheap and less than honest, intellectually and otherwise.

The book does not even give alternatives a chance to be reviewed, nor does it accept the fact that the minority view normally tends to be the correct one in scientific matters. These are not popularity contests. A majority of scientists believe that...etc. That is horsemanure. The truth matters, not a democratic majority, for in the end truth should be all that matters. Most ground breaking scientists were a woeful minority consisting of themselves. Yet they were often right.

In fact, this book simply misleads rather than educates, which is a shame.

Informative and stimulating overview of global warming issue
This is the first book I have read on global warming. Sir John Houghton has provided a carefully written account, with good explanations, fairly thorough referencing, and informative charts and figures. The subject of global warming is presented from a multifaceted perspective, with both informative factual material as well as elements of a personal perspective, introduced in a non-forceful but persuasive manner.

The book is aimed at those who know little about climatology or global warming. It will help to have some general scientific background. The pertinent facts - how much we have increased the atmosphere's CO2 concentration, in what way this gas effects the earth's energy balance, etc. - are available here, and the information is referenced to primary scientific sources. The prognosis for a warming of the atmosphere is gently asserted in the affirmative, but the uncertainties are also presented. Without being a climatologist, I found most of my qestions of this nature were answered. The only point I was curious about but found missing was what recent changes in glaciers tell us about the present tendency of global temperature.

After presenting the data, the models and arguing gently for a moderate warming tendency, Houghton presents several nice chapters on effects (potentially severe) and responses to the problem, with a particular emphasis on energy. The suggested responses leave one with the sense that Houghton is an optimist. He incites to action, where it is hard to imagine today's politicians asking us to change our habits so fundamentally.

This book is stimulating, both on the subject of global warming (whether or not it is occurring, how much, what is our role), as well as on the potential consequences and suitable responses. Considering that a response is advisable - a point of view which Houghton advances - one is left with a sense of the large scale of the responses which are necessary to reverse the accumulation of CO2: is mankind's ability to improvise its way out of a fix capable of dealing with a problem whose solution would require changes of this magnitude? ... Read more

Book Description

This volume simply and clearly covers all important elements of dynamic meteorology: meteorological thermodynamics, statics, hydrostatic stability, atmospheric radiation, hydrodynamics, energy, and circulation. Yet, despite its breadth, this work assumes no more than a sophomore physics and calculus background. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An excellent introduction to theoretical meteorology!
First published in 1959, this text is a true classic and has stood thetest of time. Very few mathematical or gramatical errors (I know of none!).Written in a clear and concise fashion. Truly one of my favoritemeteorology texts! ... Read more

Book Description

Complete with numerous exercise sets and solutions, this work is written for advanced students of meteorology and related sciences as well as professional meteorologists and researchers.The first part of the book presents the mathematical tools needed for a thorough understanding of the topics covered in the second.These topics include kinematics of the atmosphere; inertial and dynamic stability; turbulent systems; and novel weather prediction methods with potential for extending the forecasting range. ... Read more

Book Description

Richard Alley, one of the world's leading climate researchers, tells the fascinating history of global climate changes as revealed by reading the annual rings of ice from cores drilled in Greenland. In the 1990s he and his colleagues made headlines with the discovery that the last ice age came to an abrupt end over a period of only three years. Here Alley offers the first popular account of the wildly fluctuating climate that characterized most of prehistory--long deep freezes alternating briefly with mild conditions--and explains that we humans have experienced an unusually temperate climate. But, he warns, our comfortable environment could come to an end in a matter of years.

The Two-Mile Time Machine begins with the story behind the extensive research in Greenland in the early 1990s, when scientists were beginning to discover ancient ice as an archive of critical information about the climate. Drilling down two miles into the ice, they found atmospheric chemicals and dust that enabled them to construct a record of such phenomena as wind patterns and precipitation over the past 110,000 years. The record suggests that "switches" as well as "dials" control the earth's climate, affecting, for example, hot ocean currents that today enable roses to grow in Europe farther north than polar bears grow in Canada. Throughout most of history, these currents switched on and off repeatedly (due partly to collapsing ice sheets), throwing much of the world from hot to icy and back again in as little as a few years.

Alley explains the discovery process in terms the general reader can understand, while laying out the issues that require further study: What are the mechanisms that turn these dials and flip these switches? Is the earth due for another drastic change, one that will reconfigure coastlines or send certain regions into severe drought? Will global warming combine with natural variations in Earth's orbit to flip the North Atlantic switch again? Predicting the long-term climate is one of the greatest challenges facing scientists in the twenty-first century, and Alley tells us what we need to know in order to understand and perhaps overcome climate changes in the future. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Timely and important information about climate change
The whole issue of global warming has seemed confusing to the ordinary punter. On the one hand we hear dire warnings, on the other we also hear that "the jury is still out". This book was written by a scientist who was involved in analysing the information provided by ice cores during "three trips to Antarctica, five trips to Greenland, and countless hours in frozen laboratories". He knows what he is talking about. In this book he explains for the lay reader why the two-mile ice cores obtained from Greenland are so important, what they tell us about the Earth's climate in the past (and how this information is supported by other climate records), and what they suggest about the Earth's climate in the future.

The ice core data is recent and very important. I think that anyone having read this book will be up to date with the latest scientific data on climate change and its scientific justification. While some of the information is rather technical, the author has successfully attempted to make it understandable, interesting and relevant for the non-scientist.

Not like the cubes in your fridge
Alley joins the growing number of field scientists relating their experiences and the research performed by them. In his case the field is the top of the Greenland Ice Cap. The research is the study of ice patterns stretching back over 100 000 years. What do these patterns tell us? Need we care? He explains detail with clarity and detail how the research is done, and describes what has been revealed by it. What those finds tells us of the past, present and might mean in the future become the remainder of the book. One thing stands out vividly - climate not only varies more than we believe, it changes far more rapidly than we expected.

The Greenland Ice Cap bears an astonishingly detailed record of environmental events. Far more than simply packed snow, this massive archive keeps information about distant volcanic events, how much salt is in the sea water and what kind of winds played over the Earth's surface. Even conditions in distant Asia are recorded here in the dust layered within the ice. There are records of long periods of cold and announcements about continental drifting. Alley explains all the elements that must be examined in the layered ice, how they came about and why they occurred. Earth's solar orbit, its tilting angle to the sun, and the slow precessional rotation of the poles. All these motions are further complicated by oceanic currents, wind patterns and humidity levels. Alley describes tracking some of the variations as "following a roller-coaster with a man bouncing on a bungee cord while spinning a yo-yo". It's a dizzying picture and he's quick to point out that many points remain unexplained.

Is this an issue that should concern us? Human history from the onset of agriculture has been a period of unusual stability. The future, Alley tells us, is highly uncertain. The only certainty is that climate will change - it must. Global warming is a fact, not a supposition, he asserts. One result of it will be the addition of fresh water into the "conveyor belt" of oceanic water exchange. The North Atlantic is the key site. Interruption of that exchange by extra meltwater from North America will intrude - chilling northern Europe. Human populations will be affected differently in various places. There will be winners and losers in this situation, but the losers will certainly outnumber the winners. How severe will the changes be? "I don't know". How fast will the changes come about? "I don't know". His lack of knowledge doesn't stem from lack of effort. He reminds us that the information gleaned from Greenland is still new. There's much to learn and do. He calls to us: "Send us your brightest students to help, and cheer them on!". A good piece of advice, but not one likely to be taken by a people choosing business instead of science.
[stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Superb presentation of solid (ice) science
The remarkable discovery of abrupt climate change is presented at what I considered just the right level. The annotated bibliography refers the reader to the original research papers. The acknowledgements are a graceful and detailed tribute to the author's colleagues. No superfluous material. The author's scientific personality shines through. This is the most enjoyable science book I've read in the past few years.

No unifying theme
While this book is a nice quick read, I find that it lacks unity. Alley spends much time discussing the 'conveyor belt' of ocean currents, and how it's shutdown causes world cooling. However, in later sections he states that greenhouse gases will likely warm the planet. This contradicts his earlier statements that short term warming causes ice melting, shutting down the ocean currents, and utimately _cooling_ the earth - possibly even putting it in an ice age.

If anything, the book is a mosaic of the tools scientists use to try and study earth's climate. However, what one takes away from this book is that we really don't know how it works -we just have good ideas. The final chapters are laden with comments about how we have no idea what the future holds in terms of climate. This detracts from the earlier discussion since it seems like we have no reason to believe Alley.

The analogies used in this book are also quite poor. Please give your readers some credit. The analogies are so dummed down that they are outright ridiculous. They would be appropriate for a 10-year old (or younger).

Covers a lot in a small space
Although I never completed the degree, I have most of a baccalaureate in geology. Since paleontology and earth history were my main interests, the title Two-Mile Time Machine: Ice Cores, Abrupt Climate Change, and Our Future by Richard B. Alley naturally caught my eye. The book is an excellent exposition on the recent data collection from ice cores obtained from the more stable portions of the Greenland ice sheet. I had come across this data source before while on a geologic field trip on Santorini helping with research on the volcanic activity that occured there during the Minoan period. It had been information from this source that had helped to date the volcanic event, so I was particularly interested in learning more about how it was obtained and about its reliability.

In part two of the text, the author lucidly describes the rationale behind the selection of ice and of Greenland as an "archival" source. He discusses the methods in and problems of obtaining and preserving the material intact and uncontaminated and the methods of analysis that produced the data. Throughout the following chapters, he lays out for the reader the thinking that went into its interpretation and how this information can be used as a paradigm with which future outcomes of climate change might be predicted. Because Alley, a professor of geoscience at Penn State, took an actual part in all of these proceedings and is an active scientist himself, he is well positioned to give an informative account of the topic. He also has a readable writing style which many such individuals do not.

Although I felt that his attempt to "get down to" the level of his non-technical audience was sometimes a little patronizing, I did think that his explanations of some of the physical systems was very clear. The description of the events leading to and during the Younger Dryas got a little confusing with the comparison to a roller coaster with a bungee jumper and a yo-yo, but by the end of the chapter one still had a fair idea of what he was trying to convey.--I think he was just trying a little too hard. His explanations of important environmental cycles with which I was already familiar--like those of the carbon, the water, the heat distribution, the oceanic and lake water overturn, and atmospheric cycles and those of the Coriolis and Milankovich effects--were very clear. In fact they were clearer than some textbook descriptions I've read. Although I had read of the effects of fresh water on the North Atlantic "conveyor belt" and its subsequent effect on global climate, I had not encountered the Dansgaard-Oeschger cycle or the Heinrich-Bond oscillations in my reading in the past. The author's presentation was therefore of interest to me.

For most readers, part five will probably be of greatest interest. Here the author puts what is known or suspected of climatic mechanics to work in predicting possible impacts of human activity on global climate and the world's population. Here too he points out the nature of the scientific method and its limitations. He is quite clear that some of what he states in his final analysis with respect to the future is personal opinion and not science.

As an earlier reviewer points out, the book is an excellent portrayal of how science works, particularly in the aspects of framing a problem and a means of approaching it experimentally, and interpreting the data that arises therefrom. I found it a very entertaining book. ... Read more

Book Description

This book introduces and explains the statistical methods used to describe, analyze, test, and forecast atmospheric data. It will be useful to students, scientists, and other professionals who seek to make sense of the scientific literature in meteorology, climatology, or other geophysical disciplines, or to understand and communicate what their atmospheric data sets have to say. The book includes chapters on exploratory data analysis, probability distributions, hypothesis testing, statistical weather forecasting, forecast verification, time(series analysis, and multivariate data analysis. Worked examples, exercises, and illustrations facilitate understanding of the material; an extensive and up-to-date list of references allows the reader to pursue selected topics in greater depth.

Key Features
* Presents and explains techniques used in atmospheric data summarization, analysis, testing, and forecasting
* Includes extensive and up-to-date references
* Features numerous worked examples and exercises
* Contains over 130 illustrations ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The quintessential text and reference.
Wilks brilliantly covers the fundamentals of statistical methods for atmospheric data with clarity and precision. This book is a classic, and a much-needed successor to the 1958 text by Panofsky and Brier. Moreover, the book's coverage is applicable to other geophysical fields, such as hydrology, which broadens its usefulness for researchers, practitioners, and students.

Essential for students; valuable for researchers
This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the most commonly used statistical methods in atmospheric research. It is written at a level that is suitable for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students with only a moderate level of mathematical ability, but is suitable also as a basic text book for researchers with moderate experience in statistics. It lacks some depth in some sections, such as in discussions of multivariate methods, but for students the coverage is ideal, and I would strongly recommend the book as a standard text for any course in research methods for atmospheric scientists. Topics covered include empirical distributions and exploratory data analysis, data distributions, hypothesis testing, forecasting and verification methods, time series, and multivariate analyses.

Statistical methods are introduced in the context of their application. The emphasis is on solutions to meteorological problems rather than on the statistical methods per se. Although I see this approach as a major strength of the book, one result is that the book may be of less interest to non-atmospheric scientists. Limitations of the methods are discussed, and the reader is given considerable assistance in interpreting the statistical results of the methods covered. The mathematical back ground is kept at a level that should be digestible by most students. Equations are relatively few, but not lacking, so the mathematically shy should be able to gain a lot from the book. The text is excellently written: very clear and the logical development is very smooth. I think in time this book will prove to appeal to a wide range of atmospheric scientists.

The Bible for Atmoshperic Sciences
Need more be said? A comprehensive guide to the most useful statistical methods in the fields of oceanographic, meteorological and climatological research. This is the bible for atmospheric research and a neccessity on every research scientist's bookshelf. ... Read more

Book Description

Air Pollution Meteorology and Dispersion provides a concise yet thorough review of the basic theories, models, experiments, and observations of pollutant dispersal in the atmosphere. It offers the theoretical and empirical bases of frequently used dispersion models while emphasizing the limitations and uncertainties inherent in these models. Organized into twelve chapters, the material is presented in order of increasing difficulty. The first half of the book treats the basic tenets of air pollution modeling; the second half deals with the more detailed theoretical and observational aspects of dispersion. Sufficient background material on atmospheric structure, dynamics, and circulation systems and their importance to atmospheric dispersion is included for students who do not yet have a strong meteorological background. Turbulence and diffusion theories, such as gradient transport, statistical, and similarity theories, as well as analytical and numerical dispersion and air quality models, are also discussed. Problems and exercises are included in each chapter, making this an ideal text for undergraduate and graduate courses in atmospheric science and mechanical engineering. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the first time that a single book has attempted tocover the whole of the fossil history of insects so comprehensively.The volume embraces the history of insect palaeontology, methods forstudying fossils, the taphonomic processes leading to their formation,the diagnostic features of all insect orders, both extant and extinct,the major fossils of each order, and the implications that can bedrawn from the palaeoentomological record about past ecology andclimates. Many new insights are presented. It is the product principally of the largest palaeoentomological groupin the world, in Moscow, and makes full use of the remarkablecollection that these workers have developed. It includes a very largenumber of illustrations showing both real fossils and reconstructionsof extinct taxa. The systematic part is treated in a phylogeneticframework, with information on fossil groups being used to helpinterpret relationships. An appendix provides information on virtuallyall sites where fossil insects have been found. This book is essentialto all students of palaeoentomology and contains a wealth ofinformation that will be of interest to students of insectevolutionary relationships and of palaeontology in general. ... Read more

Book Description

From the publisher

Interactions between the sun, solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere can influence the performance and reliability of space-borne and ground-based technologies, and endanger human life and health. Here is the state-of-the-art resource on our observational knowledge, theoretical understanding, and numerical capability about space weather. From discussions on broad scientific, technological, industrial, commercial, and programmatic issues to reviews of current research, Space Weather offers a rich perspective for a variety of scientists. Solar, heliosphere, and magnetosphere physicists, aeronomers, astronomers, and more will find this book an invaluable research and teaching tool. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Not for the faint of heart....
In the field of meteorology, there are few individuals who understand how space weather impacts industrial concerns from a day to day operational standpoint. Attempting to educate my coworkers, I requested this text. Essentially, it's a well-organized collection of full research papers (some hitting the target near-center, and some partially if not completely in left field). It'll do, but I really wanted to share something more concise and more direct with my fellow mets. My next attempt in finding a suitable source will be "Storms from the Sun: The Emerging Science of Space Weather" by Michael Carlowicz, Ramon Lopez. ... Read more

Book Description

Revised and updated, Skywatch West offers a clear and interesting way of understanding how weather actually works, from calm and predictable cycles to dramatic and unpredictable events. Through Richard A. Keen’s lively descriptions and colorful photographs, readers will discover all the joys of weather-watching in the always fascinating American West. They will also learn practical skills, such as how to "read" clouds, how to build a home weather station, and how to read weather maps.

Being prepared for the weather around us is an integral part of life in the West, where the weather can be as wild and rugged as the land itself. As Keen points out, westerners have seen winds "strong enough to send parked airplanes into unwanted flight and airborne planes crashing to the ground"; storms so intense they have flattened forests, destroyed bridges, and washed neighborhoods into the sea; and temperatures so high only the Sahara has recorded higher ones. And much more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The best for becoming a Meteorologist
The best book ever!!! ... Read more

Book Description

The Tri-State Tornado is a gripping account of the worst tornado disaster in American history. Claiming 689 lives during a three-hour rampage across Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana on March 18, 1925, the storm had one of the longest uninterrupted paths (219 miles) and one of the widest (up to one mile) of any recorded tornado. Its continuous energy was so extreme that it completely obliterated several small towns in its path. Although the fatality count was nearly that of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, with the exception of meteorologists and residents of the affected area, few had ever heard of this catastrophe until this book's initial release in 1992.

The Tri-State Tornado reconstructs the tragedy, using vivid eyewitness accounts of fourteen survivors who lived along the tornado's path from the Missouri Ozarks to southwestern Indiana. The clarity with which they recall that day in their lives over sixty years earlier will give readers the unsettling feeling that the tornado struck days, not decades, ago. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A must for severe weather freaks.
I first read this book while taking a class in severe & unusual weather at the University of Illinois a few years ago. If you're into jaw-dropping weather phenomena, you really need to get this book. There are great interviews with survivors, a few astounding pictures, and some good basic science to back it all up. ... Read more

Book Description

This book presents an up-to-date analysis of ocean-atmosphereinteraction. Well known experts examine diverse subjects such as oceansurface waves, air-sea exchange processes, ocean surface mixed layer,water-mass formation, as well as general circulation of the oceans, ElNino and Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and the deep-ocean circulation.Other areas described are basic dynamics, data analysis techniques,numerical modelling, and remote sensing. This book is primarily aimed at graduate and senior undergraduatecourses in the area of ocean-atmosphere research. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Mariner Must!
This book breaks down the basics of marine weather for any novice sailor and brings the deep details in for the seasoned seaman. A nautical must. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

A good meteorology primer
I read this book during a rainy spring weekend. It gives a good understanding of meteorology and clouds, developing everything clearly. I have since taken several meteorology courses and read numerous books about the weather, but nothing has ever explained things as well or as simply as this book did. This book is filled with full-color illustrations, distinguishing it from most other books that just have black and white illustrations.

Weather
This is a short book, similar in format to the other Golden Guides. It's gone through several revisions, but the content remains consistent.

People interested in basic meteorology may consider this book a good starting point. It provides the basics on air currents, precipitation, clouds, fronts, etc. It may not be text book calibre, but it remains true to its roots. Teens may find the information useful, particularly if they have questions that parents cannot answer. There's not a lot of technical language that will only add to the confusion and the chapters are short enough to keep the reader on track.

Fun little guide
This was one of the original Golden Guides done back in the 50's, along with The Stars, Rocks and Minerals, Birds, North American Trees, and some others. I collected and read just about all of these and it's surprising how much info they got into these little books. Each book is exactly 160 pages, if I remember right. Thus, they have a fixed format, so they have to be very careful about what they select for material since it all has to fit.

These books sold for 75 cents or 95 cents originally. They were great little educational tools when I was a schoolboy, and I could still read them with profit many years later.

The more specialized ones, such as Pond Life, Structural Geology, The Heart, Insect Pests, Spiders and Their Kin, Mushrooms and Non-Vascular plants, were also very good. ... Read more

Book Description

In Lightning Physics and Lightning Protection the

authors provide a comprehensive and up-to-date

review of lightning, including its hazards and

protection techniques. The book considers:

The mechanisms of lightning discharge

processes: the initiation of a leader, return stroke

and subsequent components, using experimental

data and theory.

The effects of large aircraft, high-voltage lines

and other high-altitude constructions on lightning

trajectory and leader attraction.

The action of lightning's electrical and magnetic

fields and the lightning current on industrial

premises, power transmission lines, underground

communications, aircraft and their electrical

circuits and the induction of a dangerous

overvoltage.

Effectiveness of conventional protective

measures, and gives technical advice and

practical recommendations.

The prospects for the preventive control of a

lightning leader.

The reader will not find here all numerous

observations on lightning, but measurements

useful for the understanding of lightning and its

effects are selected and critically discussed. The

clear, straightforward and systematic

presentation of complicated material, a deep

insight into the physics of lightning, a wide use of

simple analytical estimats as well as a detailed

illustration of effects by computer simulation

create a book that will be of use to a wide circle

of professional and advanced students of

physics, geophysics, electro-, power-, radio-,

aircraft- and spacecraft engineers, who

investigate lightning phenomena and have to

solve practical protection problems. It will help a

specialist involved in new technology to foresee

possible hazardous effects, providing them with

the information necessary to control the

destructive action of lightning. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Lightning physics and lightning protection
The title was taken from the famous book edited by R. Golde "Lightning": part 1 "Lightning physics", part 2 "Lightning protection". I expect this book will be also so important work in the field. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the first book to cover essentially all aspects of lightning, including lightning physics, lightning protection, and the interaction of lightning with a variety of objects and systems as well as with the environment. Accessible to the technical non-expert, it is addressed to anyone interested in lightning and its effects. ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides a synthesis of the past decade of research into global changes that occurred in the earth system in the past. Focus is achieved by concentrating on those changes in the Earth's past environment that best inform our evaluation of current and future global changes and their consequences for human populations. The book stands as a ten year milestone in the operation of the Past Global Changes (PAGES) Project of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP). It seeks to provide a quantitative understanding of the Earth's environment in the geologically recent past and to define the envelope of natural environmental variability against which anthropogenic impacts on the Earth System may be assessed. ... Read more