Book Description

An Introduction to Numerical Weather Prediction Techniques is unique in the meteorological field as it presents for the first time theories and software of complex dynamical and physical processes required for numerical modeling. It was first prepared as a manual for the training of the World Meteorological Organization's programs at a similar level. This new book updates these exercises and also includes the latest data sets. This book covers important aspects of numerical weather prediction techniques required at an introductory level. These techniques, ranging from simple one-dimensional space derivative to complex numerical models, are first described in theory and for most cases supported by fully tested computational software. The text discusses the fundamental physical parameterizations needed in numerical weather models, such as cumulus convection, radiative transfers, and surface energy fluxes calculations. The book gives the user all the necessary elements to build a numerical model. An Introduction to Numerical Weather Prediction Techniques is rich in illustrations, especially tables showing outputs from each individual algorithm presented. Selected figures using actual meteorological data are also used.This book is primarily intended for senior-level undergraduates and first-year graduate students in meteorology. It is also excellent for individual scientists who wish to use the book for self-study. Scientists dealing with geophysical data analysis or predictive models will find this book filled with useful techniques and data-processing algorithms. ... Read more

Book Description

ULTIMATE CLEAN AIR ACT COMPLIANCE KITNow there's a complete manual for anyone concerned with volatile organic compounds and particulate matter in the air. Focusing on stationary sources (stack emissions), Atmospheric Dispersion Modeling Compliance Guide, by Karl B. Schnelle, Jr. and Partha R. Dey, gives you a framework for understanding air pollution modeling. With worked-out problems clarifying important models and concepts, this handy book/disc package is the clearest, most comprehensive and up-to-date, tool available for assuring compliance under the Clean Air Act and its amendments, and similar international regulations. You get: *Formulas for multiple sources and receptors *The Industrial Source Complex (ISC) model, puff and urban models, and boundary layer parameterizations models *Guidance on accidental emissions and chimney design *Review of harmonization of European models *Much more [CD-ROM logo - box] Included CD-ROM puts atmospheric diffusion modeling programs for dealing with real-world problems at your fingertips. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent Book!! . It contains all the teory needed.
The Authors have done an excellent job putting together, compiling and sorting the teory related with dispersion modeling.
The Book is written in a clear way to let you go deep and deep on the phenomena of dispersion, and the tools (mathematicals/procedures/etc) are introduced as needed.
The CDRom is an excellent to ilustrate and validate the teory and it let you begin the simulation process in a smooth way.
Excellent Book! ... Read more

Book Description

This history of the thermometer includes controversy about its invention, the story of different scales, Fahrenheit and centigrade, and the history of the gradual scientific then popular understanding of the concept of temperature. Not until 1800 did people interested in thermometers begin to see clearly what they were measuring, and the impetus for improving thermometry came largely from study of the weather -- the liquid-in-glass thermometer became the meteorologist's instrument before that of the chemist or physicist. This excellent introductory study follows the development of indicating and recording thermometers until recent times, emphasizing meteorological applications.

Book Description

In September 1928, when great storms were still unnamed, nearly 700 black men, women, and children were buried in an unmarked West Palm Beach ditch following the nation's second-deadliest hurricane. The savage gusts that churned the waters of Lake Okeechobee into a maelstrom of death afflicted victims of all races and classes, and produced tales of survival and loss among whites and blacks alike. The vast majority of the post-storm workers were poor black migrants; even if the hurricane was color-blind, the recovery and rebuilding effort were not. Palm Beach Post hurricane reporter and Florida native Eliot Kleinberg has penned the gripping tale of the killer hurricane. The storm's journey is chronicled as it kills perhaps 7,000 people along its path from the Caribbean to Canada, including a low official tally of 1,836 in Florida alone. Detailing the storm's track, the failure to properly predict landfall, personal battles against nature's wrath, and the extraordinary suffering of a black citizenry forced to provide a disproportionate amount of rebuilding labor and endure the burial of friends and family in an unmarked pit, Kleinberg tells a powerful story of man versus nature and man versus man. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Poorly known tragedy...and portent
I agree with other reviewers that spoke highly of this work. This book is deeply moving in its portrayal of how a natural disaster combined with ineffective governmental precautions, human arrogance, and racial inequity to create an unmitigated human tragedy. The portrayal of people from all across the board is unfettered by political correctness as the author explores the range from poor black laborers buried in mass graves to a reactionary black interest group that tried to discredit the Red Cross, one of the few organizations relatively prepared for this emergency.

The events in this book are made all the more tragic when one realizes that humans have learned precious little from this type of disaster. As the earth warms, whether caused by man or not, the probablility of catastrophic hurricanes reaching our coasts may dramatically increase. And yet we build on coastal land until the water has nowhere to go and we remain haughty in the face of natural power. We also ignore human factors seen in the 1928 storm that linger on in Florida.

I highly recommend reading this book within the context of modern times and possiblilities. Or, try immersing yourself (if you can get past the numerous "typos" in the book) in the world of early Florida settlement. Either way, you will embark on a heart-wrenching experience that will long be remembered.

The Definitive Book
(...) Kleinberg has assembled pretty much the definitive history of this hurricane, in a book that is very compellingly readable, meticulously researched and, above all, extraordinarily well-organized. The cliche's that so abounded in "Isaac's Storm," the history of the Galveston hurricane, are here mercifully lacking. This hurricane changed the whole shape and future of South Florida, tested the state's mettle (which was found wanting in many ways) and more or less declared the future of the Everglades ecosystem, in that Lake Okeechobee would never again be allowed to become so unruly and deadly. A vast dike surrounds it today, abhorred by environmentalists, blessed by farmers and developers. The whole problem of water in South Florida, what to do with it, how to manage it, dates from this pivotal point, the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane.

Kleinberg has done an excellent job of tracking down sources, both living and speaking, as well as dead and existing only in ink or newsprint. He has put it all together with remarkable clarity and verve. This is a very lively book, breathing with human breath and gasping at the onslaught of almost unearthly winds. It is scrupulously researched and documented chapter and verse. One cannot but be pained to learn that some of the most precious original documents, the original issues of the Palm Beach Post and source material from the Lawrence Will archive in Belle Glade, have been stolen; but Kleinberg has managed to reconstruct their content skilfully.

Today we are almost overwhelmed with escapist disaster books, from Mount Everest to Krakatoa (my favorite, for sheer absurdity, concerns a New England molasses spill; you would think the world were ending!). Here's one that actually speaks, resonates and still has consequences in the present time. The multi-billion-dollar Everglades Restoration Project still has to deal with the consequences of this 1928 hurricane, the dubious gift of having TOO much water, and what to do if you want to farm or build a condominium on land that used to be submerged. It's a fascinating, well-written account, equally at home in a library or on a bedside reading table. Highly recommended. I give it four stars merely to avoid the imputation of sycophancy and escape the charge of counterfeit reviewing with which Amazon has been lately plagued.

Compelling account of devasting 1928 hurricane
Do you ever stop and shake your head at all of the apartment complexes, condominiums, beachfront homes and commercial enterprises that have sprung up all along the coastline? It would seem that many Americans are unaware of or have become indifferent to the danger posed by hurricanes. In "Black Cloud", Eliot Kleinberg describes the horrors of the second deadliest hurricane in U.S. history. An estimated 7000 people were killed in its wake. Kleinberg describes the unique set of circumstances in 1928 Florida that caused the overwhelming majority of the casualties to occur inland near Lake Okeechobee.
The author provides the fascinating history that led to the draining of the Everglades, and the ill-advised construction of a flimsy dike around Lake Okeechobee that contributed in a huge way to the incomprehensible loss of life that occured during this storm. As is true in a great many disasters, what occured here was the unfortunate combination of a great many circumstances. I found the book to be fairly well written and for the most part easy to follow. And as you might expect, race played a major role in how the situation was handled by both public officials and the population at large. If you are a history buff or are fascinated with natural disasters this is certainly a book you should consider. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It is wonderfull !
Everybody that is interested in historical geology and paleontology must have this book. It is clear with a lot of informations, has beautifull pictures and a fantastic CD ROM. One of the best I bought last year ! ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Absorbing, up-to-date monograph by expert sets forth most of what has been learned about lightning, augmented with a generous selection of diagrams, charts, and photographs. Appendices on electromagnetics, statistics, and experimental techniques help clarify some of the concepts covered in the text. 144 illustrations. Appendices. Index.
... Read more

Book Description

This invaluable weather and climate workbook applies exercises to the material presented in the companion volume, Climatology: An Atmospheric Science. The book is designed to make complex mathematical, statistical and spatial analytical methods more easily understood by providing essential details of the topic under discussion and straightforward quantitative problems preceded by worked example. All data are supplied to make the exercises self-contained and the volume's climate rather then meteorologic presentation enables a wider view of atmospheric sciences than is normally available.The authors examine the atmosphere, the energy balance, the seasons, temperature, central tendency and graphing, atmospheric moisture and precipitation distribution, air masses, fronts, and cyclones, winds and the global circulation, climate classification, climate types, change, indices and comfort, extreme events and statistical analysis as they apply to weather and climate.For those interested in atmospheric science. ... Read more

Book Description

Climate Since AD 1500 presents a new perspective on the "Little Ice Age" and on the climate of the twentieth century. The editors have gathered together over fifty contributors from all over the world to provide as wide a geographical dimension as possible. Leading scientists in their fields, they present climatic and meteorological records of climatic variations available for the last 500 years, including research from several areas not previously recorded in English. These records include historical documents, long instrumental records, tree rings and ice core records, and records based on worldwide current research. An introductory chapter provides an explanation of the methods throughout and the book concludes with a summary of data from all the various records. ... Read more

Book Description

Until 1997, few people had heard of the seasonal current that Peruvians nicknamed El Niño. But when meteorologists linked it to devastating floods in California, severe droughts in Indonesia, and strange weather everywhere, its name became entrenched in the common parlance faster than a typhoon making landfall. Bumper stickers appeared bearing the phrase "Don't blame me; blame El Niño." Stockbrokers muttered "El Niño" when the market became erratic.

What's behind this fascinating natural phenomenon, and how did our perceptions of it change? In this captivating book, renowned oceanographer George Philander engages readers in lucid and stimulating discussions of the scientific, political, economic and cultural developments that shaped our perceptions of this force of nature.

The book begins by outlining the history of El Niño, an innocuous current that appears off the coast of Peru around Christmastime--its name refers to the Child Jesus--and originally was welcomed as a blessing. It goes on to explore how our perceptions of El Niño were transformed, not because the phenomenon changed, but because we did. Philander argues persuasively that familiarity with the different facets of our affair with El Niño--our wealth of experience in dealing with natural hazards such as severe storms and prolonged droughts--can help us cope with an urgent and controversial environmental problem of our own making--global warming.

Intellectually invigorating and a joy to read, Our Affair with El Niño is an important contribution to the debate about the relationship between scientific knowledge and public affairs.

... Read more

Book Description

The Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age are widelyconsidered to have been the major features of the Earth's climate overthe past 1000 years. In this volume the issue of whether there reallywas a Medieval Warm Period, and if so, where and when, is addressed.The types of evidence examined include historical documents, treerings, ice cores, glacial-geological records, borehole temperature,paleoecological data and records of solar receipts inferred fromcosmogenic isotopes. Growth in the availability of several of thesetypes of data in recent years, and technical advances in theirderivation and use, warrant this state-of-the-art re-examination ofMedieval Warm Period. The book will be of value to all those with an interest in the naturalvariability of the climate system, for example those concerned withanticipating and detecting anthropogenic climate change. ... Read more

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Book Description

Reviews (9)

The Scientific truth that Global isn't Warming!
This is one of the easiest books to follow that tell the truth about the non-existence of so-called "global warming." Here, Mr. Singer analyzes the Global Climate Treaty and shows how damaging it could be to our economy, if adopted. He goes on to review the relevant facts and figures that clearly indicate the lack of overall warming of our globe in the last decade. His conclusions regarding the effects of man-made carbon dioxide are also clearly justified and documented, showing that the media claims are simply not supported by known facts.

This book clearly explains why we should NOT sign the Kyoto treaty, as Pres. Bush insists, and for the same reasons, that it would decimate our economy without doing anything that useful for our worldwide environment. Americans of all parties should read this book and be prepared to resist the media fear-mongers who try to get us to run from their chicken-little-like scare tactics into the arms of economy-destroying legislation.

Painful to read
While Singer's book may provide some useful information about the global warming debate, it's overshadowed by shoddy organization and a weak writing style. The repetition of the same key information makes it appear as if Singer has ample evidence for his claim; however, his three major points appear in the foreword. Don't waste your time reading the whole book!

International obervation? Clear facts? Who needs 'em!
There is little to argue about on this issue when the simple facts already exist. Millions of scientists across the world run hundreds of thousands of tests to examine the man's effect on global warming. Most of this collection is unnecessary, however, as the idea behind man-made global warming is simple enough for anyone to understand. The carbon cycle is the process required for attaining a safe equilibrium inside any water-based planet's atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a natural heating agent which is periodically absorbed into water (the ocean) and later released back into the air. A certain amount of carbon dioxide should exist in both mediums, however this amount must remain relitivly undisturbed for an equilibium to exist. If humans constantly pour carbon dioxide into the air from burning fossil fuels, then the equilibrium will shut down, with the water absorbing as much carbon dioxide as possible and the air being overloaded, heating things up quite a bit. Many scientists believe this is what happened to Venus, a planet with an atmosphere overloaded with carbon dioxide.

Good job
Dr. Singer presents an excellent review of the problems associated with determining the future extent of global warming. He emphasizes the differences between land , ocean, and atmospheric temperature measurements. He also points out correctly that all forecasts depend on models and as we all know weather forecasting is far from an exact science even for the short time of a week or a few months. We still don't know, for instance, if we'll have good snow for the Olympics in Salt Lake City and they are only less than half a year away. How can we have the audacity to pretend to know what the temperature is going to be a hundred years from now? Models can only give answers based on information which is currently available but that is bound to change even within a decade. To engage in massive government intervention on basis of a perceived threat, which in turn rests on inadequate data, would qualify for inclusion in Tuchman's "March of Folly." Dr. Singer is to be congratulated for having had the courage to go against public pressures and present the facts as they exist.

Jury Still Out on Global Warming
This is a clear, concise presentation of the case against belief that there is a reason to fear global warming. If global warming did occur, the oceans and seas would not increase to envelop the earth as predicted, but they would decrease by evaporation into the clouds and then rain to produce more ice cap at the poles. Many other fears are dispelled by this book which should be must reading after all the science fiction produced in the press. ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides the first comprehensive account of the dynamical behaviour and mechanisms of the global climate system and its components, together with a modern survey of synoptic-scale weather systems in the tropics and extratropics. ... Read more

Book Description

A complete revision of Goody's classic 1964 work, this volume offers a systematic discussion of atmospheric radiation processes that today are at the center of worldwide study and concern. As a complete treatment of physical and mathematical foundations, the text assumes no prior knowledge of atmospheric physics. The theoretical discussion is systematic, and can therefore be applied with minor extension to any planetary atmosphere. ... Read more

Book Description

Perhaps because we can’t always predict it, and certainly can’t control it, our fascination with the weather never seems to wane. But despite our frequent powerlessness in the face of it, there is much we do know. The Weather takes a thrilling voyage to the heart of this phenomenon, that even in an age of air conditioning and artificial environments, is still central to the everyday life of the planet. From hurricanes and sandstorms, monsoons to avalanches, solar storms to the jet stream, The Weather showcases the most dangerous and dynamic forces of the weather.

Created by veteran BBC producer, editor and writer John Lynch, The Weather explains the science of weather clearly and accessibly, illustrated throughout with color photographs and graphics from The Learning Channel/BBC television series. The Weather begins with the basic questions: What is the weather, and what drives it? The book then goes on to cover every global weather phenomenon, with an in-depth introduction and sections on Wind, Wet, Cold and Hot. The book is especially revealing on how humans interact with weather - how we’ve adapted to it, suffered from it, harnessed it, and, finally, how we may be inadvertently changing it. The final section, Change, is a look at the meaning of global climate change patterns. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An excellent pictorial book about weather
Weather is not something I was taught a lot about in all my science classes in college. It was not considered an 'important' science such as physics, biology, or chemistry...but rather something for those who were specifically interested in weather, classes were offered. Even though I reached a higher level of science education, weather science was never offered as a possible elective. People tend to make fun of the weathermen/women...because weather is such an inexact science. But those 'pretty' faces on our televisions are much more trained then they were five or ten years ago, many of them having degrees in metorology.

BBC is just continuing the inroads made by popularizing certain sciences similar to what can be seen on Discovery Channel or on the Weather Channel itself. And of everything studied in weather, no type of weather phenomenon has instigated as much interest as tornadoes (and hurricanes to a lesser degree). This book shows those phenomenom...but also all the other parts of weather that lead up to such catastrophic events. Weather is hardly just tornadoes...in fact, tornadoes are limited pretty much to the continental U.S. and also limited to a few months out of the year. Even more important I think, as a scientist and teacher is rain and drought, since our abilities to feed ourselves and others are dependent upon that.

This book covers basically everything...and it is basic, with pictures and sidebars taking up a lot of space. The science is kept to a minimum, and the sidebars are full of interesting little facets of weather science. This is a good introductory book (especially for use of the pictures and photographs), but there is more information out there on the weather that is more scientifically and clearly presented by groups such as NASA and the NOAA, who do a lot to keep track of the weather. This book used in conjunction with other web sites and internet information can be valuable. This is another one of the sciences like biology, that changes quickly over small periods of time, as new technology such as satellite systems become available to accurately track weather systems across the world. So no book is going to be valuable, or more importantly, accurate for very long.

Karen Sadler,
Science Education,
University of Pittsburgh

Taken by storm
I borrowed this book from the library thinking it might satisfy my curoisity about weather cycles,storms, rain,wind etc.Well,I opened the book and was pulled in to a non stop delicious weather adventure.I sailed the violent seas, met bold scientists,travelled the globe on untamed winds and learned how the jetstream took the world by surprise.I don't usually get excited about these things but I can't stop talking about this book to my friends.This book is informative,fascinating and complete. It will receive a well favoured spot on my book shelf. ... Read more

Book Description

The man behind the WaveCast® surf forecasts at WetSand.com, Nathan Todd Cool, takes surf forecasting one step further, showing how you can make surf forecasts with simple calculations and free, publicly available data.

The WetSand WaveCast® Guide to Surf Forecasting explains in easy to understand terms the science behind waves, winds, water temperatures, tidal swings, and more.

Learn how to predict when swells will arrive, how big waves will be, and telltale signs of common hazards. Find out how to predict winds, forecast temperature fluctuations, and foresee anomalies like upwelling, and coastal eddies. Discover how to track tropical cyclones and how seasonal phenomena affect them.

A first of its kind, this informative resource will lead you from start to finish through the steps necessary to make surf forecasts, and refine them over time.

Written for both the novice and experienced water sport enthusiast, this book is truly a must-have for those who love to participate with the power of the ocean.

Reviews (1)

Incredibly informative!
I was always curious as to how to make surf forecasts, and with this book it was simple. The author goes into enough detail so that you know the variables involved, but doesn't get into boring details that can seem overwhelming. Instead, there are some simple calculations and explanations that make it easy for anyone to learn how to create their own surf forecasts, and learn how to estimate wind among other things. I found the book easy to read, informative, and well structured. ... Read more