Meteorology Today: Introductory Weather Climate & Environment: An Introduction to Weather, Climate and the Environment

Cover......Page 1
Contents in Brief......Page 6
Contents......Page 8
Preface......Page 18
Explore the Concept Animations......Page 22
Chapter 1: Earth and Its Atmosphere......Page 26
 Overview of Earth's Atmosphere......Page 27
 Vertical Structure of the Atmosphere......Page 34
 Weather and Climate......Page 40
 Questions for Review......Page 50
 Questions for Thought......Page 51
 Problems and Exercises......Page 52
Chapter 2: Energy: Warming and Cooling Earth and the Atmosphere......Page 54
 Energy, Temperature, and Heat......Page 55
 Heat Transfer in the Atmosphere......Page 59
 Radiant Energy......Page 62
 Radiation: Absorption, Emission, and Equilibrium......Page 64
 Solar Particles, the Aurora, and Space Weather......Page 74
 Questions for Review......Page 78
 Questions for Thought......Page 79
 Problems and Exercises......Page 80
Chapter 3: Seasonal and Daily Temperatures......Page 82
 Why Earth Has Seasons......Page 83
 Local Seasonal Variations......Page 89
 Daily Warming and Cooling of Air Near the Surface......Page 91
 Applications of Air Temperature Data......Page 103
 Questions for Review......Page 110
 Questions for Thought......Page 111
 Problems and Exercises......Page 112
Chapter 4: Atmospheric Humidity......Page 114
 Circulation of Water in the Atmosphere......Page 115
 Evaporation, Condensation, and Saturation......Page 116
 Humidity......Page 118
 Questions for Review......Page 132
 Questions for Thought......Page 133
 Problems and Exercises......Page 134
Chapter 5: Condensation: Dew, Fog, and Clouds......Page 136
 The Formation of Dew and Frost......Page 137
 Haze......Page 138
 Fog......Page 139
 Foggy Weather......Page 145
 Clouds......Page 147
 Questions for Review......Page 163
 Problems and Exercises......Page 164
Chapter 6: Stability and Cloud Development......Page 166
 Atmospheric Stability......Page 167
 Determining Stability......Page 168
 Cloud Development......Page 175
 Questions for Review......Page 187
 Problems and Exercises......Page 188
Chapter 7: Precipitation......Page 190
 Precipitation Processes......Page 191
 Precipitation Types......Page 200
 Measuring Precipitation......Page 212
 Key Terms......Page 215
 Questions for Thought......Page 216
 Problems and Exercises......Page 217
Chapter 8: Air Pressure and Winds......Page 220
 Atmospheric Pressure......Page 221
 Surface and Upper-Level Charts......Page 226
 Forces That Influence the Winds......Page 232
 Winds and Vertical Air Motions......Page 243
 Summary......Page 245
 Questions for Thought......Page 246
 Problems and Exercises......Page 247
Chapter 9: Wind: Small-Scale and Local Systems......Page 250
 Scales of Atmospheric Motion......Page 251
 Small-Scale Winds Interacting with the Environment......Page 252
 Local Wind Systems......Page 260
 Determining Wind Direction and Speed......Page 275
 Questions for Review......Page 281
 Questions for Thought......Page 282
 Problems and Exercises......Page 283
Chapter 10: Wind: Global Systems......Page 286
 General Circulation of the Atmosphere......Page 287
 Jet Streams......Page 295
 Atmosphere-Ocean Interactions......Page 299
 Questions for Review......Page 313
 Problems and Exercises......Page 314
Chapter 11: Air Masses and Fronts......Page 316
 Air Masses......Page 317
 Fronts......Page 328
 Questions for Review......Page 340
 Questions for Thought......Page 341
 Problems and Exercises......Page 342
Chapter 12: Middle-Latitude Cyclones......Page 344
 Polar Front Theory......Page 345
 Where Do Mid-Latitude Cyclones Tend to Form?......Page 346
 Vertical Structure of Deep Dynamic Lows......Page 349
 Upper-Level Waves and Mid-Latitude Cyclones......Page 351
 The Necessary Ingredients for a Developing Mid-Latitude Cyclone......Page 353
 Vorticity, Divergence, and Developing Mid-Latitude Cyclones......Page 360
 Questions for Review......Page 366
 Problems and Exercises......Page 367
Chapter 13: Weather Forecasting......Page 370
 Weather Observations......Page 371
 Weather Forecasting Tools......Page 373
 Weather Forecasting Methods......Page 376
 Time Range of Forecasts......Page 387
 Accuracy and Skill in Weather Forecasting......Page 388
 Weather Forecasting Using Surface Charts......Page 391
 Using Forecasting Tools to Predict the Weather......Page 396
 Questions for Review......Page 402
 Questions for Thought......Page 403
 Problems and Exercises......Page 404
Chapter 14: Thunderstorms......Page 406
 Thunderstorm Types......Page 407
 Thunderstorms and Flooding......Page 422
 Distribution of Thunderstorms......Page 425
 Lightning and Thunder......Page 426
 Questions for Review......Page 435
 Problems and Exercises......Page 436
Chapter 15: Tornadoes......Page 438
 Tornadoes: A Few Facts......Page 439
 Tornado Formation......Page 448
 Observing Tornadoes and Severe Weather......Page 455
 Storm Chasing and Mobile Radar......Page 457
 Questions for Review......Page 459
 Problems and Exercises......Page 460
Chapter 16: Hurricanes......Page 462
 Anatomy of a Hurricane......Page 463
 Hurricane Formation and Dissipation......Page 466
 Hurricane Movement......Page 470
 Devastating Winds, the Storm Surge, and Flooding......Page 474
 Some Notable Hurricanes......Page 480
 Destructive Tropical Cyclones around the World......Page 486
 Hurricane Watches and Warnings......Page 489
 Hurricane Forecasting Techniques......Page 490
 Modifying Hurricanes......Page 491
 Questions for Review......Page 493
 Problems and Exercises......Page 494
Chapter 17: Global Climate......Page 496
 A World with Many Climates......Page 497
 Climatic Classification......Page 502
 The Global Pattern of Climate......Page 503
 Questions for Review......Page 523
 Problems and Exercises......Page 524
Chapter 18: Earth's Changing Climate......Page 526
 Reconstructing Past Climates......Page 527
 Climate throughout the Ages......Page 529
 Climate Change Caused by Natural Events......Page 533
 Climate Change Caused by Human (Anthropogenic) Activities......Page 541
 Climate Change: Global Warming......Page 545
 Questions for Review......Page 557
 Problems and Exercises......Page 558
Chapter 19: Air Pollution......Page 560
 A Brief History of Air Pollution......Page 561
 Types and Sources of Air Pollutants......Page 562
 Factors That Affect Air Pollution......Page 575
 Air Pollution and the Urban Environment......Page 581
 Acid Deposition......Page 583
 Questions for Review......Page 586
 Questions for Thought......Page 587
 Problems and Exercises......Page 588
Chapter 20: Light, Color, and Atmospheric Optics......Page 590
 Clouds and Scattered Light......Page 591
 Red Suns and Blue Moons......Page 595
 Twinkling, Twilight, and the Green Flash......Page 596
 The Mirage: Seeing Is Not Believing......Page 599
 Halos, Sundogs, and Sun Pillars......Page 600
 Rainbows......Page 603
 Coronas, Glories, and Heiligenschein......Page 606
 Questions for Review......Page 609
 Problems and Exercises......Page 610
Appendix A: Units, Conversions, Abbreviations, and Equations......Page 612
Appendix B: Weather Symbols and the Station Model......Page 615
Appendix C: Humidity and Dew-Point Tables (Psychrometric Tables)......Page 617
Appendix D: Average Annual Global Precipitation......Page 621
Appendix E: Instant Weather Forecast Chart......Page 623
Appendix: Changing GMT and UTC to Local Time......Page 625
Appendix G: Standard Atmosphere......Page 626
Appendix: Adiabatic Chart......Page 627
Glossary......Page 628
Additional Reading Material......Page 644
Index......Page 646