Edition Notes: Now in paperback
Author Statement: Bruce Buckley, Edward J. Hopkins and Richard Whitaker
Series Name: Visual Guides
Audience: Trade
Specs: 520 color photographs, illustrations and diagrams, factfile, glossary, index
Pages: 304
Trim Size: 9 1/4" x 9 1/4" X 1"
Language code 1: eng
Publication Date: 20080815
Weather: A Visual Guide
An introductory guide to understanding weather and its effect on our lives.
It is human nature to try to understand, predict and control the weather that affects crops, wildlife and even one's mood. The world's favorite topic of conversation is also the subject of increasing scientific study.
Weather: A Visual Guide explores how weather works and its effect at a local and global level, revealing the importance of climate in determining landscape, flora and fauna, and the overall quality of our lives. Using dramatic never-before-published aerial and satellite photography, this book provides information about a fascinating spectrum of natural phenomena, including:
- Extreme weather such as tornadoes and hurricanes
- Natural events that affect the weather
- Forecasting and predicting weather
- How weather affects life on Earth
- Climate change.
Colorful diagrams provide at-a-glance understanding of complex issues, with explanations for interpreting weather signs and charts. Beautifully illustrated and clearly written, Weather: A Visual Guide simplifies a complex subject.
| Bio: | Bruce Buckley is a senior meteorologist who has worked in the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and as chief meteorologist on television for Australia's Weather Channel. Edward J. Hopkins is a lecturer in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Wisconsin and a weather education consultant with the American Meteorological Society. Richard Whitaker is a meteorological consultant who provides services to businesses, governments and educational organizations. |
| Preface: | IntroductionAs Mark Twain said, "The weather is always doing something." It is, indeed, a phenomenon of universal interest and fascination, as well as research and scholarship. The beauty of an unusual cloud, the symmetry of a rainbow, the awesome power of a thunderstorm and the devastation of a hurricane -- all suggest a mighty power with influence over human affairs. Not surprisingly, early humans explained changes in weather as the actions of sky-gods who could reward or punish at will. Only in the last two centuries or so have scientific reasoning and experiment been used to explain the nature and causes of weather and to forecast its behavior. As this process developed, it was realized that because weather is a global phenomenon, international endeavor is required to understand and predict it. Unprecedented cooperation today provides one of the finest examples of international synergy united in a common cause. But this book begins well before that. It traces long-term climate change over Earth's 4600 million-year history; explains the complex atmospheric forces that influence weather; examines the complex atmospheric forces the influence weather; examines the diversity of climate throughout the world and how plants, animals and people have adapted to it; analyzes the factors that interact to create violent weather extremes; and review the latest research into current climate change. This weather odyssey is one of the more remarkable chapters in the story of humanity -- one that the reader will enjoy sharing. |
| TOC: | Introduction The Weather EngineFueled by the heat of the Sun, the weather is a system of cycles and forces within the atmosphere, the blanket of air that surrounds our planet. Vast waves of air and swirls of cloud circulate in complex, everchanging patterns, giving rise to winds, storms and other weather phenomena.
Weather in ActionThe beauty of a cloud formation, the symmetry of a rainbow, the life-giving power of rain and the eerie quiet of a winter snowstorm -- all these are expressions of weather in action. And all owe their origin to water in the atmosphere.
Extreme WeatherWeather is perhaps the last wild thing on Earth. The extreme winds of hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards and ice storms; the destructive power of avalanches, floods, wildfires and droughts -- all are reminders of the elemental forces of weather.
Watching the WeatherWeather forecasting is today a complex and highly technical process, relying on observation, satellite photography, radar and computer simulations. It has come a long way since the days of superstition and sky gods.
Global ClimateFrom Antarctic emperor penguins to the zebras of the African savanna, from lush tropical forests to desert cacti, the great diversity of life on Earth is largely a response to the challenges presented by our planet's different climates. Throughout the globe, humans too have made the most of this climatic variety.
The Changing ClimateEarth's climate has changed throughout the history of our planet. Many of these fluctuations are short-term patterns, but movements of air, water and landmasses all contribute to long-term change. The human impact, too, is significant: when we alter Earth's ecosystem, the effects can be dramatic.
Factfile |
