Making Sense of Weather and Climate
The Science Behind the Forecasts
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- USD 36.99
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- USD 36.99
Descripción editorial
How do meteorologists design forecasts for the next day's, the next week's, or the next month's weather? Are some forecasts more likely to be accurate than others, and why? Making Sense of Weather and Climate takes readers through key topics in atmospheric physics and presents a cogent view of how weather relates to climate, particularly climate-change science. It is the perfect book for amateur meteorologists and weather enthusiasts, and for anyone whose livelihood depends on navigating the weather's twists and turns.
Making Sense of Weather and Climate begins by explaining the essential mechanics and characteristics of this fascinating science. The noted physics author Mark Denny also defines the crucial differences between weather and climate, and then develops from this basic knowledge a sophisticated yet clear portrait of their relation. Throughout, Denny elaborates on the role of weather forecasting in guiding politics and other aspects of human civilization. He also follows forecasting's effect on the economy. Denny's exploration of the science and history of a phenomenon we have long tried to master makes this book a unique companion for anyone who wants a complete picture of the environment's individual, societal, and planetary impact.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Physicist Denny (Lights On!) outlines the differences between weather and climate in this educational volume on meteorology and meteorological forecasting. In short, he defines climate as local weather patterns averaged over time. As Denny lays out the particulars, he discusses weather fronts and weather patterns; wind, rain, and fog; and key features of tornadoes, hurricanes, and thunderstorms. According to Denny, weather is "one of the most relevant applications of science," affecting people's daily lives in terms of what they wear to work or their means of transportation. Denny's discussions on cloud formations there are four basic forms and 10 basic types prove particularly fascinating. Cirrus clouds, for example, look like "wispy white filaments," and cumulus clouds resemble "dense white-gray cauliflowers with well-defined edges." Photographs and illustrations further help readers with identification. Sections on the use of radar and satellite technologies to collect data are interesting, though the narrative predictably lags when talk turns to statistics. Denny sets out to achieve the admirable goal of conveying "something of the intricacy and depth of atmospheric and oceanic physics" to the lay reader; he succeeds in some areas more than others. Illus.
