Weather : How It Works and Why It Matters. This item is unavailable.Weather : How It Works and Why It Matters

An insightful look at the science of weather and the human role in climate change.. Scientists have delved deep into the smallest particles of matter and have extended their view to the far reaches of the universe, but still seem unable to predict the temperature five days hence. In this intriguing book, two scientists examine recent progress in the fields of meteorology and climatology. Amid colorful anecdotes of the Galpagos, Siberia, and places closer to home, they describe the earth's atmosphere, its origin and structure, and the forces that have shaped and continue to affect it. They explore temperature, pressure, and other properties of air and weather, including warm and cold fronts, highs and lows, clouds, trade winds, prevailing westerlies, and sky phenomena such as rainbows, halos, coronae, and sun dogs. The authors end with a discussion of the major threats to earth's atmosphere brought on by human activity, including global warming and ozone depletion, and argue that pure science--not politics--should dictate our policy responses.

It's all around us, no matter how we try to escape. The turbulent air, carrying storms, cold and heat, is almost unbearably complex, yet we must understand it if we hope to undo some of the damage we've done to Earth's climate over the past century. Atmospheric scientists Arthur Upgren and Jurgen Stock make the case for this understanding and lay the groundwork for readers' learning with Weather: How It Works and Why It Matters. The writing is elegant and low-key, given the gravity of the situation; the authors take care to base their claims and explanations only on solid evidence.

Exploring the history of atmospheric science, the nature of storms, weather on other planets, paleoclimatology, and the current trend toward global warming, the authors masterfully express the simple principles that give rise to such wonderfully complex systems. From El Niño to Old Man Winter, the complete cast of meteorological characters travels across the stage, each adding a bit of insight before moving on. The closing chapters cover with the increasingly urgent greenhouse symptoms we have experienced, and ask for calm as we explore means to turn back the clock a bit. Readers looking for a quiet, rational guide to our planet's climate couldn't ask for better than Weather: How It Works and Why It Matters. --Rob Lightner