Product Description
Thoroughly restructured and updated with new findings and new features

The Second Edition of this internationally acclaimed text presents the latest developments in atmospheric science. It continues to be the premier text for both a rigorous and a complete treatment of the chemistry of the atmosphere, covering such pivotal topics as:
* Chemistry of the stratosphere and troposphere
* Formation, growth, dynamics, and properties of aerosols
* Meteorology of air pollution
* Transport, diffusion, and removal of species in the atmosphere
* Formation and chemistry of clouds
* Interaction of atmospheric chemistry and climate
* Radiative and climatic effects of gases and particles
* Formulation of mathematical chemical/transport models of the atmosphere

All chapters develop results based on fundamental principles, enabling the reader to build a solid understanding of the science underlying atmospheric processes. Among the new material are three new chapters: Atmospheric Radiation and Photochemistry, General Circulation of the Atmosphere, and Global Cycles. In addition, the chapters Stratospheric Chemistry, Tropospheric Chemistry, and Organic Atmospheric Aerosols have been rewritten to reflect the latest findings.

Readers familiar with the First Edition will discover a text with new structures and new features that greatly aid learning. Many examples are set off in the text to help readers work through the application of concepts. Advanced material has been moved to appendices. Finally, many new problems, coded by degree of difficulty, have been added. A solutions manual is available.

Thoroughly updated and restructured, the Second Edition of Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics is an ideal textbook for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students, as well as a reference for researchers in environmental engineering, meteorology, chemistry, and the atmospheric sciences.

Click here to Download the Solutions Manual for Academic Adopters: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-292291.html

  ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

pretty good book, but terrible package
The condition of the book is good, and seems more than 80% new. But the package was terrible. It was broken on a whole side. But luckily nothing worse happened to the book anyway, so thank you!

amazing book - bad package
Very nice book. This book is a nice reference in all fields (mainly atmospheric chemistry). I really recommends this book. The only problem is the package that AMAZON sent to me... ridiculous...

cover was demaged
My comment is not directly related to the content of the book. it is about to the delivery of Amazon which was not good. The corner of the book which I purchased was damaged two times. If you want customer satisfaction, prepare better packages.

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics contains more than you ever want to know about the workings of the atmosphere
I purchased this textbook for a class on Atmospheric Processes. It goes into far more depth than I ever imagined, and you probably wouldn't see half of this material until quite a ways into your graduate degree in atmospheric science. That being said, it is absolutely comprehensive - there probably isn't a single thing you couldn't find somewhere in its pages. ... Read more

Product Description

Since the Industrial Revolution the chemical composition of the atmosphere has changed at a rate unprecedented in recent history. Ozone depletion emerged as one of the most important environmental issues of the 20th century as evidence grew for substantial human influences on the atmospheric ozone abundances over much of the globe. The science of the ozone layer and its interactions with halogenated chemical compounds are the primary subjects of this book.

The volume provides a comprehensive view of the chemical, dynamical, and radiative processes that affect ozone and other chemicals in the stratosphere and mesosphere. Over recent decades our understanding of these processes has increased dramatically. The discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole has shown that human activities can lead to major changes in our environment.

From a review of a previous edition -

"[…] an interesting and well-written overview of the current status of our knowledge of the composition of the middle atmosphere and the basic radiative, dynamical and photochemical processes which maintain it."
(Bulletin American Meteorological Society)

Product Description
A quantitative introduction to the Earth's atmosphere for intermediate-advanced undergraduate and graduate students, with an emphasis on underlying physical principles. This edition has been brought completely up-to-date, and now includes a new chapter on the physics of climate change which builds upon material introduced in earlier chapters, giving the student a broad understanding of some of the physical concepts underlying this most important and topical subject. In contrast to many other books on atmospheric science, the emphasis is on the underlying physics. Atmospheric applications are developed mainly in the problems given at the end of each chapter. The book is an essential resource for all students of atmospheric physics as part of an atmospheric science, meteorology, physics, Earth science, planetary science, or applied mathematics course. ... Read more

Product Description
Fundamentals of Atmospheric Physics emphasizes the interrelationships of physical and dynamical meteorology. The text unifies four major subject areas: atmospheric thermodynamics, hydrostatic equilibrium and stability, atmospheric radiation and clouds, and atmospheric dynamics. These fundamental areas serve as cornerstones of modern atmospheric research on environmental issues like global change and ozone depletion. Physical concepts underlying these subject areas are developed from first principles, providing a self-contained text for students and scholars from diverse backgrounds.
The presentation is Lagrangian (single-body problems) in perspective, with a balance of theory and application. Each chapter includes detailed and extensive problems; selected answers are provided, as are appendices of various constants. The text requires a thorough foundation in calculus.


* Presents a comprehensive introduction to atmospheric thermodynamics, hydrostatics, radiation and clouds, and dynamics
* Develops concepts from first principles, providing a self-contained volume for readers from diverse backgrounds
* Emphasizes the interaction of physical processes shaping global problems of atmospheric energetics, transport, and chemistry
* Provides a balance of theory and applications, with examples drawn from a wide range of phenomena figuring in global atmospheric research
* Extensively illustrated with global satellite imagery and analyses and photographs of laboratory simulations
* Exercises apply to a wide range of topical problems ... Read more

Product Description
The state of the atmosphere influences the activities of modern society and the quality of life, which is evident in agricultural productivity, the health impact of exposure to gases, particles, and sunlight, and property damage associated with severe weather events.Principles of Atmospheric Science provides a comprehensive introduction to atmospheric science for undergraduate students in the physical sciences, as well as those seeking to understand how physics and chemistry manifest themselves in the atmospheric environment.The text presents atmospheric science as an application of fundamental scientific principles meshed with observation. The author identifies the fundamental concepts and principles related to atmospheric science, presenting students with a "big picture" approach to this fascinating field.Principles of Atmospheric Science will leave students with a firm grasp of the basic science that underlies the Earth's climate system. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fantastic Piece of Literature
This book is a fascinating work delving into our intricate atmosphere. Expecting to read only what I learned in my college level science classes, I proved to be wrong. For an in depth, easy read on the composition and structure of Earth's atmosphere as well as an interesting look at its origins, this is the book to get. It also offers a fairly comprehensive review of other physical science and environmental evaluations. I was surprised at how much I learned about weather especially, even after taking a course on meteorology 3 years ago. I consider this a must-read for anyone vaguely interested in science/Earth and certainly recommend this to friends. ... Read more

Product Description
Written as a textbook as well as a reference, the authors provide a treatment of the chemistry of the atmosphere. Some of the elements covered are: formation; growth; dynamics; meteorology of air pollution; the interaction of atmospheric chemistry and climate; and the radiative and climatic effects of gases and particles. ... Read more

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This is a new edition of the successful and comprehensive textbook on the atmospheric processes, numerical methods, and computational techniques required for advanced students and scientists to successfully study air pollution and meteorology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A hard book to categorize
This is Mr. Jacobson's latest update to his unique text on the mathematical modeling of the atmosphere. I think it would be impossible to fully utilize this book if you have not already mastered college level physics, organic chemistry, calculus, both ordinary and partial differential equations, and numerical analysis and have some knowledge of atmospheric science. There are plenty of computer projects spread throughout this book too, so I guess a further requirement would be familiarity with a programming language, preferably MATLAB. This book basically merges all of these fields together in order to develop numerical models of atmospheric behavior. In fact, it looks like it would be a tough read for anyone who is not a graduate student of both atmospheric science and mathematics. By cross-referencing this book's material with old textbooks I was able to get through chapter 5 OK, but I hit a wall when I got to the material on numerical solutions to partial differential equations in chapter six. My advice for scientists and engineers that need to know more about the atmosphere, meteorology, and the accompanying mathematics so that they can do some modeling but don't have the Ph.D. pedigree necessary to get the most out of this book might want to invest in two other particular volumes:
1. "Meteorology Today : An Introduction to Weather, Climate, and the Environment" by Ahrens. It is well-written and easy to read. Plus, it splits the difference between science-fair style books written for high schoolers and terse texts that read like a Ph.D. thesis. Buy it used without the CD or Infotrak and save yourself some money though!
2. "Meteorology for Scientists and Engineers : A Technical Companion Book to C. Donald Ahrens' Meteorology Today" by Stull.It provides the mathematical equations needed for a higher level of understanding of meteorology. The organization is mapped directly to the Ahrens book, and it contains detailed math and physics that expand upon concepts presented in Ahrens' text, as well as numerous solved problems.
Amazon does not have the table of contents for the latest edition of Jacobson's book, so I show that here:
1 Introduction
2 Atmospheric structure, composition, and thermodynamics
3 The continuity and thermodynamic energy equations
4 The momentum equation in Cartesian & spherical coordinates
5 Vertical-coordinate conversions
6 Numerical solutions to partial differential equations
7 Finite-differencing the equations of atmospheric dynamics
8 Boundary-layer and surface processes
9 Radiative energy transfer
10 Gas-phase species, chemical reactions, and reaction rates
11 Urban, free-tropospheric, and stratospheric chemistry
12 Methods of solving chemical ODE's
13 Particle components, size distributions, and size structures
14 Aerosol emission and nucleation
15 Coagulation
16 Condensation, evaporation, deposition, and sublimation
17 Chemical equilibrium and dissolution processes
18 Cloud thermodynamics and dynamics
19 Irreversible aqueous chemistry
20 Sedimentation, dry deposition, and air-sea exchange
21 Model design, application, and testing
... Read more

Product Description
Wallace and Hobbs' original edition of Atmospheric Science helped define the field nearly 30 years ago, and has served as the cornerstone for most university curriculums. Now students and professionals alike can use this updated classic to understand atmospheric phenomena in the context of the latest discoveries and technologies, and prepare themselves for more advanced study and real-life problem solving.

Atmospheric Science, Second Edition, has been completely revamped in terms of content and appearance. It contains new chapters on atmospheric chemistry, the Earth system,climate, and the atmospheric boundary layer, as well as enhanced treatment of atmospheric dynamics, weather forecasting, radiative transfer, severe storms, and human impacts, such as global warming. The authors illustrate concepts with colorful state-of-the-art imagery and cover a vast amount of new information in the field. They have also developed several online materials for instructors who adopt the text.

With its thorough coverage of the fundamentals, clear explanations, and extensive updates, Wallace & Hobbs' Atmospheric Science, Second Edition, is the essential first step in educating today's atmospheric scientists.

* Full-color satellite imagery and cloud photographs illustrate principles throughout
* Extensive numerical and qualitative exercises emphasize the application of basic physical principles to problems in the atmospheric sciences
* Biographical footnotes summarize the lives and work of scientists mentioned in the text, and provide students with a sense of the long history of meteorology
* Companion website encourages more advanced exploration of text topics: supplementary information, images, and bonus exercises ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Review on "Atmospheric Science"
This book is written in detail so it is sufficient to be a reference book/ self-learning material apart from lessons in universities.

With colorful figures and applied theory in examples, readers can be easily familiar with the content of the book.

Great comprehensive book
This book is a very comprehensive book that introduces a student to all basic concepts in Atmospheric Sciences. Very well written and excellent for self study !

For the student, not for casual reading
This book is definitely for a student of the atmosphere. I bought it for some personal research I'm doing but I'm not a science person so it's over my head. This is very technical writing but very complete and well written. The book needlessly slips into evolution-speak occasionally but that's common in the science world.

Excellent book
Very ComprehensiveSimple explanations. cover all the important topics in meteorology and atmospheric science. Very helpful inmy first course ofatmospheric science

Absolutely fantastic
This is a truly well-written book; introducing the major concepts of atmospheric science in a clear and logical manner.After having the opportunity to study with the author, I am thoroughly impressed with his depth of knowledge in the field.A must-own for any aspiring atmospheric scientist. ... Read more

Product Description
In the third edition of The Physics of Atmospheres, John Houghton has revised his acclaimed textbook to bring it completely up-to-date. The book provides a comprehensive concise description of the physical processes governing the structure and the circulation of the atmosphere. New chapters have been introduced on topics of strong contemporary interest such as chaos and predictability and climate change. The chapters on global observations (especially through remote sensing) and numerical modeling have also been substantially extended. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

good quality
The book was shiped on time as mentioned on Amazon website. Even if the book does not give more details on the theoretical aspect it is a very nice book for those new in the field of atmospheric physics. I really like it.

A well balanced book on Atmospheres
This book starts off with some basic principles, such as lapse rates and black-body radiation on up to atmoshperic waves, turbulance, and making short term predictions.It does well by trying to focus not just on Earth, but all the other planets in solar system. ... Read more

Product Description
Meeting the need for teaching material suitable for students of atmospheric science and courses on atmospheric radiation, this textbook covers the fundamentals of emission, absorption, and scattering of electromagnetic radiation from ultraviolet to infrared and beyond. Much of the contents applies to planetary atmosphere, with graded discussions providing a thorough treatment of subjects, including single scattering by particles at different levels of complexity. The discussion of the simple multiple scattering theory introduces concepts in more advanced theories, such that the more complicated two-stream theory allows readers to progress beyond the pile-of-plates theory.

The authors are physicists teaching at the largest meteorology department in the US at Penn State. The problems given in the text come from students, colleagues, and correspondents, and the figures designed especially for this book facilitate comprehension.

Ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of atmospheric science.

• Free solutions manual available for lecturers at www.wiley-vch.de/supplements/

Product Description
Thermal Physics of the Atmosphere offers a concise and thorough introduction on how basic thermodynamics naturally leads on to advanced topics in atmospheric physics.

The book starts by covering the basics of thermodynamics and its applications in atmospheric science.  The later chapters describe major applications, specific to more specialized areas of atmospheric physics, including vertical structure and stability, cloud formation, and radiative processes.  The book concludes with a discussion of non-equilibrium thermodynamics as applied to the atmosphere.

This book provides a thorough introduction and invaluable grounding for specialised literature on the subject. 

• Introduces a wide range of areas associated with atmospheric physics
• Starts from basic level thermal physics
• Ideally suited for readers with a general physics background
• Self-assessment questions included for each chapter
• Supplementary website to accompany the book

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Customer Reviews (1)

Everyday science at its best
A variety of everyday phenomena are explained in this little book (185 pages). Most of it is optics and thermal physics, like frost and dew on the window, interference colors, mirages, heating and cooling (of LA smog, thegreenhouse effect) origin of seasons, ...

Quite complex concepts likeoptical thickness are illustrated with nice experiments (pouring milk inwater) and by foot steps in the snow. Don't be afraid of refractive indexgradients or polarization upon reflection, Bohren will explain themmarvelously.

I hope more physics textbooks would be like this: this isintriguing science whereas geometrical optics, the school book stuff, ismostly boring. Besides, these experiments and observations can be carriedout by anybody with commonly available stuff: you only need a light bulb, aruler and some volunteers to measure solar irrandiance, with 10-20%accuracy. ... Read more

Product Description
This textbook presents a uniquely integrated approach in linking both physics and chemistry to the study of atmospheric thermodynamics. The book explains the classical laws of thermodynamics, focuses on various fluid systems, and, recognizing the increasing importance of chemistry in the meteorological and climate sciences, devotes a chapter to chemical thermodynamics which includes an overview of photochemistry. Although students are expected to have some background knowledge of calculus, general chemistry and classical physics, the book provides set-aside refresher boxes as useful reminders. It contains over 100 diagrams and graphs to supplement the discussions, and a similar number of worked examples and exercises, with solutions included at the end of the book. It is ideal for a single-semester advanced course on atmospheric thermodynamics, and will prepare students for higher-level synoptic and dynamics courses. ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the physical phenomena that result from the interaction of the sun and the planets - often termed space weather. Physics of the Space Environment explores the basic processes in the Sun, in the interplanetary medium, in the near-Earth space, and down into the atmosphere. The first part of the book summarizes fundamental elements of transport theory relevant for the atmosphere, ionosphere and the magnetosphere. This theory is then applied to physical phenomena in the space environment. The fundamental physical processes are emphasized throughout, and basic concepts and methods are derived from first principles. This book is unique in its balanced treatment of space plasma and aeronomical phenomena. Students and researchers with a basic mathematics and physics background will find this book invaluable in the study of phenomena in the space environment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Physics Textbook
The item arrived in the in the described condition in a timely manner.I would buy from this seller again.

Physics of the Space Environment
The book is not recommended for people who have had no introduction to the topic.It is a good reference for people who are somewhat experienced in this area. It is mostly equations and very little theory.

One of the best books in the field
This book provides a comprehensive introduction to space physics.The information in this book is invaluable to anyone in the field.Dr. Gombosi's explanations are clear, easy to follow, and instructive (there are no pointless sections what so ever).Although the book is mainly mathematical, the derivations are presented in such a way that this is no handicap to the readers and a strong sense of the physics of space situations is conveyed.I have used this book as a reference in research, in classes, and for presentations/papers.I strongly recommend it. ... Read more

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Memorable and thoroughly understandable science lessons, liberally sprinkled with humor, will fascinate beginning physics students as well as general readers in such fascinating chapters as “On a Clear Day You Can’t See Forever,” “Physics on a Manure Heap,” “A Murder in Ceylon,” and “Multiple Scattering at the Breakfast Table. “[The book] rings with a unifying tone: the science of the everyday physical world is fun. And so is this book.”—Jearl Walker, Physics Department, Cleveland State University.
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Customer Reviews (8)

Fascinating read for every science enthusiast
Craig F. Bohren writes science books with a delight that is infectious. There are few books like this where science and education are turned into an entertaining commentary. Bohren shows us that the things we see normally, in our day to day life, contain the science truths which can be used to teach concepts, useful for understanding and solving more complex problems.

The book is an amazing survey of simple experiments that can be done to understand the concepts relevant to the cloud physics and atmospheric phenomena. A fascinating introduction to formation of clouds, including role of salt particles in nucleation, relies on carefully observing the bubbles formed in a glass of beer. Surface tension is introduced by example of dew formed on bath mirror. Concepts related to evaporative cooling or mixing clouds or relative humidity, come with a baggage of simple experiments that debunk scientific myths and illustrate essential physics. A textbook on Atmospheric Thermodynamics, published by the same author, is an entertaining and more course friendly account of the same ideas. The science of clouds by Tricker is an equally delightful text on classroom demonstrations and cloud physics inherent in simple observations.

Bohren tackles many concepts of light scattering which are quite difficult to grasp initially or say teach to young students, in a brilliant series of examples about what we observe in our daily life. Be it a discussion about "blue moon" or colors of sea or rainbows, Bohren takes the essential ideas and expresses them with his characteristic wit and brilliance. He supplies you with a tangible set of experiments to illustrate the concepts further. Bohren's treatise on Absorption and Scattering of Light by Small Particles (coauthored with Huffman) is most definitely the resource for looking at detailed physics and mathematics associated with scattering. The classic text by van de Hulst "Light Scattering by Small Particles" is a useful supplement for those interested in theory of small particle scattering.

Bohren has written another book titled: "What Light through Yonder Window Breaks" with some more hand-on experiments about Atmospheric Physics."Clouds in the Glass of Beer" and its sequel are two books that every atmospheric physics student must read and own. The books are throughly enjoyable for anyone even remotely interested in everyday science. No equations involved! No education beyond high school required! Only for fun loving scientists, who believe that true understanding comes when a difficult concept can be explained by simple analogies and in simple language. Highly recommended.

What I Learned About Atmosperic Physics
The book, Clouds in a Glass of Beer, Simple Experiments in Atmospheric Physics by Craig Bohren is a very in depth read for a very avid reader or scientist. This book is split up into twenty-two chapters about atmospheric science. A few examples about some of the chapters included in this book are; the explanation of the mystery of the elusive blue moon, why black clouds form, and the fantastic phenomenon that is the rainbow and many other different details. One of the chapters I really enjoyed reading about was chapter three, which talked about the mechanics and utilization of the sippy duck. Before reading this book, I had no understanding of these ducks and how they work. But now I know pretty much everything there is to know about them. In another chapter later on, Bohren conducts yet another experiment about the misinterpretation of the laws of pressure. What he does is place a can in a shallow pan of water, and then adds hot water inside the can.For this experiment to be successful, the can should cave inward and contract. The main reason why I enjoyed this chapter is because the experiment took no skill or much time at all, and it was an interesting way to explain atmospheric pressure. Other than the well planned put chapters in this book, there was one that went into way too much detail about explaining the greenhouse effect. I do agree that it was highly detailed fact wise but he just went a little much into detail. One segment of the book I really enjoyed was when he talked about the rare occurrences of either a blue moon, or the green flash. It really excited me to get up and actually try to see one of these one day. If you like rare occurrences, than you'll love this book. Overall, Bohren is a very in depth writer and people who enjoy physics will benefit from reading this book.

A very interesting book
Clouds in a Glass of Beer is not a book for everyone.If you do not have a vast understanding of atmospheric science and physics, you will not enjoy reading this book.In essence, this book is 22 different experiments with an explanation on how each experiment works.If you do find enjoyment in reading about the atmosphere, however, you will enjoy this book.
The first experiment is, as you probably guessed, why clouds form in a glass of beer when salt is added.The passage goes on to explain why and how the clouds form, why a cloud comes out of a freshly opened bottle of beer, and the behavior of the bubbles.It is interesting to see all of the scientific forces behind this action, even though it may become hard to understand at times.
The next experiment is how to make a cloud form in a bottle.This is done by filling the bottom with water and a tube, sucking a little bit of the air out through the tube, letting some smoke in, blowing air into the jar, putting your finger on the end and releasing it quickly.If the bottle is painted black, the cloud should be easier to see.
One experiment I found very entertaining was how to keep fog from forming on a mirror.It consisted of smearing an extremely small amount of dish washing detergent on the glass and trying to fog the mirror to proved that it worked.The soap forces all the fog droplets to create a thin layer of water.
Many of the experiments in this book are quite interesting.This book answers why a rainbow could form in the winter, the requirements for a blue moon, and why you can't see forever on a clear day.If you have a great understanding of science, this book will, without a doubt, amuse you.

Something for (almost) everyone
Craig Bohren is a first-rate atmospheric scientist with an unusual knack for being able to explain difficult concepts to general audiences.Sure, some of the explanations can get complicated so most readers will have to pause and think or reread sections occasionally to understand.However, Dr. Bohren uses figures and analogies rather than equations to explain physical processes.The book does not assume any particular scientific background and should be accessible to almost anyone willing to put in a little bit of mental effort.The book is less than 200 pages so the effort feels like a pleasant jog rather than a marathon.What's more, the author's fascination with the world around him and mostly interesting anecdotes inspire and entice the reader all the way.The author manages to do all this without dumbing down the science in any way.The subtitle suggests that the main purpose of the book is to provide educators with handy demonstrations of atmospheric physics.While the book certainly does this, it is not a recipe book in any sense.What one sees during the demonstrations is described well enough that the reader does not actually need to do them to follow what is going on.Moreover, the underlying science is well described and related to things most people see regularly in the sky around them.I have no plans to assemble these demonstrations but enjoyed the book immensely nonetheless.I am sure many others with an interest in the atmosphere will as well.

[The following autobiographical information is to help you evaluate this review.I hold a Ph.D. in chemical engineering, having done my thesis work on some issues regarding airborne particulate matter.I am an assistant professor in environmental engineering at a major US research university, where I teach and regularly publish peer-reviewed research papers on air pollution.While I do not claim to be as expert as Dr. Bohren on the topic of atmospheric optics (few people can), I feel qualified to evaluate this book both technically and otherwise.]

Quite fun, and clever
This is not a chummy kitchen science experiment book.The science is serious and some principles obtuse.I studied this sort of thing in college and found some of it tough going, though I do think I came away with a lucid understanding for the effort.

The author rambles a bit, mixing exposition and reminisces.This is not a terrible thing, but may not be what you expect.Some of the experiments are elegant and clever, and impressed my 6 year-old considerably.The author's bent is towards optical phenomena, such as why the sky is blue, more than the meteorological, though there's plenty in there.

A fun and interesting book in a conversational and sometimes amusing format.And yes, I finally can explain why the sky is blue. ... Read more

Product Description
Physics of Solar System Plasmas provides a comprehensive introduction to the plasma physics and magnetohydrodynamics that are needed to study the solar wind and magnetosphere. The text includes a broad introduction to plasma physics, including important discussions of kinetic theory, single particle motion, magnetohydrodynamics, geomagnetically trapped energetic particles and the physics of magnetic reconnection. This leads into a thorough description of the Sun and the solar wind, and, finally, the author addresses magnetospheric physics. Among the topics covered here are magnetospheric morphology, bow shocks, magnetospheric convection and electrical currents, substorms, ionospheric physics, magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, auroral physics and the interaction of the solar wind with the planets. Problem sets at the end of each chapter make this a useful text for advanced undergraduate students in astrophysics, geophysics, or atmospheric sciences. Graduate students and researchers will also find it a valuable source of information. ... Read more

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"A superb reference." --- Physics Today "Will become a classic text in climate research. " --- Physics World "Valuable to anyone who studies, models, or uses the climate of the earth." --- Walter Robinson, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society "Informative and authoritative on a remarkably wide range of topics." --- Nature

Are we entering a period of global warming? Is weather predictable? Physics of Climate offers you an in-depth description of atmospheric circulation and how environmental phenomena worldwide interact in a single, unified system. This integrated approach unites all the key features of the climate system--oceans, atmosphere, and cryosphere--to explain the structure and behavior of climate over time. Ideal for students and professionals in meteorology, oceanography, geophysics, and physics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Climate Handbook for the Working Scientist
This is probably the most useful book in my library.This is not a book of people's theories about the climate, but an organized presentation of actual observations of the climate itself.The book is easy to read and well written.It is written more like a journal article than a textbook with tons of figures based on data, valuable tables, and references to the scientific literature.The book focuses on what is observed: the mean states of the atmosphere, ocean, and cryosphere; and on what can be calculated from observations: budgets of angular momentum, water, and energy.The book discusses the relevant physical processes of radiation and surface/atmosphere exchange.You need this book if you are a working scientist with questions like:What is the observed energy balance?How is water stored in various reservoirs in the climate system and what are the rates of exchange?How much momentum is transported by stationary versus transient eddies?How is temperature or the circulation distributed horizontally and vertically in the atmosphere and ocean, and how does it vary seasonally?If you are interested in climate models, cloud physics, climate change, or paleoclimatology, then this is not the right book for you. ... Read more

Product Description
Covers essential parts of cloud and precipitation physics and has been extensively rewritten with over 60 new illustrations and many new and up to date references. Many current topics are covered such as mesoscale meteorology, radar cloud studies and numerical cloud modelling, and topics from the second edition, such as severe storms, precipitation processes and large scale aspects of cloud physics, have been revised. Problems are included as examples and to supplement the text.


... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Revisions Needed
While this is the 'stand alone' book on cloud physics it could use an update.Some of the answers to problems in the back are incorrect and the problems are very difficult/hard to process based on information given in the text.Variables are defined once in-text with no other reference unless they change and no nomenclature section is given.While the content is good this makes it hard to follow, but this could be easily remedied!

Concise and comprehensive textbook for Cloud microphysics.
R. R. Rogers and M. K. Yau develop and demonstrate the concepts of thermodynamics and transport processes that control formation of rain, hail, snow and fog. The book is concise, yet precise, and provides a coherent course material for cloud physics. The book introduces the essential thermodynamics in first four chapters. The next four chapters describe the journey from water vapor phase to initiation of rain. Next two chapters deal with formation of ice crystals and snow, again borrowing from knowledge imparted in first eight chapters. The next four chapters deal with weather, weather modification, storms and hail. The last chapter introduces numerical cloud models, which have proved to be increasingly useful in studying precipitation processes.

For an engineer or a physicist, the first few chapters demonstrate how their knowledge can be translated into understanding of atmospheric physics. The mathematics in the book, as well as examples, are limited to dealing with the essential concepts. The language is simple, even when concepts are far-ranging, showing how complex phenomenon can be assimilated and described through knowledge of key principles.

"A History of Theories of Rain" by Middleton shows how cloud physics progressed through centuries and benefited from misunderstandings and geniuses of some of the best minds of past centuries: Clausius,Atkins, Lord Rayleigh, Hutton, Langmuir, Weller, Arab scholars of Xth century, Aristotle, Stokes, and so on. The text by Rogers and Yau presents the essence of understanding developed through contributions from innumerable thinkers, experimentalists and scientists. Highly recommended for beginners and for curious minds interesting in understanding the physics of rain, hail and snow.

recommended by my professor
The homework problems at the end of the chapter are impossible o figure out form the text, but at least they give you some solutions.

Good introductory book on cloud physics
There are very few stand-alone cloud physics text books on the market.More often than not only a chapter is devoted to clouds in a general atmospheric sciences text book, which grossly neglects the complexity of the subject.Fortunately this one does provide a terrific introduction for students/researchers in atmospheric sciences/physics/engineering who want to learn more about clouds.Basic concepts are presented in a consice but often mathy way.Sometimes the empirical equations can throw the readers off a bit.Unfortunately these catches are almost inevitable in cloud physics.

A great merit of this book is its size.A well-designed undergraduate course can definitely go through most of the topics.At the same time there is enough detailed information that the interested instructors and students can develop term projects or simple models using the book as a reference.In all I highly recommend this text as an introduction to cloud physics.Advanced researchers in the field, however, will need a more extensive reference, such as Pruppacher and Klett.

Best introductory text on cloud physics
As an engineer trying to come up to speed on cloud physics, this book was absolutely essential. It covers essentials such as the thermodynamics of dry air, water vapor and its thermodynamic effects, parcel buoyancy and atmospheric stability, mixing and convection, observed properties of clouds, formation of cloud droplets, droplet growth by condensation, initiation of rain in nonfreezing clouds, formation and growth of ice crystals, rain and snow, weather radar, precipitation processes, severe storms and hail, weather modification, and numerical weather models.

This is the best introductory text one can buy. ... Read more

Product Description
Praise for the First Edition:
"I recommend this book, without hesitation, as either a reference or course text...Wilks' excellent book provides a thorough base in applied statistical methods for atmospheric sciences."--BAMS (Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society)

Fundamentally, statistics is concerned with managing data and making inferences and forecasts in the face of uncertainty.It should not be surprising, therefore, that statistical methods have a key role to play in the atmospheric sciences.It is the uncertainty in atmospheric behavior that continues to move research forward and drive innovations in atmospheric modeling and prediction.

This revised and expanded text explains the latest statistical methods that are being used to describe, analyze, test and forecast atmospheric data.It features numerous worked examples, illustrations, equations, and exercises with separate solutions.Statistical Methods in the Atmospheric Sciences, Second Edition will help advanced students and professionals understand and communicate what their data sets have to say, and make sense of the scientific literature in meteorology, climatology, and related disciplines.

* Presents and explains techniques used in atmospheric data summarization, analysis, testing, and forecasting
* Chapters feature numerous worked examples and exercises
* Model Output Statistic (MOS) includes an introduction to the Kalman filter, an approach that tolerates frequent model changes
* Detailed section on forecast verification, including statistical inference, diagrams, and other methods

New in this Edition:
* Expanded treatment of resampling tests within nonparametric tests
* Updated treatment of ensemble forecasting
* Expanded coverage of key analysis techniques, such as principle component analysis, canonical correlation analysis, discriminant analysis, and cluster analysis
* Careful updates and edits throughout, based on users' feedback ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A worthy update to the classic first edition
The second edition nicely extends and improves the original text. Along with Statistical Analysis in Climate Research, which is pitched at slightly more advanced audience, this book provides an excellent introduction to statistical methods in meteorology and climatology. Highly recommended.

Well written text. Easy to understand.
I highly recommend this book for those interested in atmospheric science statistical methods. Three cheers and five stars for this great book.

A Godsend for Working Scientists
I judge the usefulness of a book by how quickly I can learn something new and apply it to the problem I am currently working on. Most statistics books, judged by this criteria, fail miserably. But here is a book that not only succeeds, but succeeds so well I actually find myself getting excited about reading the next chapter, which has nothing to do with the problem at hand! By confining himself to just a handful of simple data sets, Wilks makes it possible to work though the examples in detail and in a variety of ways. But the most important benefit to me is that I can immediately turn his examples into software code (I use IDL), which I can use to solve my problem. Unlike so many books, which provide the broad theoretical strokes, but leave the details in shadow, Wilks explains the details in simple, straightforward language. His explanation of harmonic analysis and FFT spectral analysis was so crystal clear I believe it was the first time I thought I truly understood this important concept. I can imagine there will be statisticians who will not like this book. But for those of us working with environmental data who need to know some statistics to get our work done, this book is a godsend.

Poor flow and presentation
This book is surely one of the worst statistical books in my library.If anyone is in need of a reference for some of the statistical methods commonly used in atmospheric sciences, I would suggest you look elsewhere

Very useful text and reference
Like the first edition, this book is an excellent and thorough overview of statistical methods used in the atmospheric sciences.
The main updates which are included in the second edition are the six final chapters (chapters 9-14) which cover multi-variate statistical methods as an expansion of that covered in one chapter of the first edition.
An excellent reference text for many geophysical researchers. ... Read more

Product Description
The Physics of Plasmas provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject, illustrating the basic theory with examples drawn from fusion, space and astrophysical plasmas. Various aspects of plasma physics are discussed, beginning with particle orbit theory, and including fluid equations, a variety of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models, wave equations and kinetic theory. The relationships between these distinct approaches are discussed. In this way, the reader gains a firm grounding in the fundamentals, leading to an understanding of some of the more specialized topics. Throughout the text, there is an emphasis on the physical interpretation of plasma phenomena; Exercises are included. ... Read more