Familiarity and modern, sheltered lifestyles can dull our awareness of the ever changing sky above us. But an unusually colourful sunset or threatening storm can rekindle interest, admiration, and even fear. Even so, we generally fail to comprehend the enormous scale, power, and complexity of the atmosphere. With the effects of global climate change becoming increasingly apparent, an understanding of the processes that underpin our weather and climate is vital.

Fundamentals of Weather and Climate offers an engaging and insightful treatment of the behaviour of the lower atmosphere and takes a quantitative approach to describing the mechanisms involved. Beginning with an overview of the atmosphere and its components, the reader is introduced to the physics that drive weather systems, before setting these principles in the context of specific systems of differing scales and latitudes. Finally, the text draws this information together in relation to the problem of anthropogenic climate change.

Custom drawn illustrations enliven and enhance the educational value of the text, enabling students to visualize the processes and interactions described more easily

• Enhanced mathematical support opens the text to those without a strong mathematical background

• Key points throughout reinforce the essential facts and themes being presented

• Covers the essential aspects of weather and climate in the lower atmosphere and links the qualitative concepts with the quantitative mechanisms that drive it
• Thought-provoking end of chapter questions encourage the students to engage with and explore the subject for themselves
• Extensive learning features throughout the book make it a flexible resource for self-study and to support lectures
• Online Resource Centre features additional resources for lecturers and students to enhance the educational vaule of the text

New to this edition

• Increased coverage of mid- and low-latitude weather systems, global circulation and regional systems, atmospheric thermodynamics, and, climate modelling and prediction
• Enhanced mathematical support opens the text to those without a strong mathematical background
• Full worked solutions to problems
• New end of chapter summaries
• Photographs and figures are accompanied by detailed captions that highlight their relevance to important concepts and mechanisms being illustrated

Robin McIlveen - Formerly Institute of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Lancaster University

 

Online Resource Centre
The Online Resource Centre to accompany Fundamentals of Weather and Climate features:

For lecturers:

• Selected solutions to end of chapter problems

• Figures from the book in electronic format, ready to download

Online Resource Centre
The Online Resource Centre to accompany Fundamentals of Weather and Climate features:

For students:

• Selected solutions to end of chapter problems

• Hyperlinked bibliography

• Useful weblinks