ALBERT

Note: Contents: Preface. - 1 Introduction to the atmosphere. - Weather and climate. - Atmospheric hazards: assault by the elements. - The atmosphere: a part of the earth system. - Earth's four spheres. - Earth's spheres interact. - The carbon cycle. - Composition of the atmosphere. - Major components. - Carbon dioxide. - Variable components. - Ozone depletion - a global issue. - The ozone hole. - Effects of ozone depletion. - Montreal Protocol. - Probing the atmosphere. - Height and structure of the atmosphere. - Pressure changes. - Temperature changes. - Vertical variations in composition. - The ionosphere. - 2 Heating Earth's Surface and Atmosphere. - Earth-Sun Relationships. - Earth's Motions. - The Seasons. - Earth's Orientation. - Solstices and Equinoxes. - Energy, Heat, and Temperature. - Types of Energy. - Heat Energy Versus Temperature. - Mechanisms of Energy Transfer. - Conduction. - Convection. - Radiation. - Laws of Radiation. - The Fate of Incoming Solar Radiation. - Reflection and Scattering. - Absorption by Earth's Surface and Atmosphere. - Radiation Emitted by Earth. - Heating the Atmosphere. - The "Greenhouse Effect". - Role of Clouds in Heating Earth. - Heat Budget. - Latitudinal Heat Balance. - 3 Temperature. - For the Record: Air Temperature Data. - Why Temperatures Vary: The Controls of Temperature. - Land and Water. - Ocean Currents. - Altitude. - Geographic Position. - Cloud Cover and Albedo. - World Distribution of Temperatures. - Cycles of Air Temperature. - Daily Temperature Variations. - Magnitude of Daily Temperature Changes. - Annual Temperature Variations. - Temperature Measurement. - Mechanical Thermometers. - Electrical Thermometers. - Instrument Shelters. - Temperature Scales. - Applications of Temperature Data. - Heating Degree-Days. - Cooling Degree-Days. - Growing Degree-Days. - Temperature and Comfort. - 4 Moisture and Atmospheric Stability. - Movement of Water Through the Atmosphere. - Water's Changes of State. - Water in the Atmosphere. - Vapor Pressure and Saturation. - Relative Humidity. - How Relative Humidity Changes. - Natural Change in Relative Humidity. - Dew Point Temperature. - Humidity Measurement. - Adiabatic Temperature Changes. - Adiabatic Cooling and Condensation. - Lifting Processes. - Orographic Lifting. - Frontal Wedging. - Convergence. - Localized Convective Lifting. - Contents. - The Critical Weathermaker: Atmospheric Stability. - Types of Stability. - Stability and Daily Weather. - How Stability Changes. - Temperature Changes and Stability. - Vertical Air Movement and Stability. - 5 Forms of Condensation and Precipitation. - Condensation. - Condensation Aloft and Cloud Formation. - Clouds. - Cloud Classification. - Cloud Descriptions. - Fog. - Fogs Formed by Cooling. - Fogs Formed by Evaporation. - Dew and Frost. - How Precipitation Forms. - Precipitation from Cold Clouds: The Bergeron Process. - Precipitation from Warm Clouds: The Collision-Coalescence Process. - Forms of Precipitation. - Rain. - Snow. - Sleet and Glaze. - Hail. - Rime. - Precipitation Measurement. - Standard Instruments. - Measuring Snowfall. - Measurement Errors. - Precipitation Measurement by Weather Radar. - Intentional Weather Modification. - Cloud Seeding. - Fog and Cloud Dispersal. - Hail Suppression. - Frost Prevention. - Inadvertent Weather Modification: Urban-Induced Precipitation. - 6 Air Pressure and Winds. - Understanding Air Pressure. - Measuring Air Pressure. - Factors Affecting Air Pressure. - Pressure Changes With Altitude. - Factors Affecting Wind. - Pressure-Gradient Force. - Coriolis Force. - Friction. - Winds Aloft and Geostrophic Flow. - Curved Flow and the Gradient Wind. - Surface Winds. - How Winds Generate Vettical Air Motion. - Vertical Airflow Associated with Cyclones and Anticyclones. - Factors That Promote Vertical Airflow. - Wind Measurement. - 7 Circulation of the Atmosphere. - Scales of Atmospheric Motion. - Large- and Small-Scale Circulation. - Structure of Wind Patterns. - Local Winds. - Land and Sea Breezes. - Mountain and Valley Breezes. - Chinook (Foehn) Winds. - Katabatic (Fall) Winds. - Country Breeze. - Global Circulation. - Single-Cell Circulation Model. - Three-Cell Circulation Model. - Observed Distribution of Pressure and Winds. - Idealized Zonal Pressure Belts. - Semipermanent Pressure Systems: The Real World. - Monsoons. - The Asian Monsoon. - The North American Monsoon. - The Westerlies. - Why Westerlies?. - Jet Streams. - Origin of the Midlatitude Jet Stream. - Subtropical Jet Stream. - Waves in the Westerlies. - Westerlies and Earth's Heat Budget. - Global Winds and Ocean Currents. - The Importance of Ocean Currents. - Ocean Currents and Upwelling. - El Niño and La Niña. - Global Distribution of Precipitation. - Zonal Distribution of Precipitation. - Distribution of Precipitation Over the Continents. - Precipitation Regimes on a Hypothetical Continent. - 8 Air Masses. - What Is an Air Mass?. - Source Regions. - Classifying Air Masses. - Air-Mass Modification. - Properties of North American Air Masses. - Continental Polar (cP) and Continental Arctic (cA) Air Masses. - Lake-Effect Snow: Cold Air Over Warm Water. - Maritime Polar (mP) Air Masses. - Maritime Tropical (mT) Air Masses. - Continental Tropical (eT) Air Masses. - 9 Weather Patterns. - Polar-Front Theory. - Fronts. - Warm Fronts. - Cold Fronts. - Stationary Fronts. - Occluded Fronts. - Drylines. - Life Cycle of a Midlatitude Cyclone. - Formation: The Clash of Two Air Masses. - Development of Cyclonic Flow. - Occlusion: The Beginning of the End. - Idealized Weather of a Midlatitude Cyclone. - Cyclogenesis. - Cyclonic and Anticyclonic Circulation. - Divergence and Convergence Aloft. - Traveling Cyclones. - Patterns of Movement. - Anticyclonic Weather and Blocking Highs. - Case Study of a Midlatitude Cyclone. - Violent Spring Weather. - Weather in Peoria. - 10 Thunderstorms and Tornadoes. - What's in a Name?. - Thunderstorms. - Air-Mass Thunderstorms. - Stages of Development. - Occurrence. - Severe Thunderstorms. - Supercell Thunderstorms. - Squall Lines and Mesoscale Convective Complexes. - Lightning and Thunder. - What Causes Lightning?. - The Lightning Stroke. - Thunder. - Tornadoes. - The Development and Occurrence of Tornadoes. - Tornado Development. - Tornado Climatology. - Profile of a Tornado. - Tornado Destruction. - Tornado Forecasting. - Tornado Watches and Warnings. - Doppler Radar. - 11 Hurricanes. - Profile of a Hurricane. - Hurricane Formation and Decay. - Hurricane Formation. - Hurricane Decay. - Hurricane Destruction . - Storm Surge. - Wind Damage. - Inland Flooding. - Detecting and Tracking Hurricanes. - The Role of Satellites. - Aircraft Reconnaissance. - Radar and Data Buoys. - Hurricane Watches and Warnings. - 12 Weather Analysis and Forecasting. - The Weather Business: A Brief Overview. - Weather Analysis. - Gathering Data. - Weather Maps: Pictures of the Atmosphere. - Weather Forecasting. - Synoptic Weather Forecasting. - Numerical Weather Prediction. - Statistical Methods. - Techniques Used in Short-Range Forecasting. - Long-Range Forecasts. - Forecast Accuracy. - Tools in Weather Forecasting. - Satellites in Weather Forecasting. - What Weather Satellites Reveal. - Measurement by Satellite. - Weather Forecasting and Upper-Level Flow. - The Winter of 1977. - 13 Air Pollution. - A Brief Historical Perspective. - Air Pollution: Not a new Problem. - Some Historic Episodes. - Sources and Types of Air Pollution. - Primary Pollutants. - Secondary Pollutants. - Trends in Air Quality. - Meteorological Factors Affecting Air Pollution. - Wind as a Factor. - The Role of Atmospheric Stability. - Acid Precipitation. - Extent and Potency of Acid Precip