Development for this course was supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation.

Weather Studies: Introduction to Atmospheric Science

Revised and updated science and topic coverage New Enduring Ideas at the end of each chapter Many new or significantly revised Essays Updated review and critical thinking questions for all chapters Greatly expanded collection of full-color photographs and line art

The American Meteorological Society is proud to announce the fourth edition of Weather Studies: Introduction to Atmospheric Science for fall semester 2009. This full-color, hardcover edition, authored by Joseph M. Moran, includes 15 chapters exploring the atmosphere from an Earth system perspective. New, expanded or significantly revised topics include Space Weather Prediction (Chapters 2 and 13), Global Climate Change (Chapters 3 and 15), Weather Radar (Chapter 7), Wind Power (Chapter 8), El Niño, La Niña, and the Southern Oscillation (Chapter 9), Ocean Surface Currents (Chapter 9), Local and Regional Circulation Systems (Chapter 10), Tornado Hazards and the EF-Scale (Chapter 11), Long Range Forecasting of Atlantic Hurricanes (Chapter 12), and Weather Prediction (Chapter 13).

The Weather Studies text may be used in conjuction with the Investigations Manual and course website (license required) or by itself (license not required). If you are a faculty member interested in using the Weather Studies textbook in a current or future course offering, you may request an examination copy of the Text and Investigations Manual.

Orders for the Weather Studies textbook and/or other course materials must be placed through your college bookstore. Go to the Order Class Materials page for details. We do not sell materials directly to students.

If you would like to order the Weather Studies text for personal use, and are not a student enrolled in the course, please send a purchase order or check for $127 ($120 List Price + $7 US Shipping/Handling) to 202-737-0445/1-800-258-1176 (fax) or AMS Weather & Ocean Studies, 1120 G Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005-3826. To pay by credit card (Mastercard, VISA, and American Express accepted), please call 202-737-1043 or 1-800-824-0405.

Brief Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Monitoring Weather 1 (copyright notice)
Chapter 2: Atmosphere: Origin, Composition, and Structure 27
Chapter 3: Solar and Terrestrial Radiation 57
Chapter 4: Heat, Temperature, and Atmospheric Circulation 97
Chapter 5: Air Pressure 129
Chapter 6: Humidity, Saturation, and Stability 151
Chapter 7: Clouds, Precipitation, and Weather Radar 183
Chapter 8: Wind and Weather 221
Chapter 9: Atmosphere’s Planetary Circulation 249
Chapter 10: Weather Systems of Middle Latitudes 293
Chapter 11: Thunderstorms and Tornadoes 329
Chapter 12: Tropical Weather Systems 367 (copyright notice)
Chapter 13: Weather Analysis and Forecasting 399
Chapter 14: Light and Sound in the Atmosphere 429
Chapter 15: Climate and Climate Change 449
Appendix I: Conversion Factors 497
Appendix II: Milestones in the History of Atmospheric Science 500
Appendix III: Climate Classification 509
Glossary: 517
Index: 551

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View Textbook Preface - Explore textbook features in more detail

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