A timely and accessible analysis of one of the most crucial and contentious issues facing the world today – the processes and consequences of natural and human induced changes in the structure and function of the climate system. Integrating the latest scientific developments throughout, the text centres on climate change control, addressing how weather and climate impact on environment and society.

Originally published in 1986 as Basic meteorology: a physical outline.

METEOROLOGY TODAY, Ninth Edition, is one of the most widely used and authoritative texts for the introductory meteorology course. This ninth edition helps you understand and appreciate the dynamic nature of the inevitable weather phenomena that continually influence our lives. The text's clear and inviting narrative is supplemented by numerous pedagogical features that encourage observing, calculating, and synthesizing information.

Weather can be enjoyable, be merely tolerated or even change a good day to a bad one. On some occasions, it can become extreme and dramatically impact your life. Written in a friendly, easy-to-understand style, Ahrens/Samson/Reed's EXTREME WEATHER AND CLIMATE, 2nd Edition clearly explains the science of how hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning, floods and extreme temperatures can occur, how they can sometimes be life-changing and how they may be impacted by global climate change. Vividly illustrated, this text will give you a new appreciation for the power of nature.

CD-ROM contains: Atmospheric basics (layers of atmosphere; energy balance) -- Sky identification (name that cloud; atmospheric optics) -- Atmospheric moisture & stability (moisture graph; adiabatic) -- Atmospheric forces (coriolis force; winds in 2 hemispheres) -- Atmospheric circulation (global atmosphere; global ocean; southern oscillation) -- Weather analysis (isopleths; find the front) -- Weather forecasting (cyclogenesis; forecasting) -- Severe weather (lightning; microbursts) -- Hurricane (virtual hurricane; hurricane forecasting) -- Atmospheric chemistry (smog; temperature trends).