What in the world is going on up there? Look up! It’s a bird; it’s a plane; it’s a Polar mesospheric cloud! When you look to the sky, do you wonder why the Sun is so bright or why the clouds are white or why the sky is blue? Then, Weather For Dummies is your resource to fuel your curiosity about the weather. It takes you on an exciting journey through the Earth's atmosphere and the ways it behaves. You’ll get an overview of rain, Sun, clouds, storms and other phenomena. With helpful photographs and illustrations, you can easily visualize different weather types and relate them into the world around you. The scientific words and phrases are explained in detail (what is barometric pressure?), your curious questions are answered (why do we have seasons?), and the roots of weather myths, proverbs, and sayings are revealed (“early thunder, early spring”). Discover how weather forecasts are made, and what constitutes a weather emergency Find out what causes change in weather, such as how air pressure drives winds Learn how climate change is affecting today’s weather Discover how light plays tricks on our eyes to create effects like rainbows, sun dogs, and halos Have fun with at-home weather experiments, including setting up your own weather station Perfect for any weather amateur, you can have your head in the clouds while your feet are on the ground. Next time you’re outside, take Weather For Dummies along with you, look at the sky, and discover something new about the environment you live in.

"Weather For Dummies is probably the best book written for a general audience about the subject." ―BILL GATES Find out what's really going on when it seems like the sky is falling with Weather For Dummies What exactly is happening when the wind blows, the clouds roll in, lightning flashes, and rain pours down? How do hurricanes whip into a frenzy, and where do tornadoes come from? Why do seasonal conditions sometimes vary so much from one year to the next? The inner workings of the weather can be a mystery, but Dummies can help. Packed with dozens of maps, charts, and stunning photographs of weather conditions, Weather For Dummies brings the science of meteorology down to earth, covering everything from weather basics to cloud types, seasonal differences, extreme weather events, climate change, and beyond. You'll learn how to: Predict the weather and prepare a forecast Use common weather terminology like a pro Identify different types of clouds Spot weather conditions that can lead to storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and monsoons Observe fun weather phenomena like lightning, rainbows, sundogs, and haloes Talk about what impact weather has on the global ecosystem Get a handle on smog, the greenhouse effect, global warming, and other climate issues Featuring clear explanations and fun and easy activities you can do at home, you'll be ready – rain or shine – for the ever-changing skies above with Weather For Dummies.

Reading Weather provides a quick and simple way to understand how the atmosphere works, how to interpret and use weather forecasts before venturing outdoors, and also how to make your own forecast in the field by observing the changes in the weather. This fully updated and revised reference will arm you with the meteorological knowledge necessary to make good decisions on whether to proceed or retreat in the face of a storm. Also included are helpful definitions, tables, and simplified graphics of common weather features.

Master the hottest—and most chilling—topic in the world today More and more frequent extreme weather events occur each year, and wildlife everywhere is increasingly endangered. Science fiction or science fact, most climate experts see this as our world on climate change—and, according to polls, a majority of people around the globe agree. Climate Change For Dummies allows you to investigate this hottest of hotly debated issues for yourself—examining its causes, the way it affects our lives, and what we can all do to make a difference. This straightforward guide—cowritten by the former leader of Canada's Green Party and the Canadian Chief of Staff to the Minister of Natural Resources—sifts the fact from the fiction: Is climate change caused by human activity or by natural elements beyond our control? What contribution can clean energy make? What are our best and worst-case scenarios? What are the likely long- and short-term effects? How can human activity can impact the environment? Can individuals and governments help reverse the possible effects? Which are the best sources of cleaner energy? With the IPCC predicting a 2.5–10°F warming over the next century, this complex subject will be making temperatures soar for years to come—on both sides of the debate. Climate Change For Dummies is the ideal tool to navigate these increasingly choppy waters—and to make an informed difference where you can.

This book offers a complete primer, covering the end-to-end process of forecast production, and bringing together a description of all the relevant aspects together in a single volume; with plenty of explanation of some of the more complex issues and examples of current, state-of-the-art practices. Operational Weather Forecasting covers the whole process of forecast production, from understanding the nature of the forecasting problem, gathering the observational data with which to initialise and verify forecasts, designing and building a model (or models) to advance those initial conditions forwards in time and then interpreting the model output and putting it into a form which is relevant to customers of weather forecasts. Included is the generation of forecasts on the monthly-to-seasonal timescales, often excluded in text-books despite this type of forecasting having been undertaken for several years. This is a rapidly developing field, with a lot of variations in practices between different forecasting centres. Thus the authors have tried to be as generic as possible when describing aspects of numerical model design and formulation. Despite the reliance on NWP, the human forecaster still has a big part to play in producing weather forecasts and this is described, along with the issue of forecast verification – how forecast centres measure their own performance and improve upon it. Advanced undergraduates and postgraduate students will use this book to understand how the theory comes together in the day-to-day applications of weather forecast production. In addition, professional weather forecasting practitioners, professional users of weather forecasts and trainers will all find this new member of the RMetS Advancing Weather and Climate series a valuable tool. Provides an end-to-end description of the weather forecasting process Clearly structured and pitched at an accessible level, the book discusses the practical choices that operational forecasting centres have to make in terms of what numerical models they use and when they are run. Takes a very practical approach, using real life case-studies to contextualize information Discusses the latest advances in the area, including ensemble methods, monthly to seasonal range prediction and use of ‘nowcasting’ tools such as radar and satellite imagery Full colour throughout Written by a highly respected team of authors with experience in both academia and practice. Part of the RMetS book series ‘Advancing Weather and Climate’

Find the right big data solution for your business or organization Big data management is one of the major challenges facing business, industry, and not-for-profit organizations. Data sets such as customer transactions for a mega-retailer, weather patterns monitored by meteorologists, or social network activity can quickly outpace the capacity of traditional data management tools. If you need to develop or manage big data solutions, you'll appreciate how these four experts define, explain, and guide you through this new and often confusing concept. You'll learn what it is, why it matters, and how to choose and implement solutions that work. Effectively managing big data is an issue of growing importance to businesses, not-for-profit organizations, government, and IT professionals Authors are experts in information management, big data, and a variety of solutions Explains big data in detail and discusses how to select and implement a solution, security concerns to consider, data storage and presentation issues, analytics, and much more Provides essential information in a no-nonsense, easy-to-understand style that is empowering Big Data For Dummies cuts through the confusion and helps you take charge of big data solutions for your organization.

Dive deep to explore the ocean From how most of our oxygen is created by phytoplankton, to how currents control our climate, to the marine food chain and the importance of coral, this is the holy grail of ocean books that’s easy for everyone to digest. It features fun facts about some of the most incredible, bizarre, and fascinating creatures in the ocean, from mantis shrimp that can strike things with the speed of a .22 caliber bullet to fish with clear heads that can see out of the top of their skulls. The ocean is full of wonders and there is still so much left to explore and understand. How our oceans work What creatures live in the ocean Find out how the ocean regulates our climate and weather patterns How growing pollution threatens our ocean and its inhabitants Oceans For Dummies is perfect for anyone with an interest in the ocean, including kids, adults, students, ocean lovers, surfers, fishermen, conservationists, sailors, and everyone in between.

"Weather For Dummies is probably the best book written for a general audience about the subject." ―BILL GATES Find out what's really going on when it seems like the sky is falling with Weather For Dummies What exactly is happening when the wind blows, the clouds roll in, lightning flashes, and rain pours down? How do hurricanes whip into a frenzy, and where do tornadoes come from? Why do seasonal conditions sometimes vary so much from one year to the next? The inner workings of the weather can be a mystery, but Dummies can help. Packed with dozens of maps, charts, and stunning photographs of weather conditions, Weather For Dummies brings the science of meteorology down to earth, covering everything from weather basics to cloud types, seasonal differences, extreme weather events, climate change, and beyond. You'll learn how to: Predict the weather and prepare a forecast Use common weather terminology like a pro Identify different types of clouds Spot weather conditions that can lead to storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and monsoons Observe fun weather phenomena like lightning, rainbows, sundogs, and haloes Talk about what impact weather has on the global ecosystem Get a handle on smog, the greenhouse effect, global warming, and other climate issues Featuring clear explanations and fun and easy activities you can do at home, you'll be ready – rain or shine – for the ever-changing skies above with Weather For Dummies.

* Reading clouds, wind patterns, snow conditions, and other clues, pre-trip and on the mountain * Strategies for safety and survival in adverse weather conditions * Regional mountain weather phenomena to watch for across the U.S. Working as a broadcast meteorologist, author Jeff Renner hears all too frequent reports about weather-related hiking, climbing, and skiing accidents. He'll teach you how to avoid becoming a statistic: all it takes is a little basic weather knowledge, pre-trip planning, and vigilance on the mountain. Renner discusses the best information sources to guide you, clues to watch for in the field, and how to analyze it all, with particular emphasis on potential threats due to thunderstorms, mountain winds, snow, and avalanche hazards. If you do get caught under stormy skies, he'll tell you how to limit your exposure. The book is filled with tip lists and concrete examples. Renner also includes chapters on weather patterns region by region across the U.S., highlighted by reference maps. The book is in the Mountaineers Outdoor Basics series.

Geography is more than just trivia, it can help you understand why we import or export certain products, predict climate change, and even show you where to place fire and police stations when planning a city. If you’re curious about the world and want to know more about this fascinating place, Geography For Dummies is a great place to start. Whether you’re sixteen or sixty, this fun and easy guide will help you make more sense of the world you live in. Geography For Dummies gives you the tools to interpret the Earth’s grid, read and interpret maps, and to appreciate the importance and implications of geographical features such as volcanoes and fault lines. Plus, you’ll see how erosion and weathering have and will change the earth’s surface and how it impacts people. You’ll get a firm hold of everything from the physical features of the world to political divisions, population, culture, and economics. You’ll also discover: How you can have a rainforest on one side of a mountain range and a desert on the other How ocean currents help to determine the geography of climates How to choose a good location for a shopping mall How you can properly put the plant to good use in everything you do How climate affects humans and how humans have affected the climate How human population has spread and the impact it has had on our world If you’re mixed up by map symbols or mystified by Mercator projections Geography For Dummies can help you find your bearings. Filled with key insights, easy-to-read maps, and cool facts, this book will expand your understanding of geography and today’s world.