Introduction to Circulating Atmospheres

by I. N. James

Overview

This book gives an account of the modern view of the global circulation of the atmosphere. It accounts for the observed nature of the circulation and theories and simple models of the mechanisms that drive it. Early chapters concentrate on the classical view of the global circulation, on the processes that generate atmospheric motions, and on the dynamical constraints that modify them. Later chapters develop more recent themes including low frequency variability and the circulation of other planetary atmospheres. Each chapter includes a set of problems.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521429351
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	10/19/1995
Series:	Cambridge Atmospheric and Space Science Series
Edition description:	1st pbk. ed. (with corrections)
Pages:	448
Product dimensions:	7.44(w) x 9.69(h) x 0.91(d)

Table of Contents

1. The governing physical laws; 2. Observing and modelling the global circulation; 3. The atmospheric heat engine; 4. The zonal mean meridional circulation; 5. Transient disturbances in the mid-latitudes; 6. Wave propagation and the steady eddies; 7. Three dimensional aspects of the global circulation; 8. Low frequency variability of the circulation; 9. The stratosphere; 10. Planetary atmospheres and other fluid systems.

Editorial Reviews

"...a well composed text book on the general circulation of the atmosphere, most suitable for advanced undergraduate and introductory graduate levels...brings many interesting and modern aspects of general circulation theory and observations together in a concise and manageable format." Elmar Reiter, Meteorology & Atmospheric Physics

"...Ian James provides an excellent introduction to the global atmospheric circulation...the presentation is well balanced and the material is presented in a manner that combines a rather complete account of the major features of the observed global circulation with an account of a number of simple dynamical models that can be used to elucidate the observations...an undergraduate-level course in dynamical meteorology is required as a pre-requisite for this text...for any student with such a background, the book is readily accessible and would serve admirably as a textbook for an advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate course on the global circulation." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

"The author is to be congratulated on an important contribution, which should become a standard textbook in courses on the global circulation." James R. Holton, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

"...a valuable addition to our arsenal of fundamental texts on the circulation of planetary atmospheres, especially the atmosphere in which we live." Robert Cahalan and Lesley Greene, American Scientist

"...a worthy introduction into the general circulation of the atmosphere, and researchers or advanced students will find it a useful guide for studying the original literature of the subject." Krzysztof Haman,

From the Publisher