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Books > Science & Mathematics > Physics > Applied physics & special topics > Atmospheric physics
The Earth's atmosphere is often portrayed as a thin and finite blanket covering our planet, separate from the emptiness of outer space. In reality, the transition is gradual and a tiny fraction of the atmophere gases is still present at the altitude of low orbiting satellites. The very high velocities of these satellites ensure that their orbital motion can still be considerably affected by air density and wind. This influence can be measured using accelerometers and satellite tracking techniques. The opening chapters of this thesis provide an excellent introduction to the various disciplines that are involved in the interpretation of these observations: orbital mechanics, satellite aerodynamics and upper atmospheric physics. A subsequent chapter, at the heart of this work, covers advances in the algorithms used for processing satellite accelerometry and Two-Line Element (TLE) orbit data. The closing chapters provide an elaborate analysis of the resulting density and wind products, which are generating many opportunities for further research, to improve the modelling and understanding of the thermosphere system and its interactions with the lower atmosphere, the ionosphere-magnetosphere system and the Sun.
A lightning strike to an unprotected object or system can be disastrous - in the United States lightning is responsible for over 30% of all electric power failures, causes billions of dollars' worth of property damage, and an average of 85 fatalities a year. This accessible text describes all aspects of lightning protection and includes many illustrative drawings and photographs. The author examines the physical behavior of lightning, various types of lightning damage, the role of lightning detection and warning in effective protection, as well as options for deflecting or eliminating lightning. U.S. and international lightning protection standards are discussed. This book will be essential reading for everyone involved in the business of lightning protection, including meteorologists, atmospheric scientists, architects, engineers, and fire-safety experts. Insurance practitioners and physicians will find this reference of significant value.
Heliophysics is a fast-developing scientific discipline that integrates studies of the Sun's variability, the surrounding heliosphere, and the environment and climate of planets. The Sun is a magnetically variable star and for planets with intrinsic magnetic fields, planets with atmospheres, or planets like Earth with both, there are profound consequences. This 2010 volume, the second in this series of three heliophysics texts, integrates the many aspects of space storms and the energetic radiation associated with them - from causes on the Sun to effects in planetary environments. It reviews the physical processes in solar flares and coronal mass ejections, interplanetary shocks, and particle acceleration and transport, and considers many space weather responses in geospace. In addition to its utility as a textbook, it also constitutes a foundational reference for researchers in fields from heliophysics to climate science. Additional online resources, including lecture presentations and other teaching materials, are available at www.cambridge.org/9780521760515.
Based on his over forty years of research and teaching, John C. Wyngaard's textbook is an excellent up-to-date introduction to turbulence in the atmosphere and in engineering flows for advanced students, and a reference work for researchers in the atmospheric sciences. Part I introduces the concepts and equations of turbulence. It includes a rigorous introduction to the principal types of numerical modeling of turbulent flows. Part II describes turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer. Part III covers the foundations of the statistical representation of turbulence and includes illustrative examples of stochastic problems that can be solved analytically. The book treats atmospheric and engineering turbulence in a unified way, gives clear explanation of the fundamental concepts of modeling turbulence, and has an up-to-date treatment of turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer. Student exercises are included at the ends of chapters, and worked solutions are available online for use by course instructors.
This book was published in 2004. The Interaction of Ocean Waves and Wind describes in detail the two-way interaction between wind and ocean waves and shows how ocean waves affect weather forecasting on timescales of 5 to 90 days. Winds generate ocean waves, but at the same time airflow is modified due to the loss of energy and momentum to the waves; thus, momentum loss from the atmosphere to the ocean depends on the state of the waves. This volume discusses ocean wave evolution according to the energy balance equation. An extensive overview of nonlinear transfer is given, and as a by-product the role of four-wave interactions in the generation of extreme events, such as freak waves, is discussed. Effects on ocean circulation are described. Coupled ocean-wave, atmosphere modelling gives improved weather and wave forecasts. This volume will interest ocean wave modellers, physicists and applied mathematicians, and engineers interested in shipping and coastal protection.
This combination of text and reference book describes the physical, plasma and chemical processes controlling the behavior of ionospheres, upper atmospheres and exospheres. It summarizes the structure, chemistry, dynamics and energetics of the terrestrial ionosphere and other solar system bodies, and discusses the processes, mechanisms and transport equations for solving fundamental research problems. This second edition incorporates new results, model developments and interpretations from the last 10 years. It includes the latest material on neutral atmospheres; the terrestrial ionosphere at low, middle and high latitudes; and planetary atmospheres and ionospheres, where results from recent space missions have yielded fresh data. Appendices outline physical constants, mathematical formulas, transport coefficients, and other important parameters for ionospheric calculations. This is an essential resource for researchers studying ionospheres, upper atmospheres, aeronomy and plasma physics. It is also an ideal textbook for graduate-level courses, with supplementary problem sets, and solutions for instructors at www.cambridge.org/9780521877060.
Heliophysics is a developing scientific discipline integrating studies of the Sun's variability, the surrounding heliosphere, and climatic environments. Over the past few centuries, our understanding of how the Sun drives space weather and climate on the Earth and other planets has advanced at an ever-increasing rate. This volume, the first in a series of three heliophysics texts, integrates such diverse topics for the first time as a coherent intellectual discipline. It emphasizes the physical processes coupling the Sun and Earth, allowing insights into the interaction of the solar wind and radiation with the Earth's magnetic field, atmosphere and climate system. It provides a core resource for advanced undergraduates and graduates, and also constitutes a foundational reference for researchers in heliophysics, astrophysics, plasma physics, space physics, solar physics, aeronomy, space weather, planetary science and climate science. Additional online resources, including lecture presentations and other teaching materials, are accessible at www.cambridge.org/9780521110617. Other volumes in this series: Heliophysics: Space Storms and Radiation: Causes and Effects (Volume II) Heliophysics: Evolving Solar Activity and the Climates of Space and Earth (Volume III) The complete set: Heliophysics 3 Volume Set
The Earth that sustains us today was born out of a few remarkable,
near-catastrophic revolutions, started by biological innovations
and marked by global environmental consequences. The revolutions
have certain features in common, such as an increase in the
complexity, energy utilization, and information processing
capabilities of life. This book describes these revolutions,
showing the fundamental interdependence of the evolution of life
and its non-living environment. We would not exist unless these
upheavals had led eventually to 'successful' outcomes - meaning
that after each one, at length, a new stable world emerged.
This volume presents a survey of our state of knowledge of the physical and dynamical processes involved in the Asian monsoon. Although traditionally the main emphasis has been on the study of the atmospheric component, it has long been known that the oceans play a vitally important part in determining the occurrence of this spectacular seasonal event. A scientific study of this phenomenon involves a detailed investigation of the dynamical processes which occur in both the atmosphere and the ocean, on timescales on up to at least a year and on spatial scales from a few hundred kilometres or so up to that of the global atmospheric and oceanic circulations. The editors present a coherent survey of each of the meteorological, oceanographic and hydrological aspects and of their implications for weather forecasting and flood prediction. Monsoon Dynamics is a timely survey of a dramatic meteorological phenomenon which will interest meteorologists, climatologists and geophysicists.
Mesoscale weather systems are responsible for numerous natural disasters, such as damaging winds, blizzards and flash flooding. A fundamental understanding of the underlying dynamics involved in these weather systems is essential in forecasting their occurrence. This 2007 book provides a systematic approach to this subject. The opening chapters introduce the basic equations governing mesoscale weather systems and their approximations. The subsequent chapters cover four major areas of mesoscale dynamics: wave dynamics, moist convection, front dynamics and mesoscale modelling. This is an ideal book on the subject for researchers in meteorology and atmospheric science. With over 100 problems, and password-protected solutions available to instructors at www.cambridge.org/9780521808750, this book could also serve as a textbook for graduate students. Modelling projects, providing hands-on practice for building simple models of stratified fluid flow from a one-dimensional advection equation, are also described.
The physical properties of the ionized layer in the Earth's upper atmosphere enable us to use it to support an increasing range of communications applications. This book presents a modern treatment of the physics and phenomena of the high latitude upper atmosphere and the morphology of radio propagation in the auroral and polar regions. Chapters cover the basics of radio propagation and the use of radio techniques in ionospheric studies. Many investigations of high latitude radio propagation have previously only been published in Conference Proceedings and organizational reports. This book includes many examples of the behavior of quiet and disturbed high latitude HF propagation. Ample cross-referencing, chapter summaries and reference lists make this book an invaluable aid for graduate students, ionospheric physicists and radio engineers.
This book presents the theory and applications of radiative transfer in the atmosphere. It is written for graduate students and researchers in the fields of meteorology and related sciences. The book begins with important basic definitions of the radiative transfer theory. It presents the hydrodynamic derivation of the radiative transfer equation and the principles of variance. The authors examine in detail various quasi-exact solutions of the radiative transfer equation and give a thorough treatment of the radiative perturbation theory. A rigorous treatment of Mie scattering is given, including Rayleigh scattering as a special case, and the important efficiency factors for extinction, scattering and absorption are derived. The fundamentals of remote sensing applications of radiative transfer are presented. Problems of varying degrees of difficulty are included at the end of each chapter, allowing readers to further their understanding of the materials covered in the book.
The sea breeze affects our lives in many ways. It controls our local weather, not only on the coast but also in many districts inland. Air pollution and smog, also the distribution of airborne insect pests and the spread of pollen are all controlled by the sea breeze. In the world of sport it is important to glider pilots, sailors and surfers, and balloonists. In the book we see how radar, lidar and satellite photography have helped to forecast and map sea breezes and the all-important 'sea-breeze front'. The book ends with a description of laboratory experiments mostly carried out by the author and his co-workers, and a simple summary of theoretical models. The book will be welcomed by those researching in the subject but will also be valuable to the general reader who is interested in local weather and the natural environment.
This volume provides a thorough and up-to-date treatment of multiple scattering of light and other electromagnetic radiation in media composed of randomly and sparsely positioned particles. It systematically and consistently presents radiative transfer theory as a branch of classical macroscopic electromagnetics. After tracing the fundamental link between radiative transfer theory and the effect of coherent backscattering, the authors explain them in the context of a comprehensive hierarchy of electromagnetic scattering problems. Dedicated sections present a thorough discussion of the physical meaning and range of applicability of the radiative transfer equation and compare the self-consistent microphysical and the traditional phenomenological approaches to radiative transfer. This self-contained book will be valuable for science professionals, engineers, and graduate students working across a wide range of disciplines including optics, electromagnetics, remote sensing, atmospheric radiation, astrophysics, and biomedicine.
Climate models have evolved into Earth system models with representation of the physics, chemistry, and biology of terrestrial ecosystems. This companion book to Gordon Bonan's Ecological Climatology: Concepts and Applications, Third Edition, builds on the concepts introduced there, and provides the mathematical foundation upon which to develop and understand ecosystem models and their relevance for these Earth system models. The book bridges the disciplinary gap among land surface models developed by atmospheric scientists; biogeochemical models, dynamic global vegetation models, and ecosystem demography models developed by ecologists; and ecohydrology models developed by hydrologists. Review questions, supplemental code, and modeling projects are provided, to aid with understanding how the equations are used. The book is an invaluable guide to climate change and terrestrial ecosystem modeling for graduate students and researchers in climate change, climatology, ecology, hydrology, biogeochemistry, meteorology, environmental science, mathematical modeling, and environmental biophysics.
Modelling transport and mixing by turbulence in complex flows are huge challenges for computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This highly readable book introduces readers to modelling levels that respect the physical complexity of turbulent flows. It examines the hierarchy of Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) closures in various situations ranging from fundamental flows to three-dimensional industrial and environmental applications. The general second-moment closure is simplified to linear eddy-viscosity models, demonstrating how to assess the applicability of simpler schemes and the conditions under which they give satisfactory predictions. The principal changes for the second edition reflect the impact of computing power: a new chapter devoted to unsteady RANS and another on how large-eddy simulation, LES, and RANS strategies can be effectively combined for particular applications. This book will remain the standard for those in industry and academia seeking expert guidance on the modelling options available, and for graduate students in physics, applied mathematics and engineering entering the world of turbulent flow CFD.
Providing a comprehensive review of our understanding of the small, high latitude weather systems known as polar lows, Erik Rasmussen and John Turner describe the climatological distribution of these depressions. They cover observational investigations into their structure, the operational forecasting of polar lows and the theoretical research into why they develop. They also discuss the experiments that reveal that some polar lows can be predicted. This book is of value to researchers and professional weather forecasters concerned with polar regions.
Complete with numerous exercise sets and solutions, this work is written for advanced students of meteorology and related sciences as well as professional meteorologists and researchers. The first part of the book presents the mathematical tools needed for a thorough understanding of the topics covered in the second. These topics include kinematics of the atmosphere; inertial and dynamic stability; turbulent systems; and novel weather prediction methods with potential for extending the forecasting range.
The Legacy of Carbon Dioxide: Past and Present Impacts covers the truly varied roles carbon dioxide has played and continues to play in the character of our planet. Chapters address the synthesis of CO2 in stars, the evolution of the atmosphere over billions of years, the chemical and physical properties of CO2 and how those influence common phenomena. How well this knowledge is understood and how it was determined, including existing uncertainties in our confidence and the stress from competing possibilities are discussed. Much of the technological jargon in various incorporated sciences has been modified to ease consumption by the non-expert. Features: Provides a historical panorama on how much the world has changed over the eons and the vast influence of carbon dioxide in these changes Follows CO2 through acidic explosive waters, volcanic episodes, sequestered reservoirs, and the chemistry of life Examines the broad scope of chemical and physical attributes carbon dioxide is capable of and their impacts Much of the technological verbiage in various incorporated sciences has been modified to ease consumption by the non-expert. This book is a valuable resource for readers interested in the science of carbon dioxide as well as natural science, the environment, scientific methods, chemistry, and geological sciences.
Our space age technology enables global communication, navigation, and power distribution that has given rise to our 'smart', interconnected and spacefaring world. Much of the infrastructure modern society depends on, to live on Earth and to explore space, is susceptible to space weather storms originating from the Sun. The Second Edition of this introductory textbook is expanded to reflect our increased understanding from more than a dozen scientific missions over the past decade. Updates include discussions of the rapidly expanding commercial space sector, orbital debris and collision hazards, our understanding of solar-terrestrial connections to climate, and the renewed emphasis of human exploration of the Moon and Mars. It provides new learning features to help students understand the science and solve meaningful problems, including some based on real-world data. Each chapter includes learning objectives and supplements that provide descriptions of the science and learning strategies to help students and instructors alike.
Revised and updated in 2000, Basic Physical Chemistry for the Atmospheric Sciences provides a clear, concise grounding in the basic chemical principles required for studies of atmospheres, oceans, and earth and planetary systems. Undergraduate and graduate students with little formal training in chemistry can work through the chapters and the numerous exercises within this book before accessing the standard texts in the atmospheric chemistry, geochemistry, and the environmental sciences. The book covers the fundamental concepts of chemical equilibria, chemical thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, solution chemistry, acid and base chemistry, oxidation-reduction reactions, and photochemistry. In a companion volume entitled Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry (2000, Cambridge University Press) Peter Hobbs provides an introduction to atmospheric chemistry itself, including its applications to air pollution, acid rain, the ozone hole, and climate change. Together these two books provide an ideal introduction to atmospheric chemistry for a variety of disciplines.
The Advanced Research Workshop entitled "Weakly Interacting Molecular Pairs: Unconventional Absorbers of Radiation in the At- sphere" was held in Abbaye de Fontevraud, France, from April 29 to May 3, 2002. The meeting involved 40 researchers from 14 countries. The goal of this meeting was to address a problem that the scienti?c community is aware of for many years. Up now, however, the so- tion for this problem is far from satisfactory. Pair e?ects are called unconventional in the title of this meeting. In speci?c spectral domains and/or geophysical conditions they are recognized to play a dominant role in the absorption/emission properties of the atmosphere. Water vapor continuum absorption is among the most prominent examples. Permanently improving accuracy of both laboratory studies and ?eld observations requires better knowledge of the spectroscopic features - tributable to molecular pairs which may form at equilibrium. The Workshop was targeted both to clarify the pending questions and, as far as feasible, to trace the path to possible answers since the underlying phenomena are yet incompletely understood and since a reliable theory is often not available. On the other hand, the lack of precise laboratory data on bimolecular absorption is often precluding the construction of reliable theoretical models. Ideally, the knowledge accumulated in the course of laboratory studies should correlate with the practical demands from those who are carrying out atmospheric ?eld measurements and space observations.
The NATO ARW in Irkutsk was an excellent occasion for the coming together of Eastern and Western scientists who are involved in tropospheric science; the workshop has greatly contributed to the scientific and social understanding among the participants from the many different countries. Many new personal contacts were made which will help to strengthen future collaborations. In particular, the Lake Baikal area and the Limnological Institute offer splendid opportunities for environmental research which, in part, is already on going. For most participants it was the first time to see the impressive nature of the Lake Baikal region. Hopefully, there will be a chance for a follow-up event in Siberia where researchers from the East and West can again meet and engage in fruitful scientific dialogue. The book contains extended abstracts of the lectures and the poster presentations presented at the NATO ARW "Global Atmospheric Change and its Impact on Regional Air Quality" Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Russian Federation, August 21-27, 2001. The ARW was composed of 22 oral presentations by key lecturers and 6 additional shorter oral presentations from participants. In a special poster session the 36 poster contributions were presented and discussed. Unfortunately not all contributors submitted extended abstracts, however, to compensate two contributions have been added from 2 participants who were originally invited but were unable to attend.
This book gives an account of the modern view of the global circulation of the atmosphere. It brings the observed nature of the circulation together with theories and simple models of the mechanisms which drive it. Early chapters concentrate on the classical view of the global circulation, on the processes which generate atmospheric motions and on the dynamical constraints which modify them. Later chapters develop more recent themes including low frequency variability and the circulations of other planetary atmospheres. The book will be of interest to advanced students and researchers who wish for an introduction to the subject before engaging with the original scientific literature. The book is copiously illustrated, and includes many results of diagnostic and modelling studies. Each chapter includes a set of problems and bibliographical notes.
Space storms, the manifestation of bad weather in space, have a
number of physical effects in the near-Earth environment:
acceleration of charged particles in space, intensification of
electric currents in space and on the ground, impressive aurora
displays, and global magnetic disturbances on the Earth's surface.
Space weather has been defined as conditions on the Sun and in the
solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere, and atmosphere that can
influence the performance and reliability of space- and
ground-based technological systems and can endanger human life'.
The 19 chapters of this book, written by some of the foremost
experts on the topic, present the most recent developments in space
storm physics and related technological issues, such as malfunction
of satellites, communication and navigation systems, and electric
power distribution grids. As recommended in the United Nations Space & Atmospheric Science Education Curriculum booklet. Please find it amongst classics such as T.J.M. Boyd, J.J. Sanderson, J.K. Hargreaves and M.C. Kelly etc. |
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