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Books > Science & Mathematics > Physics > Applied physics & special topics > Atmospheric physics
Introduction to Atmospheric Modelling explores the power of mathematics to help us understand complex atmospheric phenomena through mathematical modelling. The author has thoughtfully chosen a path into and through the subject that gives the reader a glimpse of the dynamics underlying phenomena ranging from a sea breeze through mid-latitude cyclonic disturbances to Rossby waves, mainly through the lens of scaling analysis. Written for students with backgrounds in mathematics, physics and engineering, this book will be a valuable resource as they begin studying atmospheric science.
Quantum gravity is among the most fascinating problems in physics. It modifies our understanding of time, space and matter. The recent development of the loop approach has allowed us to explore domains ranging from black hole thermodynamics to the early Universe. This book provides readers with a simple introduction to loop quantum gravity, centred on its covariant approach. It focuses on the physical and conceptual aspects of the problem and includes the background material needed to enter this lively domain of research, making it ideal for researchers and graduate students. Topics covered include quanta of space; classical and quantum physics without time; tetrad formalism; Holst action; lattice QCD; Regge calculus; ADM and Ashtekar variables; Ponzano-Regge and Turaev-Viro amplitudes; kinematics and dynamics of 4D Lorentzian quantum gravity; spectrum of area and volume; coherent states; classical limit; matter couplings; graviton propagator; spinfoam cosmology and black hole thermodynamics.
This textbook introduces research on dinosaurs by describing the science behind how we know what we know about dinosaurs. A wide range of topics is covered, from fossils and taphonomy to dinosaur physiology, evolution, and extinction. In addition, sedimentology, paleo-tectonics, and non-dinosaurian Mesozoic life are discussed. There is a special opportunity to capitalize on the enthusiasm for dinosaurs that students bring to classrooms to foster a deeper engagement in all sciences. Students are encouraged to synthesize information, employ critical thinking, construct hypotheses, devise methods to test these hypotheses, and come to new defensible conclusions, just as paleontologists do. Key Features Clear and easy to read dinosaur text with well-defined terminology Over 600 images and diagrams to illustrate concepts and aid learning Reading objectives for each chapter section to guide conceptual learning and encourage active reading Companion website (teachingdinosaurs.com) that includes supporting materials such as in-class activities, question banks, lists of suggested specimens, and more to encourage student participation and active learning Ending each chapter with a specific "What We Don't Know" section to encourage student curiosity Related Titles Singer, R. Encyclopedia of Paleontology (ISBN 978-1-884964-96-1) Fiorillo, A. R. Alaska Dinosaurs: An Ancient Arctic World (ISBN 978-1-138-06087-6) Caldwell, M. W. The Origin of Snakes: Morphology and the Fossil Record (ISBN 978-1-4822-5134-0)
This textbook explores approximate solutions to general relativity and their consequences. It offers a unique presentation of Einstein's theory by developing powerful methods that can be applied to astrophysical systems. Beginning with a uniquely thorough treatment of Newtonian gravity, the book develops post-Newtonian and post-Minkowskian approximation methods to obtain weak-field solutions to the Einstein field equations. The book explores the motion of self-gravitating bodies, the physics of gravitational waves, and the impact of radiative losses on gravitating systems. It concludes with a brief overview of alternative theories of gravity. Ideal for graduate courses on general relativity and relativistic astrophysics, the book examines real-life applications, such as planetary motion around the Sun, the timing of binary pulsars, and gravitational waves emitted by binary black holes. Text boxes explore related topics and provide historical context, and over 100 exercises present challenging tests of the material covered in the main text.
Einstein's theory of general relativity is a theory of gravity and, as in the earlier Newtonian theory, much can be learnt about the character of gravitation and its effects by investigating particular idealised examples. This book describes the basic solutions of Einstein's equations with a particular emphasis on what they mean, both geometrically and physically. Concepts such as big bang and big crunch-types of singularities, different kinds of horizons and gravitational waves, are described in the context of the particular space-times in which they naturally arise. These notions are initially introduced using the most simple and symmetric cases. Various important coordinate forms of each solution are presented, thus enabling the global structure of the corresponding space-time and its other properties to be analysed. The book is an invaluable resource both for graduate students and academic researchers working in gravitational physics.
Carbon dioxide has become one of the “defining molecules” of our century, due to its role in Earth's climate. This text traces the development of the perception of carbon dioxide through the ages. With layman summaries at the beginning of each chapter and extensive literature references and notes, the text takes the reader through the history of our understanding of the gas, from its early discovery as a separate gas in the mid-17th century to the recognition of its radiative properties and impact on climate in the late 19th and 20th century. The text describes the world's slow efforts to control the rise in carbon dioxide over the last 50 years and concludes by setting the stage for the Paris climate accords and subsequent negotiations. The world must reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide fast, and this book discusses options to achieve that goal. Han Dolman is a climate scientist and director of the Royal NIOZ, the Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, as well as a Professor at the Department of Earth Sciences, Free University of Amsterdam. For many years, his work has been centered around the global carbon cycle and its relation to our climate. Over the length of his career, he has been involved in several international research programs such as the Global Climate Observing System.
Murry Salby's new book provides an integrated treatment of the processes controlling the Earth-atmosphere system, developed from first principles through a balance of theory and applications. This book builds on Salby's previous book, Fundamentals of Atmospheric Physics. The scope has been expanded into climate, with the presentation streamlined for undergraduates in science, mathematics, and engineering. Advanced material, suitable for graduate students and as a resource for researchers, has been retained but distinguished from the basic development. The book provides a conceptual yet quantitative understanding of the controlling influences, integrated through theory and major applications. It leads readers through a methodical development of the diverse physical processes that shape weather, global energetics, and climate. End-of-chapter problems of varying difficulty develop student knowledge and its quantitative application, supported by answers and detailed solutions online for instructors.
It is now widely recognized that the climate system is governed by nonlinear, multi-scale processes, whereby memory effects and stochastic forcing by fast processes, such as weather and convective systems, can induce regime behavior. Motivated by present difficulties in understanding the climate system and to aid the improvement of numerical weather and climate models, this book gathers contributions from mathematics, physics and climate science to highlight the latest developments and current research questions in nonlinear and stochastic climate dynamics. Leading researchers discuss some of the most challenging and exciting areas of research in the mathematical geosciences, such as the theory of tipping points and of extreme events including spatial extremes, climate networks, data assimilation and dynamical systems. This book provides graduate students and researchers with a broad overview of the physical climate system and introduces powerful data analysis and modeling methods for climate scientists and applied mathematicians.
One of the most familiar phenomena on the planet, water waves remain an elusive question for science. The way in which wind blows over water and causes waves is a very active area of research for applied mathematicians, as well as for oceanographers and engineers. The basic mechanisms are still a matter of controversy, although the use of modern techniques of asymptotic and non-linear analysis and large-scale computation, as well as experimental structures, are beginning to reveal the underlying mechanics. These studies are resulting in increasingly powerful methods of forecasting waves and of gauging and controlling their effects on such things as sediment, pollution, and offshore structures. This volume covers the wide range of current research on the relationship between wind and waves and includes contributions from many of the leading authorities in the field.
Clouds affect our daily weather and play key roles in the global climate. Through their ability to precipitate, clouds provide virtually all of the fresh water on Earth and are a crucial link in the hydrologic cycle. With ever-increasing importance being placed on quantifiable predictions - from forecasting the local weather to anticipating climate change - we must understand how clouds operate in the real atmosphere, where interactions with natural and anthropogenic pollutants are common. This textbook provides students - whether seasoned or new to the atmospheric sciences - with a quantitative yet approachable path to learning the inner workings of clouds. Developed over many years of the authors' teaching at Pennsylvania State University, Physics and Chemistry of Clouds is an invaluable textbook for advanced students in atmospheric science, meteorology, environmental sciences/engineering and atmospheric chemistry. It is also a very useful reference text for researchers and professionals.
Mankin Mak's textbook provides a self-contained course on atmospheric dynamics. The first half is suitable for senior undergraduates, and develops the physical, dynamical and mathematical concepts at the fundamental level. The second half of the book is aimed at more advanced students who are already familiar with the basics. The contents have been developed from many years of the author's teaching at the University of Illinois. Discussions are supplemented with schematics, weather maps and statistical plots of the atmospheric general circulation. Students often find the connection between theoretical dynamics and atmospheric observation somewhat tenuous, and this book demonstrates a strong connection between the key dynamics and real observations. This textbook is an invaluable asset for courses in atmospheric dynamics for advanced students and researchers in atmospheric science, ocean science, weather forecasting, environmental science, and applied mathematics. Some background in mathematics, physics and basic atmospheric science is assumed.
Presenting a comprehensive discussion of general circulation models of the atmosphere, this book covers their historical and contemporary development, their societal context, and current efforts to integrate these models into wider Earth-system models. Leading researchers provide unique perspectives on the scientific breakthroughs, overarching themes, critical applications, and future prospects for atmospheric general circulation models. Key interdisciplinary links to other subject areas such as chemistry, oceanography and ecology are also highlighted. This book is a core reference for academic researchers and professionals involved in atmospheric physics, meteorology and climate science, and can be used as a resource for graduate-level courses in climate modeling and numerical weather prediction. Given the critical role that atmospheric general circulation models are playing in the intense public discourse on climate change, it is also a valuable resource for policy makers and all those concerned with the scientific basis for the ongoing public-policy debate.
A quantitative introduction to the Earth's atmosphere for intermediate-advanced undergraduate and graduate students, with an emphasis on underlying physical principles. This edition has been brought completely up-to-date, and now includes a new chapter on the physics of climate change which builds upon material introduced in earlier chapters, giving the student a broad understanding of some of the physical concepts underlying this most important and topical subject. In contrast to many other books on atmospheric science, the emphasis is on the underlying physics. Atmospheric applications are developed mainly in the problems given at the end of each chapter. The book is an essential resource for all students of atmospheric physics as part of an atmospheric science, meteorology, physics, Earth science, planetary science, or applied mathematics course.
Einstein s theory of general relativity is a theory of gravity and, as in the earlier Newtonian theory, much can be learned about the character of gravitation and its effects by investigating particular idealized examples. This book describes the basic solutions of Einstein s equations with a particular emphasis on what they mean, both geometrically and physically. New concepts, such as big bang and big crunch-types of singularities, different kinds of horizons and gravitational waves, are described in the context of the particular space-times in which they naturally arise. These notions are initially introduced using the most simple and symmetric cases. Various important coordinate forms of each solution are presented, thus enabling the global structure of the corresponding space-time and its other properties to be analyzed. The book is an invaluable resource both for graduate students and academic researchers working in gravitational physics.
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 textbook presents a uniquely integrated approach in linking both physics and chemistry to the study of atmospheric thermodynamics. The book explains the classical laws of thermodynamics, focuses on various fluid systems, and, recognizing the increasing importance of chemistry in the meteorological and climate sciences, devotes a chapter to chemical thermodynamics which includes an overview of photochemistry. Although students are expected to have some background knowledge of calculus, general chemistry and classical physics, the book provides set-aside refresher boxes as useful reminders. It contains over 100 diagrams and graphs to supplement the discussions, and a similar number of worked examples and exercises, with solutions included at the end of the book. It is ideal for a single-semester advanced course on atmospheric thermodynamics, and will prepare students for higher-level synoptic and dynamics courses.
This is a self-contained, concise, rigorous book introducing the reader to the basics of atmospheric thermodynamics. This new edition has been brought completely up to date and reorganized to improve the quality and flow of the material. The introductory chapters provide definitions and useful mathematical and physical notes to help readers understand the basics. The book then describes the topics relevant to atmospheric processes, including the properties of moist air and atmospheric stability. It concludes with a brief introduction to the problem of weather forecasting and the relevance of thermodynamics. Each chapter contains worked examples and student exercises, with solutions available to instructors on a password protected website at www.cambridge.org/9780521796767. The author has taught atmospheric thermodynamics for over 20 years and is a highly respected researcher. This book is an ideal text for short undergraduate courses taken as part of an atmospheric science, meteorology, physics or natural science program.
This book is an introductory textbook on the physical processes occurring in the Earth's radiation belts. The presentation is at the advanced undergraduate or first year graduate level, and it is appropriate for students who intend to work in some aspect of magnetospheric physics. The treatment is quantitative and provides the mathematical basis for original work in this subject. The equations describing the motion of energetic ions and electrons in the geomagnetic field are derived from basic principles, and concepts such as magnetic field representations, guiding centre motion, adiabatic invariance, and particle distribution functions are presented in a detailed and accessible manner. Relevant experimental techniques are reviewed and a summary is given of the intensity and energy spectra of the particle populations in the Earth's radiation belts. Problem sets are included as well as appendices of tables, graphs and frequently used formulas.
The ionized material that constitutes plasma permeates almost all of the universe beyond the planets and their atmospheres and satellites. This book describes the linear theory of many different waves and instabilities that may propagate in a collisionless plasma. Electrostatic and electromagnetic fluctuations, and a variety of instability sources are considered. Applications of the theory are discussed with respect to spacecraft observations in the solar wind, terrestrial magnetosheath, magnetosphere and magnetotail and at the bow shock and magnetopause. Tables at the end of most chapters summarize wave and instability nomenclature and properties, and problems for the reader to solve are interspersed throughout the text. Together these make this book of great value to both the student and research worker in space physics.
Motion is manifest in the atmosphere in an almost infinite variety of ways. In Dynamics in Atmospheric Physics, Dr. Richard Lindzen describes the nature of motion in the atmosphere, develops fluid dynamics relevant to the atmosphere, and explores the role of motion in determining the climate and atmospheric composition. The author presents the material in a lecture note style, and the emphasis throughout is on describing phenomena that are at the frontiers of current research, but due attention is given to the methodology of research and to the historical background of these topics. The author's treatment and choice of topics is didactic. Problems at the end of each chapter will help students assimilate the material. In general the discussions emphasize physical concepts, and throughout Dr. Lindzen makes a concerted effort to avoid the notion that dynamic meteorology is simply the derivation of equations and their subsequent solution. His desire is that interested students will delve further into solution details. The book is intended as a text for first year graduate students in the atmospheric sciences. Although the material in the book is self contained, a familiarity with differential equations is assumed; some background in fluid mechanics is helpful.
New edition of a successful and comprehensive textbook on the atmospheric processes, numerical methods, and computational techniques required for advanced students and scientists to successfully study air pollution and meteorology. From reviews: ' I highly recommend the Jacobson book for graduate students and professionals engaged in atmospheric modeling. They will find themselves frequently reaching for it as a reference. I certainly do.' Daniel J. Jacob, Atmospheric Environment ' ...recommended as a text for a rigorous course of study in air pollution meteorology and modeling.' T. Warner, Applied Mechanical Review
This textbook is written for graduate students and researchers in meteorology and related sciences. While most meteorological textbooks only present equilibrium thermodynamics, this book also introduces the linear theory of non-equilibrium and provides the necessary background for more advanced studies. The authors start by introducing the equations that describe the basic laws of thermodynamics and entropy and go on to discuss the thermodynamics of blackbody radiation, thermodynamic potentials, and the constitutive equations of irreversible fluxes. Later chapters look at the state functions of ideal gases, thermodynamics of cloud air, heat equations for special adiabatic systems, atmospheric statics, stability, and atmospheric energetics of hydrostatic equilibrium. Each chapter ends with a set of exercises that are designed to help the reader develop a deeper understanding of the subject. Answers to all the exercises are given at the end of the book.
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 Physics of Plasmas provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject, illustrating the basic theory with examples drawn from fusion, space and astrophysical plasmas. Various aspects of plasma physics are discussed, beginning with particle orbit theory, and including fluid equations, a variety of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models, wave equations and kinetic theory. The relationships between these distinct approaches are discussed. In this way, the reader gains a firm grounding in the fundamentals, leading to an understanding of some of the more specialized topics. Throughout the text, there is an emphasis on the physical interpretation of plasma phenomena; Exercises are included.
This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the history and science of major air pollution issues. It begins with an introduction to the basic atmospheric chemistry and the history of discovery of chemicals in the atmosphere, and then moves on to a discussion of the evolution of the earth's atmosphere, and the structure and composition of the present-day atmosphere. It also offers a comprehensive and accessible discussion of the five major atmospheric pollution topics: urban outdoor air pollution, indoor air pollution, acid deposition, stratospheric ozone reduction, and global climate change. |
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