Encyclopedia of World Climatology
Description
Today, given the well-publicized impacts of events such as El Niño, there is an unequaled public awareness of how climate affects the quality of life and environment. Such awareness has created an increasing demand for accurate climatological information. This information is now available in one convenient, accessible source, the Encyclopedia of World Climatology. This comprehensive volume covers all the main subfields of climatology, supplies information on climates in major continental areas, and explains the intricacies of climatic processes. The level of presentation will meet the needs of specialists, university students, and educated laypersons.
A successor to the 1986 Encyclopedia of Climatology, this compendium provides a clear explanation of current knowledge and research directions in modern climatology. This new encyclopedia emphasizes climatological developments that have evolved over the past twenty years. It offers more than 200 informative articles prepared by 150 experts on numerous subjects, ranging from standard areas of study to the latest research studies.
The relationship between climatology and both physical and social science is fully explored, as is the significance of climate for our future well-being. The information is organized for speedy access. Entries are conveniently arranged in alphabetical order, thoroughly indexed, and cross-referenced. Every entry contains useful citations to additional source materials.
The Editor
John E. Oliver is Professor Emeritus at Indiana State University. He holds a B.Sc. from London University, and a MA and Ph.D from Columbia University. He taught at Columbia University and then at Indiana State where he was formerly Chair of the Geography-Geology Department, and Assoc iate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences. He has written many books and journal articles in Climatology, Applied Climatology and Physical Geography.
Reviews / Votes
From the reviews:
"This comprehensive volume covers all the main subfields of climatology, supplies information on climates in major continental areas, and explains the intricacies of climatic processes. It provides a clear explanation of current knowledge and research directions in modern climatology . . The relationship between climatology and both physical and social science is fully explored, as it is the significance of climate for our future well-being." (Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, September, 2005)
"This brand-new volume, Encyclopedia of World Climatology, is another addition to the series and is executed . with . high quality standards. Since it becomes ever more challenging to maintain an overview of the large individual fields of science, the decision of the editors to provide the community with this series cannot be overapplauded. . this encyclopedia is a wonderful and most valuable information source. It as a 'must-have' for every library and should be within hands reach of those working in climate research." (Jörg Matchullat, Environmental Geology, Vol. 49, 2006)
"With continued interest in topics such as global warming and El Nino, world climatology has taken on a new urgency. This encyclopedia is an outgrowth of the Encyclopedia of Climatology, also written by John E. Oliver and published in 1987. . the articles are created by outstanding climatologists and very well written. . The article on crime and climate is fascinating. The volume has an attractive cover . . Most reference collections will want to contain this important encyclopedia." (Ralph Lee Scott, ARBA online, March, 2007)
"This revised encyclopedia updates and expands the classic Encyclopedia of Climatology (1987). . The highly informative and well-written entries cover all main disciplines of climatology, provide climate information for major continental areas, and describe the dynamics of climate. . Graphs, charts, and drawings appear where appropriate. . Author and subject indexes are provided, and the entries are extensively cross-referenced. . this is an indispensable reference for all libraries. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels." (J. C. Stachacz, CHOICE, March, 2006)
"The Encyclopedia of World Climatology is an updated reference volume . . The primary use of this encyclopedia, as I see it, would be for the teacher at the secondary or tertiary level . . For students for whom science is not their first love, linking climate to politics, art, architecture and religion can serve to stimulate an interest that might even last longer than one semester. For that purpose, I'll be happy to have this book on my shelf." (Amanda H. Lynch, Australian Meteorological Magazine, Vol. 55 (3), 2006)
"The Encyclopedia of World Climatology is an update of the book of the same title published in 1986. . The book has roughly 150 contributors and, as such, contains a wide spectrum of viewpoints on climate. . As such the book provides a worthy reference point from undergraduates to established researchers alike." (Dominic Kniveton, The Geographical Journal, Vol. 173 (1), 2007)
"This new volume, some 842 pages long, represents an effort to detail the many facets and dimensions of climatology . . a masterful array of topics presented in an academic, yet highly readable style. . the volume most deservedly merits finding its way to libraries worldwide, and certainly to the desks of students, faculty, decision makers, and the interested layperson. It ought to be obtained by many constituencies . . It should also be used by academic researchers and professionals . ." (Anthony Brazel, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 96 (4), 2006)
More details
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
John E. Oliver is Professor Emeritus at Indiana State University. He holds a B.Sc. from London University, and an MA and Ph.D from Columbia University. He taught at Columbia University and then at Indiana State where he was formerly Chair of the Geography-Geology Department, and Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences. He has written many books and journal articles in Climatology, Applied Climatology and Physical Geography.
Content
Boundary Layer Climatology 168
D.S. Munro
Bowen Ratio 178
John E. Oliver
Budyko, Mikhail Ivanovich 179
William A. Dando
Carbon-14 Dating 181
Claudio Vita-Finzi
Centers of Action 182
Robert M. Hordon
Central America and the Caribbean, Climate of 183
Michael A. Taylor and Eric J. Alfaro
Climate Affairs 189
Michael H. Glantz
Climatic Change and Ancient Civilizations 192
Masatoshi Yoshino
Climate Change and Global Warming 199
Michael C. MacCracken
Climate Change and Human Health 209
Anthony J. McMichael and Rosalie E. Woodruff
Climate Change Impacts: Potential
Environmental and Societal Consequences 213
Michael C. MacCracken
Climate Classification 218
John E. Oliver
Climate Comfort Indices 227
Yuk Yee Yan
Climate Data Centers 231
Robert Mark Simpson
Climate Hazards 233
Jack Hobbs
Climate Modeling and Research Centers 243
Robert Mark Simpson
Climate Variation: Historical 247
Rhodes W. Fairbridge
Climate Variation: Instrumental Data 263
Enric Aguilar, Robert G. Quayle and
J. Murray Mitchell Junior
Climate Vulnerability 266
Paul Kay
Climate Zones 270
John E. Oliver
Climatology 272
H.E. Landsberg/J.E. Oliver
Climatology, History of 283
David H. Miller
Cloud Climatology 289
Joel Norris
Coastal Climate 294
R.A. Muller, H.J. Walker, and S.A. Hsu
Commerce and Climate 298
David Changnon
Condensation 302
John E. Oliver
Continental Climate and Continentality 303
Richard Snow
Coral Reefs and Climate 305
J. Kleypas
Coriolis Effect 306
Yuk Yee Yan
Crime and Climate 307
James Lebeau
Cultural Climatology 308
John Thornes
Cycles and Periodicities 309
W.J. Burroughs
Degree Days 315
Danny M. Vaughn
Desertification 318
Michael H. Glantz
Deserts 324
Sharon E. Nicholson
Determinism, Climatic 333
Akhtar H. Siddiqi and John E. Oliver
Dew/Dewpoint 336
John E. Oliver
Doldrums 338
Joseph Gentilli
Drought 338
Donald A. Wilhite
Dynamic Climatology 341
Glen A. Marotz
Easterly Waves 346
John E. Oliver
Ekman (Spiral) Layer 347
Rhodes W. Fairbridge
Electromagnetic Radiation 348
Rhodes W. Fairbridge
El Niño 349
Michael H. Glantz
CONTENTS vi
Energy Budget Climatology 351
David Greenland
Europe, Climate of 355
Keith Robert Boucher
Evaporation 367
W.C. Swinbank
Evapotranspiration 370
John E. Oliver
Extratropical Cyclones 373
Greg Bierly
Ferrel Cell 378
Rhodes W. Fairbridge
Flohn, Hermann 379
Cameron Douglas Craig
Fog and Mist 379
John A. Day
Folklore, Myths and Climate 380
Randall S. Cerveny
Frost 381
Benjamin Moulton and John E. Oliver
Gentilli, Joseph 384
John Dodson
Geomorphology and Climate 385
Susan Berta
Global Environmental Change: Impacts 388
R.E. Munn and A.R. Maarouf
Greenhouse Effect and Greenhouse Gases 391
A.J. Pitman
Hadley Cell 398
John E. Oliver
Hadley, George 399
Lisa M. Butler Harrington
Hail 399
Lewis G. Wixon
Hare, F. Kenneth 402
John Hay
Heat Index 403
Thomas W. Schlatter
Heat Low 405
L.M. Trapasso
Holocene Epoch 405
Neil Roberts
Horse Latitudes 406
Rhodes W. Fairbridge
Howard, Luke 406
Cameron Douglas Craig
Human Health and Climate 407
Laurence S. Kalkstein
von Humboldt (Baron), Friedrich Heinrich Alexander 412
Lisa M. Butler Harrington
Humid Climates 412
James A. Henry
Humidity 413
John E. Oliver and Rhodes W. Fairbridge
Hydroclimatology 415
Wayne M. Wendland
Hurricanes - Data and Data Sources 420
John E. Oliver
Ice Ages 422
Rhodes W. Fairbridge
Icebergs and Heinrich Events 424
Rhodes W. Fairbridge
Icelandic Low 428
Robert M. Hordon
Indian Summer 429
John E. Oliver
Intergovernmental Panel in Climate Change (IPCC) 429
John E. Oliver
Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) 429
Yuk Yee Yan
Inversion 432
John E. Oliver
"ISO" Terms 433
John E. Oliver and Rhodes W. Fairbridge
Jet Streams 435
Elmar Reiter and Greg Bierly
Katabatic (Gravity) Winds 440
D.S. Munro
Kepler's Laws 441
Rhodes W. Fairbridge
Köppen, Wladimir Peter 441
William A. Dando
Krakatoa Winds 442
Rhodes W. Fairbridge
Kyoto Protocol 443
John E. Oliver
Lakes, Effects on Climate 444
Thomas W. Schmidlin
CONTENTS vii
Lamb, Hubert H. 445
Mick Kelly
Land and Sea Breezes 446
Yuk Yee Yan
Landsberg, Helmut E. 447
Ferdinand Baer
Lapse Rate 448
Rhodes W. Fairbridge and John E. Oliver
Latent Heat 450
David R. Legates
Lightning 451
S. Ladochy
Literature and Climate 453
Christina Dando
Little Ice Age 457
Rhodes W. Fairbridge
Local Climatology 460
Masatoshi Yoshino
Local Winds 467
John E. Oliver
The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) 476
John E. Oliver
Maritime Climate 477
John E. Oliver
Mather, John R. 479
Sandra F. Pritchard Mather
Maunder, Edward Walter and Maunder Minimum 480
Patrick Moore and John E. Oliver
Maury, Matthew Fontaine 481
Lisa M. Butler Harrington
Medieval Warm Period or "Little Climatic Optimum" 482
Rhodes W. Fairbridge
Mediterranean Climates 485
G. Jay Lennartson
Microclimatology 486
W.G. Bailey
Middle Latitude Climates 500
Allen Perry
Milankovitch, Milutin 502
George Kukla and Rhodes W. Fairbridge
Military Affairs and Climate 503
Richard W. Dixon
Models, Climatic 505
Brian Hanson and Cort J. Willmott
Monsoons and Monsoon Climate 509
S.K. Dash
Montreal Protocol 516
John E. Oliver
Mountain and Valley Winds 516
John E. Oliver and Rhodes W. Fairbridge
Mountain Climates 517
David Greenland
National Center for Atmospheric Research 524
Anon
National Climate Data Center/Data Sources 524
John E. Oliver
North America, Climate of 525
William T. Corcoran and Elias Johnson
North American (Canadian) High 535
Robert M. Hordon
North Atlantic Oscillation 536
James W. Hurrell
Ocean-Atmosphere Interaction 540
G.R. Bigg
Ocean Circulation 547
J.G. Harvey and J.E. Oliver
Orographic Precipitation 552
Donna Tucker
Oscillations 555
John E. Oliver
Ozone 556
J. Ben Liley
Pacific (Hawaiian) High 562
Robert M. Hordon
Pacific North American Oscillation (PNA) 563
John E. Oliver
Paleoclimatology 564
A.S. Goudie
Palmer Index/Palmer Drought Severity Index 571
James E. Newman and John E. Oliver
Phase Changes 573
John E. Oliver
Precipitation 574
Donna F. Tucker
Precipitation Distribution 576
Orman E. Granger
Pressure, Surface 583
Brian D. Giles
CONTENTS viii
Pressure, Upper Air 588
Brian D. Giles
Quasi-Biennial Oscillation 597
Rhodes W. Fairbridge
Radar, Climatic Applications 600
David L. Arnold
Radiation Climatology 603
Gerald Mills
Radiation Laws 611
A. John Arnfield
Rainforest Climates 612
John J. Hidore
Rainshadow 615
L.M. Trapasso
Reanalysis Projects 615
Brian D. Giles
Relative Humidity 617
John E. Oliver
Religion and Climate 618
William A. Dando
Rossby Wave/Rossby Number 625
Jay R. Harman and John E. Oliver
Satellite Observations of the Earth's Climate System 629
Graeme L. Stephens
Savanna Climate 635
John J. Hidore
Scales of Climate 637
A.A.L.N. Sarma
Sea Ice and Climate 639
John E. Walsh
Sea Level Rise 641
Vivien Gornitz
Seasonal Affective Disorder 644
Michael D. Morgan
Seasonal Climate Prediction 646
Peitao Peng
Seasonality: Astronomic Forcing 648
Rhodes W. Fairbridge
Seasons 651
Ted Alsop
Sensible Heat 655
David R. Legates
Siberian (Asiatic) High 656
Robert M. Hordon
Singularities 657
John E. Oliver
Snow and Snow Cover 658
Ross D. Brown and David A. Robinson
Solar Activity 663
James H. Shirley
Solar Constant 666
James H. Shirley
Solar Flare 667
James H. Shirley
Solar Radiation 667
L.J. Bruce McArthur
Solar Wind 673
John E. Oliver
South America, Climate of 673
Norys Jiminez and John E. Oliver
Southern Oscillation 679
Rhodes W. Fairbridge
Sports, Recreation and Climate 682
Steve Stadler
Spring Green Wave 684
Mark D. Schwartz
Standard Atmosphere 686
John E. Oliver
Statistical Climatology 687
Scott M. Robeson
Sunspots 694
Rhodes W. Fairbridge
Synoptic Climatology 700
Roger G. Barry
Taiga Climate 705
Mary Snow
Teleconnections 707
Adam Burnett
Temperature Distribution 711
L.M. Trapasso
Terrestrial Radiation 716
A. John Arnfield
Thornthwaite, Charles W. 717
John R. Mather
Thunder 718
Richard K. Cook
Thunderstorms 719
Rodger A. Brown
CONTENTS ix
Tornadoes 724
Edward Aguado and James E. Burt
Tourism and Climate 730
Allen Perry
Trade Winds and the Trade Wind Inversion 731
T.W. Giambelluca
Tree-Ring Analysis 732
Harold C. Fritts and James H. Speer
Tropical and Equatorial Climates 742
James Henry
Tropical Cyclones 750
Jay Hobgood
Troposphere 756
K. Dewey
Tundra Climate 756
Mary Snow
Turbulence and Diffusion 759
Hans A. Panofsky
Ultraviolet Radiation 762
A. John Arnfield
Units and Conversions 763
John E. Oliver
Urban Climatology 766
Anthony J. Brazel and Dale Quatrocchi
Vegetation and Climate 780
John R. Mather and Michael J. Brewer
Volcanic Eruptions and their Impact on the
Earth's Climate 788
S.L. de Silva
Vorticity 794
Greg Bierly
Walker Circulation 797
John E. Oliver
Water Budget Analysis 798
Robert A. Muller and John M. Grymes III
Weather 805
John E. Oliver
Wind Chill 805
Thomas W. Schlatter
Wind Power Climatology 807
Steve Stadler and Tim Hughes
Winds and Wind Systems 813
Robert C. Balling Jr. and Randall S. Cerveny
Zonal Index 820
John E. Oliver
Index of Authors Cited 823
Subject Index 843