Atmospheric Technology

"This big picture history of atmospheric research examines the first six decades of the twentieth century, from the dawn of applied fluid dynamics to the emergence, by 1960, of the interdisciplinary atmospheric sciences. Using newly available archival sources, it documents the work of three interconnected generations of scientists: Vilhelm Bjerknes, Carl-Gustaf Rossby, and Harry Wexler, whose aspirations were fueled by new theoretical insights, pressing societal needs, and expanded technological capabilities. Radio, radar, aviation, nuclear tracers, digital computing, sounding rockets, and satellites provided new ways to measure and study the global atmosphere -- a huge and dauntingly complex system. Bjerknes brought us a fundamental circulation theorem and founded the Bergen school of weather forecasting; Rossby established the graduate schools of meteorology at M.I.T., Chicago, and Stockholm, which focused on upper-air dynamics and, after 1947, on atmospheric environmental issues; and Wexler brought all the new technologies into the U.S. Weather Bureau and, with his colleague Jule Charney, prepared the foundations for the emergence of the interdisciplinary atmospheric sciences. This history weaves together cold war studies, military history, the rise of government research and development, and aviation and aeronautics with a nascent global awareness. It is a fascinating history of something we all experience--the weather --told through compelling historical characters"--Provided by publisher.

The National Science Foundation's Division of Atmospheric Sciences (ATM) supports research to develop new understanding of Earth's atmosphere and how the Sun impacts it. Strategic Guidance for the National Science Foundation's Support of the Atmospheric Sciences provides guidance to ATM on its strategy for achieving its goals in the atmospheric sciences, including cutting-edge research, education and workforce development, service to society, computational and observational objectives, and data management. The report reviews how the atmospheric sciences have evolved over the past several decades and analyzes the strengths and limitations of the various modes of support employed by ATM. It concludes that ATM is operating in an environment that is ever more cross-disciplinary, interagency, and international, making a more strategic approach necessary to manage activities in a way that actively engages the atmospheric sciences community. At the same time, ATM should preserve opportunities for basic research, especially projects that are high risk, potentially transformative, or unlikely to be supported by other government agencies. Finally, ATM needs to be more proactive in attracting highly talented students to the atmospheric sciences as an investment in the ability to make future breakthroughs.

The work in your hand contains three main chapters, covering the chemistry of the condensed phase in the atmosphere, first, the different forms of atmospheric waters (precipitation, fog and clouds, dew), and secondly dust, now mostly termed particulate matter and, more scientifically, atmospheric aerosol. A third section treats the gases in the atmosphere. An introductory chapter covers the roots of the term atmospheric chemistry in its relations to chemistry in general and biogeochemistry as the chemistry of the climate system. Furthermore, a brief overview of understanding chemical reactions in aqueous and gaseous phase is given. It is my aim to pay respect to all persons who studied the substances in the air, to those who made small, and to them who made giant contributions for the progress in atmospheric science. I’m not a historian who is able to present the past from a true perspective of their time – this also would not be my aim. If possible, however, I try to interpret the past – almost limited to experimental fi ndings in the nineteenth century – through current values, without dismissal of the problems and ideas of earlier scientists. In this way it is possible to draw some ideas on the historical chemical state of the air. Hence, I name this voyage critical. However, nowhere in this book it is my attention to express my criticism to colleagues and scientifi c ancestors. Great scientists too were subject to errors; doing science consists from the permanent loop observation, interpretation, conclusion, and again testing against new observation. If this volume can contribute more than to be “a nice story” on atmospheric chemistry, then hopefully it inspires the reader to more critical reading of scientifi c publications, and, not to forget the older one.