Introduction To Micrometeorology

James R. Holton

Introduction to Micrometeorology is intended as a textbook for courses in micrometeorology for undergraduate students (juniors or seniors) in meteorology or environmental science, as well as for an introductory graduate-level course in boundary-layer meteorology. It will also serve as a good reference for professional meteorologists, environmental scientists and engineers, particularly those interested in problems of air pollution, atmospheric-biospheric interactions, wind-engineering and engineering meteorology. The book outlines basic laws and concepts, before using qualitative descriptions to introduce more complex theories. This new edition is updated and expanded, as are the references. Each chapter features worked-through problems and exercises.

This up-to-date textbook is highly recommended for introductory courses offered at undergraduate and graduate levels. Coverage begins with basic fluid and thermodynamical laws and concepts, then moves on to cover such major topics as momentum and heat exchanges with homogeneous surfaces, nonhomogeneous boundary layers, fundamentals of turbulence, and more. This book introduces the reader to theoretical concepts and quantitative relations through qualitative descriptions based upon observations.

The Handbook of Micrometeorology is the most up-to-date reference for micrometeorological issues and methods related to the eddy covariance technique for estimating mass and energy exchange between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere. It provides useful insight for interpreting estimates of mass and energy exchange and understanding the role of the terrestrial biosphere in global environmental change.

Part of the excitement in boundary-layer meteorology is the challenge associated with turbulent flow - one of the unsolved problems in classical physics. An additional attraction of the filed is the rich diversity of topics and research methods that are collected under the umbrella-term of boundary-layer meteorology. The flavor of the challenges and the excitement associated with the study of the atmospheric boundary layer are captured in this textbook. Fundamental concepts and mathematics are presented prior to their use, physical interpretations of the terms in equations are given, sample data are shown, examples are solved, and exercises are included. The work should also be considered as a major reference and as a review of the literature, since it includes tables of parameterizatlons, procedures, filed experiments, useful constants, and graphs of various phenomena under a variety of conditions. It is assumed that the work will be used at the beginning graduate level for students with an undergraduate background in meteorology, but the author envisions, and has catered for, a heterogeneity in the background and experience of his readers.

This book is filled with didactic elements such as exercises, charts and case study examples. It introduces a set of fundamental equations that govern the conservation of mass (dry air, water vapor, trace gases), momentum and energy in the lower atmosphere. It offers students an up-to-date literature overview and introduces theory to a field that is mostly empirical in nature. Dedicated to undergraduate or graduate students in atmospheric sciences and meteorology, this textbook compels students about the importance of the subject and its application. Simplifications of each of the equations are made in the context of boundary-layer processes. Extended from these equations the author then discusses a set of issues fundamental to boundary layer meteorology, including (1) turbulence generation and destruction, (2) force balance in various portions of the lower atmosphere, (3) canopy flow, (4) tracer diffusion and footprint theory, (5) principles of flux measurement and interpretation, (6) models for land evaporation, (7) models for surface temperature response to land use change, and (8) boundary layer budget calculations for heat, water vapor and carbon dioxide. This second edition is enhanced with new materials on the marine boundary layer and on three contemporary topics: the urban boundary layer, the polluted boundary layer and the cloudy boundary layer in a changing climate. Problem sets are supplied at the end of each chapter to reinforce the concepts and theory presented in the main text. This volume offers the accumulation of insights gained by the author during his academic career as a researcher and teacher in the field of boundary-layer meteorology

For advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in atmospheric, oceanic, and climate science, Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate Dynamics is an introductory textbook on the circulations of the atmosphere and ocean and their interaction, with an emphasis on global scales. It will give students a good grasp of what the atmosphere and oceans look like on the large-scale and why they look that way. The role of the oceans in climate and paleoclimate is also discussed. The combination of observations, theory and accompanying illustrative laboratory experiments sets this text apart by making it accessible to students with no prior training in meteorology or oceanography. * Written at a mathematical level that is appealing for undergraduates and beginning graduate students * Provides a useful educational tool through a combination of observations and laboratory demonstrations which can be viewed over the web * Contains instructions on how to reproduce the simple but informative laboratory experiments * Includes copious problems (with sample answers) to help students learn the material.