Atmospheric Science

In Memory of Peter V. Hobbs 1936–2005)

Preface to the Second Edition

Preface to the First Edition

1. Introduction and Overview

1.1 Scope of the Subject and Recent Highlights

1.2 Some Definitions and Terms of Reference

1.3 A Brief Survey of the Atmosphere

1.4 What’s Next?

2. The Earth System

2.1 Components of the Earth System

2.2 The Hydrologic Cycle

2.3 The Carbon Cycle

2.4 Oxygen in the Earth System

2.5 A Brief History of Climate and the Earth System

2.6 Earth: The Habitable Planet

3. Atmospheric Thermodynamics

3.1 Gas Laws

3.2 The Hydrostatic Equation

3.3 The First Law of Thermodynamics15

3.4 Adiabatic Processes

3.5 Water Vapor in Air

3.6 Static Stability

3.7 The Second Law of Thermodynamics and Entropy

4. Radiative Transfer

4.1 The Spectrum of Radiation

4.2 Quantitative Description of Radiation

4.3 Blackbody Radiation

4.4 Physics of Scattering and Absorption and Emission

4.5 Radiative Transfer in Planetary Atmospheres

4.6 Radiation Balance at the Top of the Atmosphere

Exercises

5. Atmospheric Chemistry

5.1 Composition of Tropospheric Air

5.2 Sources, Transport, and Sinks of Trace Gases

5.3 Some Important Tropospheric Trace Gases

5.4 Tropospheric Aerosols

5.5 Air Pollution

5.6 Tropospheric Chemical Cycles

5.7 Stratospheric Chemistry

6. Cloud Microphysics

6.1 Nucleation of Water Vapor Condensation

6.2 Microstructures of Warm Clouds

6.3 Cloud Liquid Water Content and Entrainment

6.4 Growth of Cloud Droplets in Warm Clouds

6.5 Microphysics of Cold Clouds

6.6 Artificial Modification of Clouds and Precipitation

6.7 Thunderstorm Electrification

6.8 Cloud and Precipitation Chemistry48

7. Atmospheric Dynamics

7.1 Kinematics of the Large-Scale Horizontal Flow

7.2 Dynamics of Horizontal Flow

7.3 Primitive Equations

7.4 The Atmospheric General Circulation

7.5 Numerical Weather Prediction

Exercises

8. Weather Systems

8.1 Extratropical Cyclones

8.2 Orographic Effects

8.3 Deep Convection

8.4 Tropical Cyclones

9. The Atmospheric Boundary Layer

9.1 Turbulence

9.2 The Surface Energy Balance

9.3 Vertical Structure

9.4 Evolution

9.5 Special Effects

9.6 The Boundary Layer in Context

Exercises

10. Climate Dynamics

10.1 The Present-Day Climate

10.2 Climate Variability

10.3 Climate Equilibria, Sensitivity, and Feedbacks

10.4 Greenhouse Warming22

10.5 Climate Monitoring and Prediction

Exercises

Constants and Conversions for Atmospheric Science

Universal Constants

Air

Water Substance

Earth and Sun

Units and Conversions

Abbreviations Used in Captions

Index

International Geophysics Series