The Atmospheric Sciences

The Atmospheric Sciences
Author: Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 424
Release: 1998-11-05
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309517656

Technology has propelled the atmospheric sciences from a fledgling discipline to a global enterprise. Findings in this field shape a broad spectrum of decisions--what to wear outdoors, whether aircraft should fly, how to deal with the issue of climate change, and more. This book presents a comprehensive assessment of the atmospheric sciences and offers a vision for the future and a range of recommendations for federal authorities, the scientific community, and education administrators. How does atmospheric science contribute to national well-being? In the context of this question, the panel identifies imperatives in scientific observation, recommends directions for modeling and forecasting research, and examines management issues, including the growing problem of weather data availability. Five subdisciplines--physics, chemistry, dynamics and weather forecasting, upper atmosphere and near-earth space physics, climate and climate change--and their status as the science enters the twenty-first century are examined in detail, including recommendations for research. This readable book will be of interest to public-sector policy framers and private-sector decisionmakers as well as researchers, educators, and students in the atmospheric sciences.

Climate and Atmospheric Dynamics and Predictability

Climate and Atmospheric Dynamics and Predictability
Author: Ioannis Pytharoulis
Publisher: MDPI
Total Pages: 136
Release: 2021-01-19
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3036502246

Earth’s weather and climate are complex nonlinear systems of dynamical/thermodynamical processes that are highly variable on all spatiotemporal scales. The analysis and prediction of those processes and their feedbacks with the other systems of the biosphere (land and ocean), from the viewpoints of both atmospheric science and dynamics/thermodynamics, can improve our knowledge and have a great impact on society. The main aim of this Special Issue was to gather observational, theoretical and modeling studies on the dynamics of the atmosphere and the climate system, as well as on their predictability at different spatiotemporal scales.

Assessment of Intraseasonal to Interannual Climate Prediction and Predictability

Assessment of Intraseasonal to Interannual Climate Prediction and Predictability
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2010-10-08
Genre: Science
ISBN: 030915183X

More accurate forecasts of climate conditions over time periods of weeks to a few years could help people plan agricultural activities, mitigate drought, and manage energy resources, amongst other activities; however, current forecast systems have limited ability on these time- scales. Models for such climate forecasts must take into account complex interactions among the ocean, atmosphere, and land surface. Such processes can be difficult to represent realistically. To improve the quality of forecasts, this book makes recommendations about the development of the tools used in forecasting and about specific research goals for improving understanding of sources of predictability. To improve the accessibility of these forecasts to decision-makers and researchers, this book also suggests best practices to improve how forecasts are made and disseminated.

Predictability of Weather and Climate

Predictability of Weather and Climate
Author: Tim Palmer
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2014-07-10
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9781107414853

The topic of predictability in weather and climate has advanced significantly in recent years, both in understanding the phenomena that affect weather and climate and in techniques used to model and forecast them. This book, first published in 2006, brings together some of the world's leading experts on predicting weather and climate. It addresses predictability from the theoretical to the practical, on timescales from days to decades. Topics such as the predictability of weather phenomena, coupled ocean-atmosphere systems and anthropogenic climate change are among those included. Ensemble systems for forecasting predictability are discussed extensively. Ed Lorenz, father of chaos theory, makes a contribution to theoretical analysis with a previously unpublished paper. This well-balanced volume will be a valuable resource for many years. High-calibre chapter authors and extensive subject coverage make it valuable to people with an interest in weather and climate forecasting and environmental science, from graduate students to researchers.

Intraseasonal Variability in the Atmosphere-Ocean Climate System

Intraseasonal Variability in the Atmosphere-Ocean Climate System
Author: William K.-M. Lau
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 642
Release: 2011-10-25
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3642139140

Improving the reliability of long-range forecasts of natural disasters, such as severe weather, droughts and floods, in North America, South America, Africa and the Asian/Australasian monsoon regions is of vital importance to the livelihood of millions of people who are affected by these events. In recent years the significance of major short-term climatic variability, and events such as the El Nino/Southern Oscillation in the Pacific, with its worldwide effect on rainfall patterns, has been all to clearly demonstrated. Understanding and predicting the intra-seasonal variability (ISV) of the ocean and atmosphere is crucial to improving long range environmental forecasts and the reliability of climate change projects through climate models. In the second edition of this classic book on the subject, the authors have updated the original chapters, where appropriate, and added a new chapter that includes short subjects representing substantial new development in ISV research since the publication of the first edition.

Nonlinear and Stochastic Climate Dynamics

Nonlinear and Stochastic Climate Dynamics
Author: Christian L. E. Franzke
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 612
Release: 2017-01-19
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1316883213

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.

Nonlinear Climate Dynamics

Nonlinear Climate Dynamics
Author: Henk A. Dijkstra
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 371
Release: 2013-06-17
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1107244374

This book introduces stochastic dynamical systems theory in order to synthesize our current knowledge of climate variability. Nonlinear processes, such as advection, radiation and turbulent mixing, play a central role in climate variability. These processes can give rise to transition phenomena, associated with tipping or bifurcation points, once external conditions are changed. The theory of dynamical systems provides a systematic way to study these transition phenomena. Its stochastic extension also forms the basis of modern (nonlinear) data analysis techniques, predictability studies and data assimilation methods. Early chapters apply the stochastic dynamical systems framework to a hierarchy of climate models to synthesize current knowledge of climate variability. Later chapters analyse phenomena such as the North Atlantic Oscillation, El Niño/Southern Oscillation, Atlantic Multidecadal Variability, Dansgaard–Oeschger events, Pleistocene ice ages and climate predictability. This book will prove invaluable for graduate students and researchers in climate dynamics, physical oceanography, meteorology and paleoclimatology.

Decade-to-Century-Scale Climate Variability and Change

Decade-to-Century-Scale Climate Variability and Change
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 161
Release: 1998-12-24
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309060982

Society today may be more vulnerable to global-scale, long-term, climate change than ever before. Even without any human influence, past records show that climate can be expected to continue to undergo considerable change over decades to centuries. Measures for adaption and mitigation will call for policy decisions based on a sound scientific foundation. Better understanding and prediction of climate variations can be achieved most efficiently through a nationally recognized "dec-cen" science plan. This book articulates the scientific issues that must be addressed to advance us efficiently toward that understanding and outlines the data collection and modeling needed.