Understanding Weather and Climate

by Edward Aguado

The fourth edition of Understanding Weather and Climate has been thoroughly updated throughout. Every part of the text has been examined and updated to ensure currency and clarity.Integrating the classic textbook model with emerging areas of instructional technology, this book focuses on explaining, rather than describing, the processes that produce Earth's weather and climate. The authors encourage a non-mathematical understanding of physical principles as a vehicle for learning about atmospheric processes.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Reference, Textbooks

562 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1998

Reviews

[Tom M.]

Very-well presented book and quite didactic. The subject is introduced progressively which lets the reader build the understanding of weather one brick at a time. Interesting links and references to illustrate or complement the theory.

Note that unfortunately, the book mainly focuses on US weather, except in later chapters about the global climate.

Beware though that there are blatant mistakes, such as "at constant pressure, density increases with temperature" or "near the surface, winds cross the isobars. Above the friction layer, wind is parallel to the pressure gradient". Fortunately those are obvious, but repeated in both the text and the summaries so they are not simple typos, which is more concerning and makes me wonder about possible mistakes I may not have seen.

The site with the digital material is no longer accessible, and I couldn't find any errata. Remaining a critical reader is advised.

(7th edition, 2015)

[Zohær]

This book is a really good intro to weather and climate, goes into some depth and physical background which so profs aren't willing to discuss during class time but is essential to understanding climate. Not too in depth but it does suffice at the intro level. Well written.

[Kathryn]

Textbook for Geography of Climates