Atmosphere, Climate, and Change (Scientific American Library) [Paperback]

Thomas E. Graedel (Author), Paul J. Crutzen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0716760282 | ISBN-13: 978-0716760283 | Publication Date: September 15, 1997

What's the reliability behind the claims and counterclaims of environmental doom resulting from the greenhouse effect, the global impact of pollution, and holes in the ozone layer? While many media reports focus on recent trends, such as variations in average temperature over a decade or two, these accounts tell us little or nothing about how changes in climate actually occur, or what long-term significance they may have. In Atmosphere, Climate and Change, world renowned experts on the chemistry of the atmosphere Thomas E. Graedel and Paul J. Crutsen take us behind the scenes of local climate change to reveal the workings of the atmosphere in its larger context, as a component of Earth as a system. By exploring the causes of long-term climate change and the sources and pitfalls of scientific prediction, they give us a new understanding of what changes are likely to occur in the future and what can be done about them.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Thomas Graedel and Paul Crutzen's Atmosphere, Climate, and Change provides a useful overview of how Earth's weather systems work and how natural events such as the explosion of Mount Pinatubo and human-caused events such as the upsurge in greenhouse gases affect the chemical makeup of the atmosphere. The authors provide interesting asides about weather forecasting, using newly developed models to predict regional climates of the year 2030, when, they say, the Sahel Desert will be wetter, southern Europe much drier, and North America warmer by several degrees.

Review

This is a beautiful book with lots of illustrations, diagrams, and tables so typical of Scientific American books. It is well written and convincingly presents the authors' point of view that changes in climate are in part due to human activity. -- Kliatt, May 1998

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Product Details

• Paperback: 255 pages
• Publisher: W. H. Freeman (September 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0716760282
• ISBN-13: 978-0716760283
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,318,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Climate -> evolution, November 26, 2000

By 

Howard Schneider (Thornhill, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Atmosphere, Climate, and Change (Scientific American Library Series) (Hardcover)

Changes in climate have been important determinants in evolution on Earth. As well as dealing with contemporary climate issues, this reference also describes how data from rocks, ice cores, ocean sediments, etc. is used to deduce the history of the planet's history of climate. This reference gives atmospheric O2 as a percent of present value at 1% at 2 billion years B.P., 10% at 700 million years B.P. and 100% at 350 million years B.P. Ice ages are given at 2.3 billion years B.P., 950 million years B.P., 820 - 730 million years B.P., 640 - 580 million years B.P., brief glaciation at 430 million years B.P. (immediately followed by evolution of land plants), warming of Earth by decrease of reflection sunlight because of plant cover, approx. 300 million years B.P. glaciation probably due to continental drift of largest continents along paths near poles, then warm climate through the Mesozoic and into the Cenozoic until 30 million years B.P. with glaciations periodically until present.