Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate Dynamics: An Introductory Text (International Geophysics) [Hardcover]

John Marshall (Author), R. Alan Plumb (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0125586914 | ISBN-13: 978-0125586917 | Publication Date: December 20, 2007 | Edition: 1

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Marshall and Plumb have nicely presented the basics of both meteorology and oceanography in this work. The book begins with a discusssion of atmospheric characteristics; the final chapter on climate and climatic variability nicely leads into the subject of global warming, and should be read by anyone with an interest in the future of the planet. . . . Highly recommended." -- A.E. Staver, Northern Illinois University, in CHOICE, June 2008

Product Details

• Hardcover: 344 pages
• Publisher: Academic Press; 1 edition (December 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0125586914
• ISBN-13: 978-0125586917
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #147,309 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #31 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Earth Sciences > Geophysics
  • #43 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Oceans & Seas > Oceanography

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introductory text, June 15, 2008

By 

Vikram M. Khade (boston USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate Dynamics: An Introductory Text (International Geophysics) (Hardcover)

This book is a concise, clear and holistic introduction to the subject of atmosphere, ocean and climate science. The book is written in a student-friendly manner. The authors present and develop the tools required to understand the climate system. These tools include radiation, thermodynamics and fluid dynamics. These tools are then used to understand the behaviour of the atmosphere and ocean. The interplay between atmosphere and ocean systems in giving rise to the climate system is elucidated. The last chapter is devoted to climate dynamics. While primarily discussing the general characteristics of atmosphere and ocean, the book also elaborates on slightly more specialized topics like wind-driven circulation, thermohaline circulation and paleoclimate.This book will help undergraduate and entry-level graduate students to secure a beachhead on the fascinating new territory of atmosphere, ocean and climate science.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An introductory text to inspire the reader, September 15, 2008

By 

Ric Williams (Liverpool University, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate Dynamics: An Introductory Text (International Geophysics) (Hardcover)

The book provides a concise and clear introduction as to how the atmosphere and ocean behave on our planet. The authors apply first principles to explain the structure and circulation of both fluids, how heat is transported and fine-scale processes like convection operate. The explanations employ clear schematics, emphasizing the controlling processes, together with brief mathematical manipulations. The book is beautifully illustrated throughout including wonderful photographs of laboratory experiments, as well as historical asides about the key scientists who made the first break through. This is a great book for anyone wishing to acquire a more profound understanding as to how the atmosphere and ocean operate.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Introduction to Climatology, March 9, 2010

By 

Illinois Country Parson (Kell, IL United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate Dynamics: An Introductory Text (International Geophysics) (Hardcover)

I purchased Marshall and Plumb's book in order to give me a bit more quantitative information on the subject than I had gotten from the IPCC and the U.S. Global Change Research Project reports, among others. It had been many years since I last had an in-depth exposure to physics and advanced math (late 1950s, earl;y 1960s), so I spent several weeks reviewing, mostly differential equations. A good grounding in physics and calculus through diff. eq. is really necessary to get the best benefit from this book, but having achieved that, the book is an oustanding introduction to the topics implied in the title. There is enough informaton, presented in an extremely readable format, that I have been driven back to my computer to develop simple models from the book's content. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone willing to put forth a modicum of effort to become much better informed about the science.