The Encyclopedia of Weather and Climate Change - 9780520261013

Encyclopedia of Weather features:
• Spectacular color photographs, detailed diagrams, beautiful graphics, and maps
• Easy-to-understand text that is packed with enough detail for scientists yet accessible in classrooms from the junior high school level (and up)
• The most up-to-date information based on the most recent scientific findings
• Succinct explanations of climate change, the enhanced greenhouse effect, global warming, and ozone depletion
• "Fact files" that put information at readers' fingertips
This beautiful, comprehensive, and up-to-date volume covers in amazing depth all aspects of the world's weather. Liberally illustrated with more than 2,000 color photographs, supplemental maps, diagrams, and other images, The Encyclopedia of Weather and Climate Change takes the reader beyond simple definitions to explore where weather comes from and the roles played by oceans and water cycles, and explains such related phenomena as the shaping of landforms, the creation of biological provinces, and the lasting ramifications of climate change. It also discusses how humans have survived and adapted in extreme climates like deserts, jungles, and icy regions. Each of the book's six sections is written and vetted by a different expert. "Engine" discusses what weather is, the solar powerhouse that supplies it, and Earth's atmospheric systems and seasons. "Action" delves into the dynamics of various weather forms. "Extremes" covers blizzards, heat waves, wildfires, and more. "Watching" tracks how weather is measured, mapped, monitored, and forecast. "Climate" delineates the continental climate zones and describes the plant, animal, and human adaptations for each. "Change" considers the history of climate change--ice ages, dinosaur extinction, melting glaciers, human impact, and more--and what we can expect in the future.