Richard Garratt – illustratör

With the topics of weather and climate increasingly at the forefront of world attention, it is important to understand the relevant terms, definitions, and phenomena that one may be familiar with. Including more than 2000 entries, this handbook offers basic information about atmospheric processes, the sciences of climatology and meteorology, and the people who have made their mark in these disciplines. Topics covered include: acid rain, Beaufort wind scale; cooling degree days; glacial period; ice storm; mean temperature; sunspot; temperature-humidity index; veil of cloud; and zone of maximum precipitation.

The oceans are teeming with life of all kinds. Changing sea levels, plate tectonics, chemical cycling, sedimentation, and the atmosphere greatly impact these habitats. The ocean's currents and sea level are tied closely to weather patterns and in turn to such issues as global warming and El Nino. ""Oceans"" provides a complete overview of the ecosystem that exists in these bodies of water. From the coastal wetlands to the deep ocean waters, the geography, geology, chemistry, and physics of oceans are thoroughly examined in this volume. Today, the impact that human use of ocean resources has on these habitats, including habitat loss and overharvesting, is in constant debate. ""Oceans"" looks at these possible threats and concludes with a balanced look at the ways to manage the oceans, as well as the future of this ecosystem.

Taiga is a biome of the Northern Hemisphere, between tundra to the north and broad-leaved forest and temperate grassland to the south. Taiga includes dense forest, open forest, and jigsaw puzzles of forests, wetlands, and lakes that can be found in northwestern and northeastern America, northern Europe, Siberia, and East Asia. Examining its geography, geology, climate, and biodiversity, ""Taiga"" describes this unique ecosystem in a clear, complete manner. Human uses of taiga date back thousands of years to Eurasian hunters and fishers crossing the Bering land bridge into present-day North America. Today, hunting, logging, and mining are a few of the ways this habitat is used. Threats resulting from this development include overharvesting from hunting and logging, clear-felling, and the spread of agriculture. This volume also examines ways of managing taiga, including the movement to conserve taiga habitats through the creation of reservations and sanctuaries.

People have been at the mercy of weather since they first learned to cultivate plants and raise domesticated animals. A single hailstorm can destroy a crop. Alternatively, enough rain at the right time mixed with sun will ripen plants and create an abundant harvest. Because it is a matter of life and death, people have tried to understand weather patterns throughout history. Interesting theories of weather phenomena have since evolved from the notion that supernatural beings were attributed to atmospheric conditions and could bring suffering and death. The scientific study of the atmosphere was born more than 2,000 years ago in Greece, as philosophers realized that weather patterns had more to do with natural processes than with the intervention of gods. ""Atmosphere"" tells the story of the atmospheric sciences, beginning with the recognition that air is a material substance - a mixture of gases - and describes the unraveling of its chemical composition. This new resource examines the invention of the barometer and thermometer, which are the most basic of meteorological instruments, and how they came to be calibrated by Daniel Fahrenheit and Anders Celsius. Complete with full-color photographs, sidebars, and further reading, ""Atmosphere"" is an essential book for students interested in the atmospheric sciences.

Oceans cover almost 71 percent of the Earth's surface. Travelers on land can find their way by recognizing landmarks and navigating with the help of maps, but there are no landmarks at sea and mariners must find other signposts to guide them. Many centuries ago, navigators learned to steer by the sun and stars and by compasses that align themselves with the Earth's magnetic field. Equipped with simple instruments, surveyors defined the boundaries of the ocean while scientists mapped the ocean currents. Oceans explores some of the mapmakers, scientists, and adventurers who dedicated their lives to improving our understanding of the oceans. This new resource begins with the long process of mapping the oceans and the many problems that had to be solved before this could be achieved satisfactorily. This full-color book details some of the greatest surveyors and mapmakers, including Captain James Cook and Robert FitzRoy, as well as some of the explorations that made a huge impact on ocean research. Ocean basins are also examined in this comprehensive resource. The chapters include: Mapping the Oceans, The Origin of the Oceans, Studying the Ocean Floor, Measuring the Depth and Flow, Journeys to the Bottom of the Sea, Life in the Abyss, Monsters, and Modern Explorers.