E-Book Overview
Precipitation plays a significant role in the climate system, and this book, originally published in 2006, was the first to provide a comprehensive examination of the processes involved in the generation of clouds, rain, snow and hail; how precipitation is measured; how its distribution has changed over time; and how we still need to make improvements to the way precipitation is measured. It traces our attempts to understand what clouds are, from ancient Greeks to the present day. It also discusses developments in the measurement of precipitation, from rain gauges to satellite techniques, and how these measurements have enabled researchers to estimate global trends, totals, variability and extremes of precipitation. This will be a valuable and fascinating reference for academic researchers in the fields of environmental science and climatology. It will also be of great interest to professionals in water resource and flood management.
E-Book Content
PR EC IPITATIO N Theory, Measurement and Distribution
Precipitation plays a very significant role in the climate system, every bit as important as temperature, yet this is the first book that provides a comprehensive examination of the processes involved in the growth of clouds, rain, snow and hail. The book also shows how precipitation is measured and what these measurements tell us about its distribution around the globe. The book begins by tracing our attempts to understand what precipitation is, starting with the ideas of the ancient Greeks, followed, after a long period of stagnation through the Middle Ages, by the improved insights of seventeenth-century scientists, leading to today’s detailed knowledge. The measurement of precipitation with rain gauges, radar and satellites is explained followed by what these measurements tell researchers about global annual means, trends, variability and extremes of precipitation. There are still very few rainfall measurements from any of the oceans, while coverage on land is extremely patchy. The concluding chapter outlines what needs to be done to correct these deficits, thereby making it possible to observe future climate change with more confidence. Precipitation will be invaluable to researchers in environmental science and climatology, those concerned with water resources and flood management, and those planning action as the climate changes. It will also have an appeal to scientific historians. Ian Strangeways is Director of TerraData, a consultancy in meteorological and hydrological instrumentation and data collection. He has also written Measuring the Natural Environment, now in its second edition (Cambridge University Press 2003).
P R EC I P I TATION Theory, Measurement and Distribution I A N S T R A N G EWAY S
cambridge university press Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge cb2 2ru, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521851176 © I. Strangeways 2007 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published in print format 2006 isbn-13 isbn-10
978-0-511-25747-6 eBook (NetLibrary) 0-511-25747-3 eBook (NetLibrary)
isbn-13 isbn-10
978-0-521-85117-6 hardback 0-521-85117-3 hardback
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Contents
Preface