Encyclopedia of atmospheric sciences /

In the most scholarly encyclopedia to date covering weather and climate, 30 editors have assembled the work of over 400 experts from academia, government, and industry to produce approximately 330 articles on atmospheric science topics drawn from basic meteorology, climatology, climate change, and atmospheric chemistry. The signed articles, about 4,000 words in length, are well written and highly informative. Each includes a bibliography of additional readings. Excellent pictures, charts, graphs, maps, diagrams, and formulas supplement the text. The editors intended to cover the concepts with as much depth as needed. Some of the entries (e.g., tornadoes) require only one article while more diverse, broad-based topics may have several articles, each pertaining to a specific aspect of the subject. An example is global change, which has separate articles on the topics of human impact on climate, ozone threats, subsurface climate trends, and upper atmospheric change. The encyclopedia is well indexed and cross-referenced and includes several useful appendixes. It will make an excellent starting point for both lower- and upper-division undergraduates studying weather-related topics. Researchers and faculty will also find the depth of coverage useful. This encyclopedia will be essential for libraries supporting large programs in meteorology, climatology, and atmospheric sciences, but the cost may make purchase difficult for some libraries. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All collections, all levels. J. C. Stachacz Dickinson College

This companion to the Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences covers all aspects of the atmospheric sciences, considering topics such as tropospheric chemistry, climate change, meteorology, planetary atmospheres, and land interactions. The articles, which average 4000 words in length, are written by more than 300 scientists at a level appropriate to undergraduates in science and engineering. While some entries are single articles, many consist of a collection of closely related pieces. The well-written articles include excellent illustrations and extensive cross-referencing and conclude with a list of selected readings. The index is also comprehensive, running over 150 pages. Libraries that currently own the rather old McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences (1979) and the Encyclopedia of Atmospheric Sciences and Astrogeology (1967) will want to update their collections with this more comprehensive resource. Recommended for academic libraries.-Teresa U. Berry, Univ. of Tennessee Libs., Knoxville (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.