Precipitation: Theory, Measurement And Distribution

Description:
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.

Review:
From the reviews of the author's previous book Measuring the Natural Environment ' ... valuable for many present and future environmental scientists ... this is an excellent handbook on environmental data acquisition. I recommend it to anyone who has a role in environmental science.' The Leading Edge Review of the hardback: 'The book will be of use to lecturers and supervisors ... who need to give students a rapid learning curve prior to field experiments and projects. Its style is appealing to those with little prior knowledge.' International Journal of Climatology Review of the hardback: '... a useful basic primer for beginners in the field of environmental monitoring.' Progress in Environmental Science Review of the hardback: 'The book is highly recommendable ... very well written, concise and clear.' Environmental Geology Review of the hardback: ' ... well-written and easy to follow, even for non-specialists. ... extremely useful, as it helps put the measurements in context. ... I recommend this book to anybody involved in the collection or use of environmental data.' Royal Meteorological Society , Weather Review of the hardback: 'Written in a very readable fashion the author gives a broad view of the field of precipitation without being simplistic. He has used a descriptive style while introducing formulae only when that would expand insight for the reader. Everyone including professionals in the field of atmospheric services will gain new knowledge from this book.' Kenneth A. Devine, Meteorological Instrument Consultant, Ontario Review of the hardback: '... elegantly presented and well edited and deserves a space in every hydrologist's bookshelf.' The Newsletter of the British Hydrological Society Review of the hardback: '... an interesting book that deserves to be read by anyone interested in precipitation and our ability to observe climatic change.' Royal Meteorological Society , Weather Review of the hardback: 'This volume is a nice book for those who need a short and readable introduction into the subject of precipitation and its measurement. It will probably also be appreciated by those interested in the historical evolution of this subject. ... It can be recommended to students starting their studies in meteorology and to students and scientists in neighbouring disciplines who need an overview on the subject but who are not interested in explicit details.' Meteorologische Zeitschrift

Table of Contents:
Part I. Past Theories of Rain and Snow: 1. The ancients; 2. A renaissance; Part II. Present Theories of Precipitation: 3. Basic processes; 4. Cloud formation; 5. Cloud droplets, ice particles and precipitation; 6. Lightning; Part III. Measuring Precipitation: 7. Early attempts to measure rainfall; 8. Measuring precipitation with raingauges; 9. Measuring snow; 10. Measuring precipitation with radar; 11. Measuring precipitation from satellites; Part IV. The Global Distribution of Precipitation: 12. Raingauge and satellite datasets; 13. Precipitation means and trends; 14. Precipitation variability and extremes; Part V. Future Developments: 15. The future of precipitation measurement; Appendix: Acronyms and abbreviations; Index.

Author Biography:
Ian Strangeways is Director of TerraData, a consultancy in meteorological and hydrological instrumentation and data collection. He has also written Measuring the Natural Environment (Cambridge University Press, 2003), now in its second edition.