The Earth's Atmosphere: Its Physics and Dynamics [Paperback]

The author has sought to incorporate in the book some of the fundamental concepts and principles of the physics and dynamics of the atmosphere, a knowledge and understanding of which should help an average student of science to comprehend some of the great complexities of the earth-atmosphere system, in which a thr- way interaction between the atmosphere, the land and the ocean tends to maintain an overall mass and energy balance in the system through physical and dynamical processes. The book, divided into two parts and consisting of 19 chapters, introduces only those aspects of the subject that, according to the author, are deemed essential to meet the objective in view. The emphasis is more on clarity and understanding of physical and dynamical principles than on details of complex theories and ma- ematics. Attempt is made to treat each subject from ?rst principles and trace its development to present state, as far as possible. However, a knowledge of basic c- culus and differential equations is sine qua non especially for some of the chapters which appear later in the book.Physics of the Earths Atmosphere.- The Sun and the Earth  The Solar System and the Earths Gravitation.- The Earths Atmosphere  Its Origin, Composition and Properties.- Heat and Thermodynamics of the Atmosphere.- Water Vapour in the Atmosphere: Thermodynamics of Moist Air.- Physics of Cloud and Precipitation.- Physics of Radiation  Fundamental Laws.- The Sun and its Radiation.- The Incoming Solar Radiation  Interaction with the Earths Atmosphere and Surface.- Heat Balance of the Earths Surface  Upward and Downward Transfer of Heat.- Heat Balance of the Earth-Atmosphere System  Heat Sources and Sinks.- Dynamics of the Earths Atmosphere  The General Circulation.- Winds on a Rotating Earth  The Dynamical Equations and the Conservation Laws.- Simplified Equations of Motion  Quasi-Balanced Winds.- Circulation, Vorticity and Divergence.- The Boundary Layers of the Atmosphere and the OclC-