Table of Contents

Introduction; How to use this book; Part I. Climate in Motion: 1. The Earth in space; 2. The atmosphere in motion; 3. Oceans and currents; 4. Water cycle and biosphere; 5. Clouds; 6. The impact of volcanoes; 7. The sunspot cycle?; 8. Atmosphere electricity; 9. The Gaia principle; Part II. Climate Records: 10. Current measurement system; 11. Weather satellites; 12. Weather forecasting; 13. Historical records; 14. Proxy records; 15. Ice ages; 16. Continental drift; 17. Asteroid impact; Part III. Polar Regions: 18. Climate of the Arctic; 19. Climate of Antarctica; 20. Aurorae; 21. The great ice sheets; 22. Coping with extreme cold; 23. The ozone hole; 24. Sea ice; 25. Ice cores; Part IV. Tundra and Taiga: 26. Climate of tundra and taiga; 27. A climate of extremes; 28. Tundra flora and fauna; 29. The northern forests; 30. Snow cover; 31. Permafrost; Part V. Mountain Regions: 32. Climate of the mountains; 33. Avalanches; 34. Mountain vegetation; 35. Living in the mountains; 36. The threat of tourism; 37. Mountain glaciers; Part VI. Mediterranean Regions: 38. Climate of the Mediterranean; 39. Mediterranean winds; 40. Mediterranean vegetation; 41. The Mediterranean diet; 42. A history of deforestation; Part VII. Temperate Regions: 43. Climate of temperate regions; 44. Depressions and anticyclones; 45. Agriculture and farming; 46. The impact of urbanization; 47. Unusual spells of weather; 48. Ocean circulation patterns; 49. The Little Ice Age; Part VIII. The Praries: 50. Climate of prairies and steppes; 51. Thunderstorms; 52. Tornadoes; 53. Plant hardiness; 54. Dust Bowl years; Part IX. The Tropics: 55. Climate of the tropics; 56. The monsoon; 57. Tropical storms and hurricanes; 58. The biodiversity of life; 59. Destruction of the rainforests; 60. El Nino; 61. Cycles and long-term forecasts; Part X. Desert Regions: 62. Climate of the deserts; 63. Albedo and radiative effects; 64. Renewable energy; 65. Desert flora and fauna; 66. Human response to heat; 67. The Sahel drought; 68. Are the deserts expanding?; 69. Dust and airborne particulates; Part XI. The Future: 70. Modelling the climate; 71. Monitoring for the future; 72. The cost of climate change; 73. Future food production; 74. Climate and health; 75. Weather modification; 76. Sea-level rise; 77. The next 100 years; Glossary; Index; Acknowledgements.

Reviews

"...visually rich...studded with stunning, magazine-quality photographs and offers a new topic with literally every turn of the page." American Scientist "Through a host of illustrative graphs, charts, maps, photographs, and lucid text, Burroughs explains how fundamental climatic processes work and how meteorologists attempt to predict them. Burroughs exuberantly details each climate zone highlighting unique features and the impact humans have had there." Science News "There is much here on climate and society, from Mediterranean diets to the impact of avalanches and from urbanization to desertification. The book is lavishly illustrated with high quality photos, graphs, explanatory illustrations, and even some brief biographies." Science Book and Films "I have never come across a book that explains more clearly and vividly the factors that affect our climate: the pictures and diagrams are well-chosen, and they are superbly integrated with the text." Clive Cookson, Financial Times "For sheer beauty, I cannot recall a comparable book on the climate system. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society "...if you are looking for a good survey reference on the Earth's climate, I recommend this book." Keith C. Heidorn, PhD, ACM, The Weather Doctor "...a well-illustrated guide to issues past, present and future about the evidence for changes in Earth's environment...A very informative book." Choice "The Climate Revealed is an attractive volume...The photographs are well done and invite readers to think about the images and how they connect with the region...I'm sure to use my copy in the classroom." National Science Teachers Association