Climate Dynamics of the Tropics

Download Climate Dynamics of the Tropics PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 488 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (247 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Climate Dynamics of the Tropics by : Stefan Hastenrath

Download or read book Climate Dynamics of the Tropics written by Stefan Hastenrath and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Climate Dynamics of the Tropics

Download Climate Dynamics of the Tropics PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9401131562
Total Pages : 507 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (11 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Climate Dynamics of the Tropics by : S. Hastenrath

Download or read book Climate Dynamics of the Tropics written by S. Hastenrath and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 507 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first edition of my book "Climate and Circulation of the Tropics" was reasonably up to date to the middle of 1985. In a second printing in 1988 it was possible to complete a few literature references and to correct some misprints. However, vigorous research has taken place over the past five years in various areas of tropical climate dynamics, especially in the atmosphere-ocean mechanisms of climate anomalies, climate prediction, ocean circulation, and paleoclimates. Promising progress has also been made in the application of general circulation modelling to tropical climate problems. In the present second edition, named "Climate Dynamics of the Tropics", I have attempted to incorporate much of the recent work to late 1990. Chapters 8 and 9 have been essentially re-written, and major additions have been made to Chapters 4 and 12 in particular. I would like to acknowledge the continued support by the U.S. National Science Foundation over the past five years. B. Parthasarathy, Poona, and H. Lessmann, San Salvador, sent me updates of data series not easily accessible. I have benefitted from discussions with numerous colleagues in the United States and overseas. In the preparation of this second edition, Marilyn Wolff patiently transferred my illegible hand-written drafts onto word processor. Dierk Polzin and Dan Skemp assisted me with the creation of the page masters and the subject index and Christopher Collimore with the author index.

Climate Dynamics of the Tropics

Download Climate Dynamics of the Tropics PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (474 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Climate Dynamics of the Tropics by : S. Hastenrath

Download or read book Climate Dynamics of the Tropics written by S. Hastenrath and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Fundamentals of Tropical Climate Dynamics

Download Fundamentals of Tropical Climate Dynamics PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 3319595970
Total Pages : 229 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (195 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Fundamentals of Tropical Climate Dynamics by : Tim Li

Download or read book Fundamentals of Tropical Climate Dynamics written by Tim Li and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-06-28 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This textbook introduces fundamental dynamics of tropical atmosphere and ocean useful for advanced graduate courses in atmospheric and climate sciences. It presents an overview of simple atmospheric and oceanic models, as well as the observed phenomena associated with major climate modes in the tropics. It provides students with an up-to-date understanding of the dynamics of tropical climate and weather phenomena. A particular focus is given to scale interactions and atmosphere-ocean interactions associated with tropical mean climate (such as ITCZ asymmetry and annual cycles), synoptic-scale variability (such as synoptic wave trains, easterly waves and tropical cyclones), intraseasonal oscillations (such as Madden-Julian Oscillation and boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation), and interannual variability (such as El Niño-Southern Oscillation and Indian Ocean Dipole). Theoretical and conceptual models are presented for better understanding of physical mechanisms behind the observational phenomena. This book aims to motivate graduate students in atmospheric sciences and oceanography by providing them with the key methods and tools necessary to conduct research.

Dynamics of the Tropical Atmosphere and Oceans

Download Dynamics of the Tropical Atmosphere and Oceans PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 0470662565
Total Pages : 529 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (76 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Dynamics of the Tropical Atmosphere and Oceans by : Peter J. Webster

Download or read book Dynamics of the Tropical Atmosphere and Oceans written by Peter J. Webster and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2020-06-08 with total page 529 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a unique and comprehensive view of the fundamental dynamical and thermodynamic principles underlying the large circulations of the coupled ocean-atmosphere system Dynamics of The Tropical Atmosphere and Oceans provides a detailed description of macroscale tropical circulation systems such as the monsoon, the Hadley and Walker Circulations, El Niño, and the tropical ocean warm pool. These macroscale circulations interact with a myriad of higher frequency systems, ranging from convective cloud systems to migrating equatorial waves that attend the low-frequency background flow. Towards understanding and predicting these circulation systems. A comprehensive overview of the dynamics and thermodynamics of large-scale tropical atmosphere and oceans is presented using both a “reductionist” and “holistic” perspectives of the coupled tropical system. The reductionist perspective provides a detailed description of the individual elements of the ocean and atmospheric circulations. The physical nature of each component of the tropical circulation such as the Hadley and Walker circulations, the monsoon, the incursion of extratropical phenomena into the tropics, precipitation distributions, equatorial waves and disturbances described in detail. The holistic perspective provides a physical description of how the collection of the individual components produces the observed tropical weather and climate. How the collective tropical processes determine the tropical circulation and their role in global weather and climate is provided in a series of overlapping theoretical and modelling constructs. The structure of the book follows a graduated framework. Following a detailed description of tropical phenomenology, the reader is introduced to dynamical and thermodynamical constraints that guide the planetary climate and establish a critical role for the tropics. Equatorial wave theory is developed for simple and complex background flows, including the critical role played by moist processes. The manner in which the tropics and the extratropics interact is then described, followed by a discussion of the physics behind the subtropical and near-equatorial precipitation including arid regions. The El Niño phenomena and the monsoon circulations are discussed, including their covariance and predictability. Finally, the changing structure of the tropics is discussed in terms of the extent of the tropical ocean warm pool and its relationship to the intensity of global convection and climate change. Dynamics of the Tropical Atmosphere and Oceans is aimed at advanced undergraduate and early career graduate students. It also serves as an excellent general reference book for scientists interested in tropical circulations and their relationship with the broader climate system.

Quaternary Environmental Change in the Tropics

Download Quaternary Environmental Change in the Tropics PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1118336178
Total Pages : 826 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (183 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Quaternary Environmental Change in the Tropics by : Sarah E. Metcalfe

Download or read book Quaternary Environmental Change in the Tropics written by Sarah E. Metcalfe and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2012-08-24 with total page 826 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The global climate changes that led to the expansion and contraction of high latitude ice sheets during the Quaternary period were associated with equally dramatic changes in tropical environments. These included shifts in vegetation zones, changes in the hydrology and ecology of lakes and rivers, and fluctuations in the size of mountain glaciers and sandy deserts. Until recently it was thought that such changes were triggered by fluctuations in the distribution of polar ice cover. Now there is increasing recognition that the tropics themselves have acted as drivers of global climate change over a range of timescales. The aim of Quaternary Environmental Change in the Tropics is to provide a synthesis of the changes that occurred in tropical terrestrial and marine systems during the Pleistocene and Holocene, complementing data-derived reconstructions with output from state-of-the-art climate models. It is targeted at final-year undergraduate students and research specialists, but will provide an introduction to tropical Quaternary research for a variety of other readers.

Tropic of Chaos

Download Tropic of Chaos PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bold Type Books
ISBN 13 : 1568586620
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (685 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Tropic of Chaos by : Christian Parenti

Download or read book Tropic of Chaos written by Christian Parenti and published by Bold Type Books. This book was released on 2011-06-28 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Africa to Asia and Latin America, the era of climate wars has begun. Extreme weather is breeding banditry, humanitarian crisis, and state failure. In Tropic of Chaos, investigative journalist Christian Parenti travels along the front lines of this gathering catastrophe--the belt of economically and politically battered postcolonial nations and war zones girding the planet's midlatitudes. Here he finds failed states amid climatic disasters. But he also reveals the unsettling presence of Western military forces and explains how they see an opportunity in the crisis to prepare for open-ended global counterinsurgency. Parenti argues that this incipient "climate fascism" -- a political hardening of wealthy states-- is bound to fail. The struggling states of the developing world cannot be allowed to collapse, as they will take other nations down as well. Instead, we must work to meet the challenge of climate-driven violence with a very different set of sustainable economic and development policies.

Climate and circulation of the tropics

Download Climate and circulation of the tropics PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9400953887
Total Pages : 464 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (9 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Climate and circulation of the tropics by : S. Hastenrath

Download or read book Climate and circulation of the tropics written by S. Hastenrath and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tropical atmosphere and ocean are receiving increased attention in relation to the functioning of the global climate system, the remarkable climatic variability in low latitudes, and the associated manifold environmental and societal consequences. Beyond the traditional emphasis of meteor ology on weather analysis and forecasting, there is a growing interest in the climate and large scale circulation of the tropics. This book may serve as a text for graduate and upper-division undergraduate students in meteorology, and is also intended as a reference work for practicing meteorologists, and researchers in the atmospheric, oceanic, and other environmental sciences. I began writing this book in 1979, but the roots reach further back. Early experiences in North Africa fuelled my curiosity about the low latitudes. In 1960 I seized the opportunity to work in the National Meteorological Service of El Salvador in Central America. My interest in the tropics continued after joining the University of Wisconsin in 1963. Field research brought me to the equatorial Pacific, and many times to the tropical Americas and Africa. This involved visits and correspondence with many weather services. My acquaintance with Australasia and South Asia is limited to short study visits, but includes continuous contacts with colleagues at key research institutions in India, namely the India Meteorological Department, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, and Andhra University. A guest semester at the University of the Witwatersrand in 1971 and related travels provided a perspective on the problems of Southern Africa.

Climate Dynamics

Download Climate Dynamics PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 1400847338
Total Pages : 216 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (8 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Climate Dynamics by : Kerry Cook

Download or read book Climate Dynamics written by Kerry Cook and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2013-07-28 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A concise introduction to climate system dynamics Climate Dynamics is an advanced undergraduate-level textbook that provides an essential foundation in the physical understanding of the earth's climate system. The book assumes no background in atmospheric or ocean sciences and is appropriate for any science or engineering student who has completed two semesters of calculus and one semester of calculus-based physics. Describing the climate system based on observations of the mean climate state and its variability, the first section of the book introduces the vocabulary of the field, the dependent variables that characterize the climate system, and the typical approaches taken to display these variables. The second section of the book gives a quantitative understanding of the processes that determine the climate state—radiation, heat balances, and the basics of fluid dynamics. Applications for the atmosphere, ocean, and hydrological cycle are developed in the next section, and the last three chapters of the book directly address global climate change. Throughout, the textbook makes connections between mathematics and physics in order to illustrate the usefulness of mathematics, particularly first-year calculus, for predicting changes in the physical world. Climate change will impact every aspect of life in the coming decades. This book supports and broadens understanding of the dynamics of the climate system by offering a much-needed introduction that is accessible to any science, math, or engineering student. Makes a physically based, quantitative understanding of climate change accessible to all science, engineering, and mathematics undergraduates Explains how the climate system works and why the climate is changing Reinforces, applies, and connects the basic ideas of calculus and physics Emphasizes fundamental observations and understanding An online illustration package and solutions manual for professors is available

Global Climate Change and Tropical Ecosystems

Download Global Climate Change and Tropical Ecosystems PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1351444794
Total Pages : 524 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (514 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Global Climate Change and Tropical Ecosystems by : John M. Kimble

Download or read book Global Climate Change and Tropical Ecosystems written by John M. Kimble and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-04-04 with total page 524 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tropical ecosystems - the regions between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn - play an important role in global processes, economic issues, and political concerns. In their natural state, tropical ecosystems support a large quantity of above- and below-ground biomass, and constitute a major part of the terrestrial carbon pool. Conversion of the natural ecosystem to agriculture and forestry ecosystems disturbs this ecological balance. Global Climate Change and Tropical Ecosystems presents data on carbon pool fluxes from case studies in 12 countries in tropical regions. The chapters cover: Characteristics of tropical ecosystems Soil and biotic carbon pools Impacts of land use and soil management Slash-and-burn practices Crop residue and fertility management This volume adds to the understanding of pedospheric processes in tropical ecosystems and how to better use soils as a sink for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. With Global Climate Change and Tropical Ecosystems you will understand the link between soil productivity, environmental quality and the global carbon cycle, not only in these ecologically sensitive regions but worldwide.

Tropical and Extratropical Air-Sea Interactions

Download Tropical and Extratropical Air-Sea Interactions PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Elsevier
ISBN 13 : 0128181575
Total Pages : 327 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (281 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Tropical and Extratropical Air-Sea Interactions by : Swadhin Kumar Behera

Download or read book Tropical and Extratropical Air-Sea Interactions written by Swadhin Kumar Behera and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2020-11-18 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tropical and Extratropical Air-Sea Interactions: Modes of Climate Variations provides a thorough introduction to global atmospheric and oceanic processes, as well as tropical, subtropical and mid-latitude ocean-atmosphere interactions. Written by leading experts in the field, each chapter is dedicated to a specific topic of air-sea interactions (such as ENSO, IOD, Atlantic Nino, ENSO Modoki, and newly discovered coastal Niños/Niñas) and their teleconnections. As the first book to cover all topics of tropical and extra-tropical air-sea interactions and new modes of climate variations, this book is an excellent resource for researchers and students of ocean, atmospheric and climate sciences. Presents case studies on the ocean-atmosphere phenomena, including El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Indian Ocean Dipole and different Nino/Nina phenomena Provides a clear description of air-sea relationships across the world’s ocean with an analysis of air-sea relations in different time scales and a focus on climate change Includes prospects for air-sea interaction research, thus benefiting young researchers and students

Tropical Forests and Adaptation to Climate Change

Download Tropical Forests and Adaptation to Climate Change PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : CIFOR
ISBN 13 : 9792446044
Total Pages : 195 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (924 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Tropical Forests and Adaptation to Climate Change by : Carmenza Robledo

Download or read book Tropical Forests and Adaptation to Climate Change written by Carmenza Robledo and published by CIFOR. This book was released on 2005-01-01 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Tropical Fire Ecology

Download Tropical Fire Ecology PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 3540773819
Total Pages : 696 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (47 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Tropical Fire Ecology by : Mark Cochrane

Download or read book Tropical Fire Ecology written by Mark Cochrane and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2010-04-11 with total page 696 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The tropics are home to most of the world’s biodiversity and are currently the frontier for human settlement. Tropical ecosystems are being converted to agricultural and other land uses at unprecedented rates. Land conversion and maintenance almost always rely on fire and, because of this, fire is now more prevalent in the tropics than anywhere else on Earth. Despite pervasive fire, human settlement and threatened biodiversity, there is little comprehensive information available on fire and its effects in tropical ecosystems. Tropical deforestation, especially in rainforests, has been widely documented for many years. Forests are cut down and allowed to dry before being burned to remove biomass and release nutrients to grow crops. However, fires do not always stop at the borders of cleared forests. Tremendously damaging fires are increasingly spreading into forests that were never evolutionarily prepared for wild fires. The largest fires on the planet in recent decades have occurred in tropical forests and burned millions of hectares in several countries. The numerous ecosystems of the tropics have differing levels of fire resistance, resilience or dependence. At present, there is little appreciation of the seriousness of the wild fire situation in tropical rainforests but there is even less understanding of the role that fire plays in the ecology of many fire adapted tropical ecosystems, such as savannas, grasslands and other forest types.

Understanding Earth's Deep Past

Download Understanding Earth's Deep Past PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309209196
Total Pages : 208 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (92 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Understanding Earth's Deep Past by : National Research Council

Download or read book Understanding Earth's Deep Past written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2011-08-02 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is little dispute within the scientific community that humans are changing Earth's climate on a decadal to century time-scale. By the end of this century, without a reduction in emissions, atmospheric CO2 is projected to increase to levels that Earth has not experienced for more than 30 million years. As greenhouse gas emissions propel Earth toward a warmer climate state, an improved understanding of climate dynamics in warm environments is needed to inform public policy decisions. In Understanding Earth's Deep Past, the National Research Council reports that rocks and sediments that are millions of years old hold clues to how the Earth's future climate would respond in an environment with high levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases. Understanding Earth's Deep Past provides an assessment of both the demonstrated and underdeveloped potential of the deep-time geologic record to inform us about the dynamics of the global climate system. The report describes past climate changes, and discusses potential impacts of high levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases on regional climates, water resources, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and the cycling of life-sustaining elements. While revealing gaps in scientific knowledge of past climate states, the report highlights a range of high priority research issues with potential for major advances in the scientific understanding of climate processes. This proposed integrated, deep-time climate research program would study how climate responded over Earth's different climate states, examine how climate responds to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and clarify the processes that lead to anomalously warm polar and tropical regions and the impact on marine and terrestrial life. In addition to outlining a research agenda, Understanding Earth's Deep Past proposes an implementation strategy that will be an invaluable resource to decision-makers in the field, as well as the research community, advocacy organizations, government agencies, and college professors and students.

Tropical Rainforest Responses to Climatic Change

Download Tropical Rainforest Responses to Climatic Change PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 3540239081
Total Pages : 427 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (42 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Tropical Rainforest Responses to Climatic Change by : Mark B. Bush

Download or read book Tropical Rainforest Responses to Climatic Change written by Mark B. Bush and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007 with total page 427 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The goal of this book is to provide a current overview of the impacts of climate change on tropical forests, to investigate past, present, and future climatic influences on the ecosystems with the highest biodiversity on the planet.Tropical Rainforest Responses to Climatic Change will be the first book to examine how tropical rain forest ecology is altered by climate change, rather than simply seeing how plant communities were altered. Shifting the emphasis onto ecological processes e.g. how diversity is structured by climate and the subsequent impact on tropical forest ecology, provides the reader with a more comprehensive coverage. A major theme of this book that emerges progressively is the interaction between humans, climate and forest ecology. While numerous books have appeared dealing with forest fragmentation and conservation, none have explicitly explored the long term occupation of tropical systems, the influence of fire and the future climatic effects of deforestation, coupled with anthropogenic emissions. Incorporating modelling of past and future systems paves the way for a discussion of conservation from a climatic perspective, rather than the usual plea to stop logging.

Climate and circulation of the tropics

Download Climate and circulation of the tropics PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 9789400953895
Total Pages : 464 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (538 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Climate and circulation of the tropics by : Stefan Hastenrath

Download or read book Climate and circulation of the tropics written by Stefan Hastenrath and published by Springer. This book was released on 2011-11-04 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tropical atmosphere and ocean are receiving increased attention in relation to the functioning of the global climate system, the remarkable climatic variability in low latitudes, and the associated manifold environmental and societal consequences. Beyond the traditional emphasis of meteor ology on weather analysis and forecasting, there is a growing interest in the climate and large scale circulation of the tropics. This book may serve as a text for graduate and upper-division undergraduate students in meteorology, and is also intended as a reference work for practicing meteorologists, and researchers in the atmospheric, oceanic, and other environmental sciences. I began writing this book in 1979, but the roots reach further back. Early experiences in North Africa fuelled my curiosity about the low latitudes. In 1960 I seized the opportunity to work in the National Meteorological Service of El Salvador in Central America. My interest in the tropics continued after joining the University of Wisconsin in 1963. Field research brought me to the equatorial Pacific, and many times to the tropical Americas and Africa. This involved visits and correspondence with many weather services. My acquaintance with Australasia and South Asia is limited to short study visits, but includes continuous contacts with colleagues at key research institutions in India, namely the India Meteorological Department, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, and Andhra University. A guest semester at the University of the Witwatersrand in 1971 and related travels provided a perspective on the problems of Southern Africa.

Tropical Climatology

Download Tropical Climatology PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 368 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Tropical Climatology by : Glenn R. McGregor

Download or read book Tropical Climatology written by Glenn R. McGregor and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 1998-04-22 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tropical Climatology Second Edition Glenn R. McGregor, The University of Birmingham, UK Simon Nieuwolt (deceased) Formerly Adjunct Professor, University of Guelph, Canada Climatology, the scientific study of climate, is not only concerned with explaining why a location's or region's climate is like it is but also with describing the nature and availability of the climate resource for a wide range of human activities. This subject is of great relevance to the tropics as climate in many ways controls the lives and economic activities of the approximately 2400 million people living in tropical regions. Tropical climates also have effects that reach far beyond the limits of the regions where they actually prevail: the global general circulation is largely driven by the export of considerable amounts of heat energy from tropical to extratropical latitudes: a large part of all atmospheric water content originates from the tropics, and intermittent tropical phenomena, like El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), not only influence the climates over extensive tropical areas but many parts of the extratropics. The climate sensitivity of populations and economic production in the tropics also makes these regions especially vulnerable to any negative impacts arising from human-induced climate change. Tropical Climatology aims to provide a geographical viewpoint on the physical processes in the tropical atmosphere: to offer explanations of how a location's climate is a product of these processes and to highlight the implications of tropical atmospheric behaviour and climate change for those living in the tropics. This is the second edition of the book and reflects the substantial developments in the field of tropical climatology which have taken place over the two decades since the publication of the first edition. New and updated material has been included on the nature of the general tropical circulation, the monsoons, the quasi-biennial oscillation, the 40-50 day tropical circulation, the El Nino Southern Oscillation phenomenon and its climatic impacts, tropical disturbances, the characteristics of regional tropical climates and climate change in the tropics. The readership of the book remains essentially the same as that for which the first edition was intended; second to third year students in geography and the environmental sciences who have some background in climatology. The updated reference list will, however, provide an entry point for non-specialist postgraduates into the field of tropical climatology.