The Climate Revealed

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.