Download or read book Weather by the Numbers written by Kristine C. Harper and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2012-01-13 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history of the growth and professionalization of American meteorology and its transformation into a physics- and mathematics-based scientific discipline. For much of the first half of the twentieth century, meteorology was more art than science, dependent on an individual forecaster's lifetime of local experience. In Weather by the Numbers, Kristine Harper tells the story of the transformation of meteorology from a “guessing science” into a sophisticated scientific discipline based on physics and mathematics. What made this possible was the development of the electronic digital computer; earlier attempts at numerical weather prediction had foundered on the human inability to solve nonlinear equations quickly enough for timely forecasting. After World War II, the combination of an expanded observation network developed for military purposes, newly trained meteorologists, savvy about math and physics, and the nascent digital computer created a new way of approaching atmospheric theory and weather forecasting. This transformation of a discipline, Harper writes, was the most important intellectual achievement of twentieth-century meteorology, and paved the way for the growth of computer-assisted modeling in all the sciences.
Download or read book Inventing Atmospheric Science written by James Rodger Fleming and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2016-02-05 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This big picture history of atmospheric research examines the first six decades of the twentieth century, from the dawn of applied fluid dynamics to the emergence, by 1960, of the interdisciplinary atmospheric sciences. Using newly available archival sources, it documents the work of three interconnected generations of scientists: Vilhelm Bjerknes, Carl-Gustaf Rossby, and Harry Wexler, whose aspirations were fueled by new theoretical insights, pressing societal needs, and expanded technological capabilities. Radio, radar, aviation, nuclear tracers, digital computing, sounding rockets, and satellites provided new ways to measure and study the global atmosphere -- a huge and dauntingly complex system. Bjerknes brought us a fundamental circulation theorem and founded the Bergen school of weather forecasting; Rossby established the graduate schools of meteorology at M.I.T., Chicago, and Stockholm, which focused on upper-air dynamics and, after 1947, on atmospheric environmental issues; and Wexler brought all the new technologies into the U.S. Weather Bureau and, with his colleague Jule Charney, prepared the foundations for the emergence of the interdisciplinary atmospheric sciences. This history weaves together cold war studies, military history, the rise of government research and development, and aviation and aeronautics with a nascent global awareness. It is a fascinating history of something we all experience--the weather --told through compelling historical characters"--Provided by publisher.
Download or read book Reginald Sutcliffe and the Invention of Modern Weather Systems Science written by Jonathan E. Martin and published by Purdue University Press. This book was released on 2021-03-15 with total page 439 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite being perhaps the foremost British meteorologist of the twentieth century, Reginald Sutcliffe has been understudied and underappreciated. His impact continues to this day every time you check the weather forecast. Reginald Sutcliffe and the Invention of Modern Weather Systems Science not only details Sutcliffe’s life and ideas, but it also illuminates the impact of social movements and the larger forces that propelled him on his consequential trajectory. Less than a century ago, a forecast of the weather tomorrow was considered a practical impossibility. This book makes the case that three important advances guided the development of modern dynamic meteorology, which led directly to the astounding progress in weather forecasting—and that Sutcliffe was the pioneer in all three of these foundational developments: the application of the quasi-geostrophic simplification to the equations governing atmospheric behavior, adoption of pressure as the vertical coordinate in analysis, and development of a diagnostic equation for vertical air motions. Shining a light on Sutcliffe’s life and work will, hopefully, inspire a renewed appreciation for the human dimension in scientific progress and the rich legacy bequeathed to societies wise enough to fully embrace investments in education and basic research. As climate change continues to grow more dire, modern extensions of Sutcliffe’s innovations increasingly offer some of the best tools we have for peering into the long-term future of our environment.
Download or read book Appropriating the Weather written by Robert Marc Friedman and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 1993-09 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Analyzes the revolution in the theory and practice of meteorology during the first quarter of the twentieth century, initiated by Vilhelm Bjerknes (1862-1951) and his collaborators. Gives special emphasis to the way in which Bjerknes adapted his mechanical physics of the atmosphere to benefit commercial purposes by providing more reliable forecasts for farmers, fishermen, and aviators. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Download or read book Inventing Atmospheric Science written by James Rodger Fleming and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2016-02-10 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How scientists used transformative new technologies to understand the complexities of weather and the atmosphere, told through the intertwined careers of three key figures. “The goal of meteorology is to portray everything atmospheric, everywhere, always,” declared John Bellamy and Harry Wexler in 1960, soon after the successful launch of TIROS 1, the first weather satellite. Throughout the twentieth century, meteorological researchers have had global ambitions, incorporating technological advances into their scientific study as they worked to link theory with practice. Wireless telegraphy, radio, aviation, nuclear tracers, rockets, digital computers, and Earth-orbiting satellites opened up entirely new research horizons for meteorologists. In this book, James Fleming charts the emergence of the interdisciplinary field of atmospheric science through the lives and careers of three key figures: Vilhelm Bjerknes (1862–1951), Carl-Gustaf Rossby (1898–1957), and Harry Wexler (1911–1962). In the early twentieth century, Bjerknes worked to put meteorology on solid observational and theoretical foundations. His younger colleague, the innovative and influential Rossby, built the first graduate program in meteorology (at MIT), trained aviation cadets during World War II, and was a pioneer in numerical weather prediction and atmospheric chemistry. Wexler, one of Rossby's best students, became head of research at the U.S. Weather Bureau, where he developed new technologies from radar and rockets to computers and satellites, conducted research on the Antarctic ice sheet, and established carbon dioxide measurements at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. He was also the first meteorologist to fly into a hurricane—an experience he chose never to repeat. Fleming maps both the ambitions of an evolving field and the constraints that checked them—war, bureaucracy, economic downturns, and, most important, the ultimate realization (prompted by the formulation of chaos theory in the 1960s by Edward Lorenz) that perfectly accurate measurements and forecasts would never be possible.
Download or read book The Evolution of Meteorology written by Kevin Anthony Teague and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2017-07-24 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The essential guide to the history, current trends, and the future of meteorology This comprehensive review explores the evolution of the field of meteorology, from its infancy in 3000 bc, through the birth of fresh ideas and the naming of the field as a science, to the technology boom, to today. The Evolution of Meteorology reveals the full story of where meteorology was then to where it is now, where the field is heading, and what needs to be done to get the field to levels never before imagined. Authored by experts of the topic, this book includes information on forecasting technologies, organizations, governmental agencies, and world cooperative projects. The authors explore the ancient history of the first attempts to understand and predict weather and examine the influence of the very early birth of television, computers, and technologies that are useful to meteorology. This modern-day examination of meteorology is filled with compelling research, statistics, future paths, ideas, and suggestions. This vital resource: Examines current information on climate change and recent extreme weather events Starts with the Ancient Babylonians and ends with the largest global agreement of any kind with the Paris Agreement Includes current information on the most authoritative research in the field of meteorology Contains data on climate change theories and understanding, as well as extreme weather statistics and histories This enlightening text explores in full the history of the study of meteorology in order to bring awareness to the overall path and future prospects of meteorology.
Download or read book Weather by the Numbers written by Kristine C. Harper and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2012-01-13 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history of the growth and professionalization of American meteorology and its transformation into a physics- and mathematics-based scientific discipline. For much of the first half of the twentieth century, meteorology was more art than science, dependent on an individual forecaster's lifetime of local experience. In Weather by the Numbers, Kristine Harper tells the story of the transformation of meteorology from a “guessing science” into a sophisticated scientific discipline based on physics and mathematics. What made this possible was the development of the electronic digital computer; earlier attempts at numerical weather prediction had foundered on the human inability to solve nonlinear equations quickly enough for timely forecasting. After World War II, the combination of an expanded observation network developed for military purposes, newly trained meteorologists, savvy about math and physics, and the nascent digital computer created a new way of approaching atmospheric theory and weather forecasting. This transformation of a discipline, Harper writes, was the most important intellectual achievement of twentieth-century meteorology, and paved the way for the growth of computer-assisted modeling in all the sciences.
Download or read book Modern Meteorology written by Frank Waldo and published by . This book was released on 1893 with total page 524 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Weathering the Storm written by James Fleming and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-03-30 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents the memoirs of Sverre Pettersen, prominent leader in the field of meteorology. Delving through his recollections of his childhood in Norway, education and work at the famous Bergen school of Meteorology to the World War II crisis and D-Day, Petterssen uncovers the history of meteorology, documenting it from his perspective. Meteorology today is the beneficiary of his work.
Download or read book The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science written by John L. Heilbron and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2003-02-14 with total page 994 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Containing 609 encyclopedic articles written by more than 200 prominent scholars, The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science presents an unparalleled history of the field invaluable to anyone with an interest in the technology, ideas, discoveries, and learned institutions that have shaped our world over the past five centuries. Focusing on the period from the Renaissance to the early twenty-first century, the articles cover all disciplines (Biology, Alchemy, Behaviorism), historical periods (the Scientific Revolution, World War II, the Cold War), concepts (Hypothesis, Space and Time, Ether), and methodologies and philosophies (Observation and Experiment, Darwinism). Coverage is international, tracing the spread of science from its traditional centers and explaining how the prevailing knowledge of non-Western societies has modified or contributed to the dominant global science as it is currently understood. Revealing the interplay between science and the wider culture, the Companion includes entries on topics such as minority groups, art, religion, and science's practical applications. One hundred biographies of the most iconic historic figures, chosen for their contributions to science and the interest of their lives, are also included. Above all The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science is a companion to world history: modern in coverage, generous in breadth, and cosmopolitan in scope. The volume's utility is enhanced by a thematic outline of the entire contents, a thorough system of cross-referencing, and a detailed index that enables the reader to follow a specific line of inquiry along various threads from multiple starting points. Each essay has numerous suggestions for further reading, all of which favor literature that is accessible to the general reader, and a bibliographical essay provides a general overview of the scholarship in the field. Lastly, as a contribution to the visual appeal of the Companion, over 100 black-and-white illustrations and an eight-page color section capture the eye and spark the imagination.
Download or read book Renaissance Meteorology written by Craig Martin and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2011-11 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Takes a careful look at how Renaissance scientists analyzed and interpreted rain, wind, meteors, earthquakes, and other weather and its impact on the great thinkers of the scientific revolution.
Download or read book Midlatitude Synoptic Meteorology written by Gary Lackmann and published by American Meteorological Society. This book was released on 2013-01-22 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The past decade has been characterized by remarkable advances in meteorological observation, computing techniques, and data-visualization technology. Mesoscale Synoptic Meteorology links theoretical concepts to modern technology and facilitates the meaningful application of concepts, theories, and techniques using real data. As such, it both serves those planning careers in meteorological research and weather prediction and provides a template for the application of modern technology in classroom and laboratory settings.
Download or read book Modern Marine Weather From Time Honored Traditional Knowledge to the Latest Technology written by David Burch and published by Starpath Publications. This book was released on 2018-03-30 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive text on how to take weather into account for the planning and navigation of voyages, local or global, using the latest technologies as well as the time-honored skills of maritime tradition, so that your time on the water remains as safe and efficient as possible. Covers practical applications of GRIB files, ASCAT wind measurements, and other modern resources.
Download or read book Subject Index of the Modern Works Added to the Library of the British Museum in the Years written by British Museum and published by . This book was released on 1903 with total page 1020 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Modern meteorology a series of 6 lects delivered under the auspices of the Meteorological society in 1878 written by Royal meteorological society and published by . This book was released on 1879 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Appropriating the Weather written by Robert Marc Friedman and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2018-07-05 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, Robert Marc Friedman analyzes the revolution in the theory and practice of meteorology during the first quarter of the twentieth century, initiated by Vilhelm Bjerknes (1862–1951) and his collaborators. In contrast to the approach that had dominated meteorology since the late nineteenth century, their weather models and forecasting techniques marked a decisive turn to a dynamical–physical understanding of the atmosphere. Using a wide range of sources, both published and unpublished, Friedman traces the emergence of the new, so-called Bergen methodology and the process by which it transformed first Norwegian and then worldwide weather forecasting. The establishment of the new meteorology, he argues, was the result of a complaex interaction of scientific, social, and technological factors, and he gives special emphasis to the way in which Bjerknes adapted his mechanical physics of the atmosphere to benefit commercial purposes. By providing more reliable forecasts for farmers, fishermen, and especially for aviators, Bjerknes was able to nurture a school of disciples that could evert a profound influence on the international meteorological community, thereby increasing his own authority and that of the discipline he sought to shape. Friedman does an unusually subtle job of integrating the often opposing methods of the history and the sociology of science. He explains in detail how Bjerknes, a theoretical physicist, and his collaborators developed a new model of cyclone evolution and the first clear physical explanation of how weather happens. At the same time, Friedman demonstrates how conceptual change was interconnected with the Bergen school's striving to obtain political support at home and to dominate professional meteorology abroad. Appropriating the Weather is an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the processes in which scientific, institutional, and social factors interact to form scientific disciplines. It deserves wide readership among historians and sociologists of science and science policy makers, as well as meteorologists and other geophysical scientists. Winner of the Louis J. Battan Author's Award (American Meteorological Society) Winner of the Jehuda Neumann Memorial Prize for History (Royal Meteorological Society) One of eight classics of 20th-century continental European history of science (Isis, History of Science Society)
Download or read book Medieval Meteorology written by Anne Lawrence-Mathers and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-11-21 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The practice of weather forecasting underwent a crucial transformation in the Middle Ages. Exploring how scientifically-based meteorology spread and flourished from c.700-c.1600, this study reveals the dramatic changes in forecasting and how the new science of 'astro-meteorology' developed. Both narrower and more practical in its approach than earlier forms of meteorology, this new science claimed to deliver weather forecasts for months and even years ahead, on the premise that weather is caused by the atmospheric effects of the planets and stars, and mediated by local and seasonal climatic conditions. Anne Lawrence-Mathers explores how these forecasts were made and explains the growing practice of recording actual weather. These records were used to support forecasting practices, and their popularity grew from the fourteenth century onwards. Essential reading for anyone interested in medieval science, Medieval Meteorology demonstrates that the roots of scientific forecasting are much deeper than is usually recognized.
