This updated and enhanced Fifth Edition of ESSENTIALS OF METEOROLOGY is written by the widely read and authoritative author in introductory meteorology-Donald Ahrens. Ahrens's ability to explain relatively complicated ideas in a student-friendly, manageable fashion will allow you to easily visualize the principles of meteorology. ESSENTIALS OF METEOROLOGY is completely updated with over 250 new images and figures and the latest research and coverage. This new edition is accompanied by a self-paced tutorial system--CengageNOW for ESSENTIALS OF METEOROLOGY. CengageNOW is Web-based, assessment-driven, completely flexible, and contains a wealth of book-specific interactivities. It offers a personalized study plan based on your assessment results, helping you focus on the concepts you don't yet understand.

1. THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE. Overview of the Earth's Atmosphere. Vertical Structure of the Atmosphere. Weather and Climate. 2. WARMING THE EARTH AND THE ATMOSPHERE. Temperature and Heat Transfer. Balancing Act-Absorption, Emission, and Equilibrium. Incoming Solar Energy. 3. AIR TEMPERATURE. Daily Temperature Variations. The Controls of Temperature. Air Temperature Data. Measuring Air Temperature. 4. HUMIDITY, CONDENSATION, AND CLOUDS. Circulation of Water in the Atmosphere. Evaporation, Condensation, and Saturation. Humidity. Dew and Frost. Fog. Foggy Weather. Clouds. 5. CLOUD DEVELOPMENT AND PRECIPITATION. Atmospheric Stability. Determining Stability. Cloud Development and Stability. Precipitation Processes. Precipitation Types. Measuring Precipitation. 6. AIR PRESSURE AND WINDS. Atmospheric Pressure. Measuring Air Pressure. Surface and Upper-Air Charts. Why the Wind Blows. Surface Winds. Winds and Vertical Air Motions. Measuring and Determining Winds. 7. ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATIONS. Scale of Atmospheric Motion. Eddies-Big and Small. Local Wind Systems. Global Winds. Global Wind Patterns and the Oceans. 8. AIR MASSES, FRONTS, AND MIDDLE-LATITUDE CYCLONES. Air Masses. Fronts. Middle-Latitude Cyclones. 9. WEATHER FORECASTING. Acquisition of Weather Information. Weather Forecasting Methods. Weather Forecasting Using Surface Charts. 10. THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES. Thunderstorms. Tornadoes. Severe Weather and Doppler Radar. Waterspouts. 11. HURRICANES. Tropical Weather. Anatomy of a Hurricane. Hurricane Formation and Dissipation. Naming Hurricanes. 12. AIR POLLUTION. A Brief History of Air Pollution. Types and Sources of Air Pollutants. Factors That Affect Air Pollution. Air Pollution and the Urban Environment. Acid Deposition. 13. GLOBAL CLIMATE. A World with Many Climates. Climatic Classification-The Koppen System. The Global Pattern of Climate. 14. CLIMATE CHANGE. The Earth's Changing Climate. Possible Causes of Climatic Change. Global Warming. 15. LIGHT, COLOR, AND ATMOSPHERIC OPTICS. White and Colors. White Clouds and Scattered Light. Blue Skies and Hazy Days. Red Suns and Blue Moons. Twinkling, Twilight, and the Green Flash. The Mirage: Seeing is Not Believing. Halos, Sundogs, and Sun Pillars. Rainbows. Coronas and Cloud Iridescence. Appendix A: Units, Conversions, Abbreviations, and Equations. Appendix B: Equations and Constants. Appendix C: Weather Symbols and the Station Model. Appendix D: Humidity and Dew-Point Tables (Psychromatic Tables). Appendix E: Standard Atmosphere. Appendix F: Beaufort Wind Scale (Over Land). Appendix G: Annual Global Pattern of Precipitation. Appendix H: Koppen's Climatic Classification System. Additional Reading Material. Glossary. Index. Credits.