Hi all!!! Have been inactive on this forum over the last few months and I'm grateful to be reminded by Jimmy of what I'm missing out on.
My favourite book on meteorology is indefinately "The Australian Weather Book" by Keith Collis and Richard Whitaker from the BoM. Special features include topics on the greenhouse effect, the ozone layer depletion and forecasting online. The book focuses on a variety of issues, topics and areas of interests... of which are:
a) In the beginning
b) Climate of Australia
c) General Circulation of the atmosphere (including the coriolis force and effect)
d) Macroscale Circulations
e) Mesoscale Circulations (including the commonly known "southerly buster")
f) Clouds
g) Meteorological instruments
h) Weather and Society
i) Climate and Climate Change (focuses on the effects humans are having on our climate both at present and also for the future)
I have only recently begun reading this book and have found the history of meteorology very much intriguing... how met evolved both on a nation wide spectrum and on a global scale. The three main eras of weather worldwide have been the "Divine Era" and the "Folkloric Era" ... both of which are based on theories and thoughts associated with religion or traditions passed down from generation to generation. Meteorology has rapidly grown over the last 100 years or so... even more so with advanced improvements in technology over the last 10 years. This era (beginning from around about the 1850's) -the Scientific Era- has changed weather forever. :D
Will post more information on the next section (the Climate of Australia) as more information comes to hand... and as I continue to read the book.
Steve :D
