Weather Books

"Active Tectonics And Alluvial Rivers" comes with a trio of authors that certainly sounds authoritative and reliable, although Dumont was unknown to me thus far (my bad!), but the names of Schumm and Holbrook definitely were enough for me...
The main value of this quick and agile treatise lies in being possibly the first one specifically dealing with the relationship between tectonics and all manners of fluvial affairs. Treatments in recent textbooks by Miall and Bridge also cover the topic of course, but in this case we meet with unprecedented focus...

In these days of explosion in research in all of the Earth sciences, it is not surprising that even an essay on such a specialized subject has to be structured in an intricate series of chapters and subsections ranging widely over many different subdisciplines and topics. The list of contents shows coverage of essentially all of the main aspects of fluvial geomorphology, hydrology and sedimentology in relation to factors of active tectonic control, positively highlighting throughout the importance of both forward and inverse approaches to the analysis of a wide range of field and laboratory (flume) case studies, including relevant work by the authors themselves...

The main letdown for me, however, came exactly from the general content of the book! I suppose no one would be daring to delve into the complexities of interactions between fluvial processes and tectonic controls without being fairly well grounded in the basics of the subject... Yet, I was left with a feeling that the authors all too easily glossed over an introduction to some main theoretical aspects of relevance to all the discussions that would follow. The structure of the whole book essentially consists in a long series of (even too) detailed descriptions and discussions of case studies, an approach that inevitably brings about some discontinuity. This doesn't really help the reader in forming a logical thread of synthesis on his mind, busy as he must be in making sense of all the different examples. Chapter summaries won't help either, as they often appear to be too cursory and simplistic, and in a couple of instances even report observations on issues that are not so relevant to what has been discussed, such as in chapter five on "Earthquake effects"! The final result is therefore that the reader is left with quite some homework to do in order to come out with general insights and principles from a somewhat spotty and fragmented maze of case studies...
On the other hand, it is to be considered, as well, that the subject has never undergone extensive review in the past, and that its inherent difficulties (let's face it, anything river-related is a tricky mess!! By far the most complex geomorphic systems...) imply an open road ahead for research, still to be fully explored. So, although lacking in explicit overview, the book was not and could not have been intended to provide easy or ready-made answers! Let's say that a second, more careful read can clear up the mind and aid in pinpointing a few principles of general relevance...
Of possible help however could be a paper published by two of the authors, which though much less detailed, contains the most interesting hints and observations you could gather from the book in a much more concise version! (Holbrook & Schumm, 1999, "Geomorphic and sedimentary response of rivers to tectonic deformation: a brief review and critique of a tool for recognizing subtle epeirogenic deformation in modern and ancient settings"", Tectonophysics 305: 287-306)

In spite of my rather substantial criticism, I guess it's fair to say that as an introduction to the subject this little treatise should not be missed by anyone interested! A second edition could come up with updates from a steadily growing body of literature, and above all with more introductory and summarizing background all throughout, in order to better lead the reader toward understanding and, why not, inspiration for further research...

This is the first book, in my opinion, to really focus on the effects of active tectonics in the fluvial system regime. Many books focus on tectonic geomorphology or fluvial geomorphology, but none has integrated both subject areas for a thorough discussion on the integration of the two.

I really appreciated that the authors concentrated on case studies rather than jargon. The two background chapters are sufficient to start the advanced reader on the extremely interesting case studies. I also appreciated the division of the case studies into forward and inverse modeling approaches.

The applicatons section was full of studies of modern approaches in engineering, stratigraphy, and neotectonic interpretation.

Overall, this book was the perfect synthesis of tectonics and fluvial systems. Stan Schumm is a master on river morphology. He and Holbrook and Dumont should be commended on their effort!

There have been many books about the history of maps, but few have addressed one of the types of maps that we consult most regularly: the weather map. Monmonier, a professor of geography at Syracuse University and author of several previous books, endeavors to remedy this deficiency and does so admirably.

He goes back to the earliest days of investigating the weather, before telephone or telegraph when any weather map had to be put together days or more after the fact. But it gets done, even so, and when higher-speed communications are available, people are ready.

He goes on to cover developments both technological and social: the advent of radar as a weather detection tool as well as the now-routine weather satellite views, but also how the weather is covered in the news, including the development of the newspaper weather map from the dull black-and-white diagrams that were once routine to the multicolored glory of USA Today's weather map.

There's weather on television, too, and he spends time talking about both The Weather Channel's coverage with their many maps on a chroma-key background and how local stations cover the weather using the latest in technology, from doppler radar to the fancy, fly-through 3-D graphics that many of them seem to use these days.

My personal preference would have been to learn more about the earliest days of the weather maps and how they were developed and less about the development of the glitzy modern weather reporting, but perhaps that is just me, and, considering the ubiquity of the latter, I can't fault its inclusion.

Overall, it's a well-written, good read, and highly recommended for the weather fanatics among us (and I must include myself!).

This book uses weather maps as a central motif. It discusses issues of meteorology (although it is not really a primer on meteorology, as suggested by the Scientific American review), cartography, graphic design, and mass media. It is lightly written but well documented and intelligently illustrated. It is a great read for those who enjoy science books.

I enjoyed this book very much and it was a very comforting read for my child. I too went through that terrible storm (I lived near the author) and it was as devastating as it was an awesome show of natures strength. It is a wonderfully written book and it ends sweetly as it starts. Kids of all ages will enjoy it.

Soothes kids fears about hurricanes and natural disasters. Great pictures.

My 6-year old daughter and I love this book, which is filled with delightful poems and colourful paintings about autumn. The author uses a lot of plays on words which are quite amusing, and his poems really capture the images and feelings of autumn. If you like the fall season you will love this book. I would recommend it especially for kindergarden teachers.

Complementing Winter Eyes and Summersaults, Autumnblings is another of Florian's delightful poetic romps through the season, a series of silly poems accompanied by the usual quirky and humorous illustrations the author does so well.

"Maple seeds in fall turn brown,
then they fall off and all fall down-
like fallicopters to the ground."

Florian is a personal favorite because his lively poetry and images stimulate young minds and plant the seeds of reading enjoyment. Learning is a positive experience in every book this author/illustrator contributes to young minds, a consistent energy that is engaging and fanciful, to be shared or read aloud.

"The temperature falls
Degree by degree.
It falls through the air
And lands upon me."

Luan Gaines/2005.

Very good book about weather hazards for B.C. and the Yukon. A must have if you are planning to do any flying in this mountainous region.

This is a text book type look at the weather systems that are common in British Columbia and the Yukon. Very well researched and documented with facts as well as anecdotal observations. A must for pilots venturing into this vast wilderness area.

I checked this book out of the library when my now 18 month old daughter was around nine months. She loved it so much, that she got this book and the other three for Christmas. These books really keep her attention because they are so colorful, bright and simple reading. I would highly recommend these for any little kid.

This book came in a set of the other 3 Baby Dazzlers titles. My 2 year old loves the simple and enthusiastic rhymes, bright colors, and glittery accents on every page. Each book has a baby with a different skin color, which is always nice! Children's book of the month club offers all four books in a set for really cheap! I recommend all four

This was one of my daughter's first books, and it is still a favorite, even though we now have close to 100 books. She likes watching Barney deal with the elements--rain, snow, wind, etc. There is one page where Barney is drinking from a cup. The text goes: On very hot days, Barney drinks from a cup." We've used this phrase to help our daughter grasp the concept of drinking form a cup herself. She picked up on this very early.

It's fun for my 3 year-old son who is getting interested with english story book. Barney shows my child how the weather can be changed and what the kind of weather are. It's very simple , colorful and easy to understand all kinds of weather, rainy day, windy day, sunny day, hot day, cold day, cloudy day, stormy day. It's a very small book, so, he can read this book in every places, even in the car.

I purchased this book for the daughter (third grader) of a friend. The young girl has shown a nice interest in summer science projects and computing. Computing goes nicely with the science of weather forecasting, so I thought this nicely illustrated account of an actual big storm that swept across much of the U.S. in 1982 would be good summer reading.

The reading level was posted as ages 4-8 but I would say 7-8, although the ample illustrations make it a book that ages 4-6 would enjoy with an adult reader.

I am a junior scientist, because I study whales and storms and what storms can do. And I am a junior ranger at Grand Canyon National Park. "The Big Storm" is the best book I have ever read, even better than "Baby Whale Rescue" by Caroline Arnold.

I have read "The Big Storm" and the dates it came in was March 31 through April 6, 1982. Storms can have very strong winds and in Nebraska the wind blew hard enough to pick up cow chips.

I liked this book so much because it showed where tornados were, and where the cold front was. The cold front extended from Mexico to Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, half of Colorado and all of California.

I think you should read this book if you are 6 to 65 years old.

What is the temperature of "very hot" or "almost frozen"? How many inches of rain are in a "torrent"? Douglas Southall Freeman speaking in 1955 cited a need for detailed information on weather during the Civil War. With the exception of Joseph L. Harsh's, book "Sounding the Shallows"; no one has tried to address this subject. Harsh's book only considers weather during the month of September 1862 as part of his detailed study for the Antietam Campaign. Part of the problem is detailed weather records were not a government responsibility. The little detail we have is from amateur meteorologists and the families that preserved their work. The record have gaps, illegible entries and areas where no one kept records. All of these problems, taken together, make a detailed weather record spanning years a difficult undertaking. Robert Krick recognizes this by saying the Victorian title would be "Civil War Weather in Washington, D.C., and in the Virginia Theater of War, Encompassing Virginia and Maryland and Pennsylvania, including Weather Affecting Some Military Operations in what became West Virginia Halfway through the War." The current title is much easier to use but the Victorian title gives you a much better idea of what this book contains.

Each month from October 1860 to June 1865 is a one page. The monthly format is a few pages of contemporary observations about the weather and a daily table for the month. Table entries are date, day of the week, sunrise and sunset in Richmond and the DC temperature at 7 AM, 2 PM and 9 PM. Each day has a remarks entry for comments like overcast, amount of rain or an observation about the day. This may not seem to be much but it is invaluable in building a picture of the war. Using September to November 1861, as an example, I developed a real understanding of why sickness could become such a problem. The volunteers lived in tents and subjected to constant drilling suffered about a 30-degree drop in the 2 PM temperature coupled with 23 days of rain. Snow fell starting November 24 adding to their misery. The tables are clear, concise and very easy to use. The above took only a couple of minutes and presents a clear impression of weather during these months. The tables allow us to check contemporary accounts and help us understand what the writer thinks happened. Robert Krick observes that based on the readings, it is doubtful that bodies froze overnight at Fredericksburg. This will not cause us to reject the accounts but requires we understand other factors may have contributed to the memory. Gettysburg College maintained the 7 AM, 2 PM and 9 PM schedule for temperature readings and these are included for the battle.

This is not a "sit down n read" book. It is a much-needed book and the information will help complete our picture of the war. Only an author with the status of Robert Krick could have brought this book to the public. I thank the University of Alabama Press for publishing so valuable book and adding to the understanding of the war in Virginia. This type of technical reference is invaluable in gaining a fuller understanding of the conditions that the armies faced. This knowledge helps a student of the war to more fully understand those decisions on which battles and campaigns turn.

Bob Krick is the unquestioned authority on the Army of Northern Virginia and the Virginia theater. He is also my favorite historian and has been for a number of years. I have greatly enjoyed reading his many books and monographs. His most recent work, "Weather in Civil War Virginia," is an unusual study in that it is a subject so infrequently discussed or addressed in major campaign studies. Most historians give the weather only a passing remarks. This is a reference book, and as such will be invaluable when reading about marches or battles. The weather played a major role in battles and campaigns. Krick has done a wonderful job of putting together this data that documents the weather conditions on each day of the war in Virginia. He fleshes out the book by adding anecdotes and personal experiences from letters and journals of the men who endured some very harsh weather conditions at times. I now know how cold it really was during the Romeny campaign or how hot it was at the battle of Cedar mountain. The one major drawback to the book is the price. This is a small hardback book, only 177 pages, yet the price is close to forty dollars. Granted, a lot of research went into a work of this type, and the information can be very helpful. But it could have served the same purpose by being published in soft cover and priced under $20.00.

This book is pretty good. It describes man's impact on climate with some case studies to back it up. Additionally, the book goes into attempting to reconstruct past climates through different methods.

Although some of the conclusions that were drawn could be considered sketchy, it's an excellent book and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in climates, history, or global warming.

Reid Bryson, a premier prof. at the premier climatology program wrote this for non-technical audiences in 1978. The "Global Warming" apostles need to go back to this book, because climate change is not just warming. Bryson connects the dots between regional climates in a global pattern, based on shifting jet streams. Warming in one location occurs simultaneously with cooling in another. Drought in one location occurs simultaneously with increased precip in another location. Since climate is ephemoral, the history of climates is read in ice cores, tree rings, plant and animal paleontology, written history, crop yield records, and parish birth and death records. A rigorous approach in any of these areas could only reach a small and specialized audience; the population ready for such an approach in all these fields doesn't exist. Climates of Hunger uses case studies drawn from the best rigorous climate science of the day; for less 'sketchiness', refer to the references. Bryson "wrote the book" in the 70s; public interest needs the depth of understanding beyond 'warming' now.