by Dr Danny Harvey (Author)
Global Warming: The Hard Science presents a comprehensive, qualitatively rigorous, and critical discussion of the science underlying the global warming issue. The major processes in the climate system needed to understand projected human-induced climatic change are presented in detail. Observational systems used to monitor changes in the climate system and the ways in which the raw data are analyzed in order to produce estimates of current trends are also critically reviewed.
The author discusses the hierarchy of computer models used to project changes in the carbon cycle, in climate, and in sea level and examines the physical principles underlying the greenhouse effect and projected warming. The text also presents a detailed discussion of the carbon cycle, of climate sensitivity, and of projected patterns of climatic change through time. Sea level rise and issues of risk and potential surprises are also critically assessed. Emphasis is placed throughout on developing an intuitive understanding of those results that do not depend on the details of any one computer simulation model. A series of boxes illustrate the key points through step-by-step calculations.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 376
Edition: 1
Publisher: Longman
Published: 05 Nov 1999
ISBN 10: 0582381673
ISBN 13: 9780582381674
exceptionally good
this book is hard to beat
an extensive and detailed piece of work
the book is very well presented and extensively illustrated with diagrams, graphs and tables
a thorough, up-to-date, and extremely detailed presentation
Gareth Rees, Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge