Meteorology Today: An Introduction to Weather, Climate, and the Environment,
13th Edition

C. Donald Ahrens, Robert Henson

ISBN-13: 9780357452073 | ISBN-10: 0357452070

| Published 2021

| 736 pages

List Price USD $173.95

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Written by meteorologists C. Donald Ahrens and Robert Henson and grounded in the scientific method, METEOROLOGY TODAY: AN INTRODUCTION TO WEATHER, CLIMATE, AND THE ENVIRONMENT, 13th edition, shows you how to observe, calculate and synthesize weather information as a scientist. Packed with engaging visuals, it provides the latest information on climate change, ozone depletion, air quality, El Niño and other key topics as well as discussions of recent high-profile weather events, including droughts, heat waves, tornado outbreaks and hurricanes. "Focus On" boxes help you delve deeper into meteorological observation methods and environmental issues, while case studies provide direct access to academic and newsworthy papers on recent developments. The MindTap for Meteorology digital platform includes concept check activities, animations and videos, and a variety of hands-on activities.

Don Ahrens is professor emeritus at Modesto Junior College in Modesto, California. He has influenced countless professionals in the field of atmospheric science, as well as hundreds of thousands of students who use his books to better understand weather and climate. In 2007, the National Weather Association awarded him a lifetime achievement award for these accomplishments. The bestselling author of two Cengage texts, Professor Ahrens received the Textbook and Academic Authors Association's McGuffey Longevity Award for the Ninth Edition of his market-leading METEOROLOGY TODAY.

Robert Henson is among the nation’s most widely read writers on weather and climate. He is a regular contributor to the Yale Climate Connections website and a contributing editor at the Texas Climate News website and Weatherwise magazine. Prior to his freelance career, Henson was a staff writer and editor at Weather Underground and at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, which manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research. An expert on tornadoes, thunderstorms and hurricanes, Henson has also analyzed how TV weathercasters cover major storms and report on climate change. His books include THE THINKING PERSON'S GUIDE TO CLIMATE CHANGE, whose original edition was shortlisted for the UK Royal Society Prize for Science Books.

INTEREST-GRABBING EXTREMES: A new graphic spotlights the all-time highest and lowest temperatures observed in each state. Many other standout events are also incorporated into the narrative, bringing chapter concepts to life.
ATMOSPHERIC OBSERVATION AND ANALYSIS: New information highlights many of the technologies used to observe and analyze the atmosphere, including upper-air data from aircraft, the forthcoming NOAA Unified Forecast System and satellite-based lightning detectors.
CONTEMPORARY EVENTS: Thorough updates to the readings include discussions of recent tropical cyclones in the Atlantic and elsewhere, catastrophic forest fires of the late 1990s and trends in global temperatures and greenhouse gases.
FOCUS SECTIONS: Helping students find a personal connection to chapter material, insightful Focus sections throughout illustrate how key concepts apply to everyday life. New Focus sections include "Weather and the Flu: It's Not the Cold, It's the Humidity" (Chapter 4), "North America's Own Monsoon" (Chapter 9), "When Winter Went AWOL: The Extreme Positive AO Winter of 2019-2020" (Chapter 10), and "Fire Tornadoes: The Unusual Spinoffs of Wildfires" (Chapter 15).

CHAPTER VIGNETTES: Each chapter opens with compelling stories that draw students into the discussion naturally, raising their interest in meteorology and climate change.
ONLINE APPENDICES: Quick-access online resources enable students to explore actual weather data -- such as world temperature and precipitation extremes over a 30-year period -- and apply them to assignments and projects that help sharpen their reasoning and quantitative skills.
END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS AND EXERCISES: These problems from the book are adapted (by co-author Robert Henson) into multiple choice assignments that function as summative assessments for students at the end of each chapter.
CASE STUDIES: Helping readers further engage with key concepts, each chapter includes an article selected by co-author and meteorologist Robert Henson from sources such as NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Students directly access academic and newsworthy papers on modern developments and meteorological trends, allowing them to apply their knowledge from the classroom to real-world events and discoveries.
HIGH-IMPACT PHENOMENA: Thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes are each thoroughly covered through in-depth chapters, engaging students with dramatic real-world examples and relevant concepts.
FOCUSED DISCOVERY: "Focus On" boxes examine concepts at greater depth, adding real-world context and meaning to meteorological observation methods, environmental issues and a variety of more advanced topics.
CLIMATE FINDS: Helping students engage with chapter concepts, "Weather Watch" boxes highlight interesting weather facts and astonishing meteorological events that may not be commonly known.
INQUIRING FEATURES: In-text queries and four types of questions at the end of each chapter help students recall significant material, test their understanding and improve problem-solving skills.
END OF CHAPTER PROBLEMS AND EXERCISES: Co-author Robert Henson adapted problems from the text into multiple choice assignments that function as summative assessments at the end of each chapter -- enabling students to check their progress and maximize their study time.

1. Earth and Its Atmosphere.
2. Energy: Warming and Cooling Earth and the Atmosphere.
3. Seasonal and Daily Temperatures.
4. Atmospheric Humidity.
5. Condensation: Dew, Fog and Clouds.
6. Stability and Cloud Development.
7. Precipitation.
8. Air Pressure and Winds.
9. Wind: Small-Scale and Local Systems.
10. Wind: Global Systems.
11. Air Masses and Fronts.
12. Middle-Latitude Cyclones.
13. Weather Forecasting.
14. Thunderstorms.
15. Tornadoes.
16. Hurricanes.
17. Earth's Changing Climate.
18. Global Climate.
19. Air Pollution.
20. Light, Color and Atmospheric Optics.

Cengage provides a range of supplements that are updated in coordination with the main title selection. For more information about these supplements, contact your Learning Consultant.

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Instructor's Companion Website for Ahrens/Henson's Meteorology Today: An Introduction to Weather, Climate, and the Environment

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ISBN10:035745216X
Everything you need for your course in one place! This collection of product-specific lecture and class tools is available online via the instructor resource center at www.cengage.com/login. You'll be able to access and download materials such as PowerPoint® presentations, images, instructor's manual, videos and more.

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Cengage Testing, powered by Cognero® is a flexible, online system that allows you to import, edit and manipulate content from the text's test bank or elsewhere, including your own favorite test questions; create multiple test versions in an instant; and deliver tests from your LMS, your classroom or wherever you want.