Product Description
Praise for the First Edition:
"I recommend this book, without hesitation, as either a reference or course text...Wilks' excellent book provides a thorough base in applied statistical methods for atmospheric sciences."--BAMS (Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society)

Fundamentally, statistics is concerned with managing data and making inferences and forecasts in the face of uncertainty.It should not be surprising, therefore, that statistical methods have a key role to play in the atmospheric sciences.It is the uncertainty in atmospheric behavior that continues to move research forward and drive innovations in atmospheric modeling and prediction.

This revised and expanded text explains the latest statistical methods that are being used to describe, analyze, test and forecast atmospheric data.It features numerous worked examples, illustrations, equations, and exercises with separate solutions.Statistical Methods in the Atmospheric Sciences, Second Edition will help advanced students and professionals understand and communicate what their data sets have to say, and make sense of the scientific literature in meteorology, climatology, and related disciplines.

* Presents and explains techniques used in atmospheric data summarization, analysis, testing, and forecasting
* Chapters feature numerous worked examples and exercises
* Model Output Statistic (MOS) includes an introduction to the Kalman filter, an approach that tolerates frequent model changes
* Detailed section on forecast verification, including statistical inference, diagrams, and other methods

New in this Edition:
* Expanded treatment of resampling tests within nonparametric tests
* Updated treatment of ensemble forecasting
* Expanded coverage of key analysis techniques, such as principle component analysis, canonical correlation analysis, discriminant analysis, and cluster analysis
* Careful updates and edits throughout, based on users' feedback ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A worthy update to the classic first edition
The second edition nicely extends and improves the original text. Along with Statistical Analysis in Climate Research, which is pitched at slightly more advanced audience, this book provides an excellent introduction to statistical methods in meteorology and climatology. Highly recommended.

Well written text. Easy to understand.
I highly recommend this book for those interested in atmospheric science statistical methods. Three cheers and five stars for this great book.

A Godsend for Working Scientists
I judge the usefulness of a book by how quickly I can learn something new and apply it to the problem I am currently working on. Most statistics books, judged by this criteria, fail miserably. But here is a book that not only succeeds, but succeeds so well I actually find myself getting excited about reading the next chapter, which has nothing to do with the problem at hand! By confining himself to just a handful of simple data sets, Wilks makes it possible to work though the examples in detail and in a variety of ways. But the most important benefit to me is that I can immediately turn his examples into software code (I use IDL), which I can use to solve my problem. Unlike so many books, which provide the broad theoretical strokes, but leave the details in shadow, Wilks explains the details in simple, straightforward language. His explanation of harmonic analysis and FFT spectral analysis was so crystal clear I believe it was the first time I thought I truly understood this important concept. I can imagine there will be statisticians who will not like this book. But for those of us working with environmental data who need to know some statistics to get our work done, this book is a godsend.

Poor flow and presentation
This book is surely one of the worst statistical books in my library.If anyone is in need of a reference for some of the statistical methods commonly used in atmospheric sciences, I would suggest you look elsewhere

Very useful text and reference
Like the first edition, this book is an excellent and thorough overview of statistical methods used in the atmospheric sciences.
The main updates which are included in the second edition are the six final chapters (chapters 9-14) which cover multi-variate statistical methods as an expansion of that covered in one chapter of the first edition.
An excellent reference text for many geophysical researchers. ... Read more

Product Description
The boundary element method (BEM) divides only the boundaries of the region under investigation into elements, so it diminishes the dimensionality of the problem, e.g., the 3-D problem becomes a 2-D problem and the 2-D problem becomes a 1-D problem. This simplifies inputting the model into a computer and greatly reduces the number of algebraic equations. The advantage of this is even more evident for some 3-D and infinite regional problems that are often encountered in geophysics. Originally published in China, this book is likely the most comprehensive work on the subject of solving applied geophysical problems, and it is well organized. Basic mathematical principles are introduced in chapter 1, followed by a general yet thorough discussion of the BEM in chapter 2. Chapters 3 through 7 introduce the applications of BEM to solve problems of potential-field continuation and transformation gravity and magnetic anomalies modeling, electric resistivity and induced polarization field modeling, magnetotelluric modeling, and various seismic modeling problems. Finally, in chapter 8, a brief discussion is provided on how to incorporate the BEM and the finite-element method (FEM) together. In each chapter, detailed, practical examples are given, and comparisons to both analytic and other numerical solutions are presented. This is an excellent book for numerically oriented geophysicists and for use as a textbook in numerical analysis classes.

Also available:

Insights and Methods for 4D Reservoir Characterization - ISBN 1560801360
Covariance Analysis for Seismic Signal Processing (Geophysical Development Series, V. 8) - ISBN 156080081X ... Read more

Product Description
This volume focuses on the role of tectonic boundary conditions for paleoclimate reconstructions. Chapters present background material on the impact of tectonic changes on climate, as well as the uncertainties in tectonic boundary conditions, such as positions of continents, height of mountains, depth of sea floor, among others. ... Read more

Product Description
From the Earth's hyer-compressed core to the places where the planet's energy bursts through its fragile crust, Naked Earth provides readers with new understanding of ancient mysteries and the latest in geophysical hypothesis. "Top-notch science journalism."--Publishers Weekly, satrred review. First serial to Earth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Lucid and readable update on the Earth
Reading Shawna Vogel's Naked Earth reawakened my interest in geophysics - it's a great read, and the best overview I've seen on both the huge changes in the field recently and the arguments that have occurred. My onlycriticism is that some diagrams would have helped a lot, but Vogel'swriting is clear enough to carry the story.

An fascinating overview of the field of Geophysics
I knew virtually nothing about Geophysics before I read this book.Having just finished the last page just a few minutes ago, I can now say I know the basis for perhaps even an introductory course in Geophysics.From thisbook I learned that the Earth is a living "heat engine",carefully dispensing heat through "plumes", supercontinentalrifting and shifting, volcanic eruptions, hydrothermal venting, and lotsmore really cool stuff happening below our feet.The Earth may also beconsidered a "dynamo", creating a magnetic field that reversesquite mysteriously every some million years.Vogel's comprehensiveoverview also makes the point that it is often not possible to attributeevents or features to a single cause, that not only is the Earth itself asystem of amazing interior, exterior and atmospheric exchanges, but it isalso part of the larger system of space...!It's a fun and easy to read,well-informed, well-researched and objective survey of the field ofGeophysics today.Journalism at its best.I thank Shawna Vogel for my newunderstanding of this planet and its mysterious and awesome workings.

I liked this book a lot
As an explanation ofgeophysicsNaked Earth succeeds.Ms. Vogelbrings the history,theories, personalities, conflicts and politics of geophysical science in to focus.It allows those unfamiliar with the world of science to observe the give and take, the wars, the collaborations and the pure luck required in the advancement toward the truth.She shows how the merging of traditional geologic principals along with more recent theories and discoveries reveals a violent past and predicts a future of certain geologic and atmospheric upheaval.However, I must add that the last few pages of the final chapter Ms. Vogal reveals herself as a typical contemporary journalist.Ms. Vogel couldn't resist commenting on that theory that human activity could lead to climatic catastrophe due to global warming.I was enjoying the book immensely until she threw that one in.I know we've all become desensitized to blatant editorializing from the media, but in a book on geophysics?If you want an enjoyable read on geophysics in general and about some of the latest discoveries, theories and personalities in that field definitely read this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Atmospheric and climatological studies are becoming more and more important in day-to-day living. Winds and ocean current owe their existence to the thermodynamic imbalances that arise from the differential heating of the Earth and air by the sun. Accounting for heat exchanges with the atmosphere and ocean is essential in any predictive model of the ocean and/or atmosphere. Thermodynamic feedback processes in the atmosphere and ocean are critical to understanding the overall stability of the Earth's climate and climate change. Water and its phase changes make the thermodynamics of the atmosphere and ocean uniquely interesting and challenging.
Written by leading scientists in the field, Thermodynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans incorporates all the relevant information from the varying fields of dynamics meteorology, atmospheric physics and cloud physics, into a comprehensive, self-contained guide ideal for students and researchers of atmospheric thermodynamics. At the moment, courses in atmospheric thermdynamics typically have to use one or two chapters in textbooks on dynamic meteorology, atmospheric physics or cloud physics. This book combines these topics in one text. ... Read more

Product Description
Fluid Mechanics of the Atmosphere presents the fundamental equations which govern most of the flow problems studied by atmospheric scientists. The equations are derived in a systematic way that is intended to facilitate critical evaluation. The goal of this text is twofold. First the book supplies the student a background familiarity in the underlying physics behind the mathematics. Second it explores some systematic methods of relating these physics to atmospheric problems, including rotating frames of reference effects, vorticity dynamics, and turbulence effects on closure.

Key Features
* Stresses vorticity, principles of scaling, and turbulence
* Extensively illustrated
* Includes end-of-chapter summaries and problem sets
* Classroom tested for five years ... Read more

Product Description
This book is addressed to those who wish to understand the relationship between atmospheric phenomena and the nature of matter as expressed in the principles of physics. The interesting atmospheric phenomena are more than applications of gravitation, of thermodynamics, of hydrodynamics, or of electrodynamics; and mastery of the results of controlled experiment and of the related theory alone does not imply an understanding of atmospheric phenomena. This distinction arises because the extent and the complexity of the atmosphere permit effects and interactions that are entirely negligible in the laboratory or are deliberately excluded from it. the objective of laboratory physics is, by isolating the relevant variables, to reveal the fundamental properties of matter; whereas the objective of atmospheric physics, or of any observational science, is to understand those phenomena that are characteristic of the whole system. For these reasons the exposition of atmospheric physics requires substantial extensions of classical physics. It also requires that understanding be based on a coherent "way of seeing" the ensemble of atmospheric phenomena. Only then is understanding likely to stimulate still more general insights. ... Read more

Product Description
Coastal meteorology is an integral part of the total system approach to understanding coastal environments. This book provides information for students who are not necessarily majoring in meteorology or atmospheric sciences but who nonetheless have need of such knowledge. Scientists, engineers, and coastal planners will also find this book a useful resource for familiarizing themselves with meteorological information. ... Read more

Product Description
This book introduces and explains the statistical methods used to describe, analyze, test, and forecast atmospheric data. It will be useful to students, scientists, and other professionals who seek to make sense of the scientific literature in meteorology, climatology, or other geophysical disciplines, or to understand and communicate what their atmospheric data sets have to say. The book includes chapters on exploratory data analysis, probability distributions, hypothesis testing, statistical weather forecasting, forecast verification, time(series analysis, and multivariate data analysis. Worked examples, exercises, and illustrations facilitate understanding of the material; an extensive and up-to-date list of references allows the reader to pursue selected topics in greater depth.

Key Features
* Presents and explains techniques used in atmospheric data summarization, analysis, testing, and forecasting
* Includes extensive and up-to-date references
* Features numerous worked examples and exercises
* Contains over 130 illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The quintessential text and reference.
Wilks brilliantly covers the fundamentals of statistical methods for atmospheric data with clarity and precision.This book is a classic, and a much-needed successor to the 1958 text by Panofsky and Brier. Moreover, the book's coverage is applicable to other geophysical fields, such as hydrology, which broadens its usefulness for researchers, practitioners, and students.

Essential for students; valuable for researchers
This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the most commonly used statistical methods in atmospheric research. It is written at a level that is suitable for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students with only a moderate level of mathematical ability, but is suitable also as a basic text book for researchers with moderate experience in statistics. It lacks some depth in some sections, such as in discussions of multivariate methods, but for students the coverage is ideal, and I would strongly recommend the book as a standard text for any course in research methods for atmospheric scientists. Topics covered include empirical distributions and exploratory data analysis, data distributions, hypothesis testing, forecasting and verification methods, time series, and multivariate analyses.

Statistical methods are introduced in the context of their application. The emphasis is on solutions to meteorological problems rather than on the statistical methods per se. Although I see this approach as a major strength of the book, one result is that the book may be of less interest to non-atmospheric scientists. Limitations of the methods are discussed, and the reader is given considerable assistance in interpreting the statistical results of the methods covered. The mathematical back ground is kept at a level that should be digestible by most students. Equations are relatively few, but not lacking, so the mathematically shy should be able to gain a lot from the book. The text is excellently written: very clear and the logical development is very smooth. I think in time this book will prove to appeal to a wide range of atmospheric scientists.

The Bible for Atmoshperic Sciences
Need more be said?A comprehensive guide to the most useful statistical methods in the fields of oceanographic, meteorological and climatologicalresearch.This is the bible for atmospheric research and a neccessity onevery research scientist's bookshelf. ... Read more

Product Description
Knowledge of thc chemical behavior of trace compounds in the atmosphere has grown steadily, and sometimes even spectacularly, in recent decades. These developments have led to the emergence of atmospheric chemistry as a new branch of science. This book covers all aspects of atmospheric chemistry on a global scale, integrating information from chemistry and geochemistry, physics, and biology to provide a unified account. For each atmospheric constituent of interest, the text summarizes the principal observations on global distribution, chemical reactions, natural and anthropogenic sources, and physical removal processes. Coverage includes processes in the gas phase, in aerosols and c1ouds, and in precipitation, as well as biogeochemical cycles and the evolution of the atmosphere. Chemistry of the Natural Atmosphere, Second Edition, will serve as a textbook for senior undergraduate and graduate courses, and as an essential reference for atmospheric chemists, meteorologists, and anyone studying the biogeochemical cycles of trace gases.


*Updated extensively from the highly respected first edition
*Treats the global-scale chemistry and distribution of atmospheric trace constituents
*Emphasizes observations and their interpretation
*Provides background on transport and reaction kinetics for interpretation of observational data
*Includes chemistry in the gas phase and in aerosols and clouds
*Details chemical reaction pathways for the most important trace constituents
*Describes pertinent biogeochemical cycles
*Written by an author with more than 40 years of research experience in atmospheric chemistry ... Read more

Product Description
The lithosphere is the outer solid part of the earth, including the crust and uppermost mantle. The lithosphere is about 100 km thick, although its thickness is age dependent (older lithosphere is thicker). The lithosphere below the crust is brittle enough at some locations to produce earthquakes by faulting, such as within a subducted oceanic plate. This book presents leading research in the field from around the globe. ... Read more

Product Description
For the first time, a book is available that bridges the gap between geology and geophysics. Its integrative approach presents students and researchers in these disciplines with other methodologies as they try to understand the Earths processes. The book covers the gamut of Earth Sciences, from earthquakes and seismic exploration to thermal convection and the orogenic processes. Each chapter starts with the well-established facts and then proceeds through a logical framework to with the most conjectural questions, such as continental drift in Paleozoicc and Precambrian times or mantle convection. Many of the issues discussed here have not yet found unanimously agreed solutions, but the extensive references point the reader to further possibilities. ... Read more

Product Description
The latest geological and geophysical data and concepts impacting the study of the world's continental margins. Also features 7 papers on sea level and seismic stratigraphy studies along continental margins.

American Association Of Petroleum Engineers (AAPG)

Founded in 1917, we are the world's largest professional geological society, with over 30,000 members.

We are a pillar of the world-wide scientific community. Our books foster scientific research, advance the science of geology and promote the most effective use of petroleum extraction & processing technology and practice.

Some of the areas we publish in include:

GIS
Petroleum Engineering
Well Log Analysis
Geological Modeling
Carbonate Petrology
Seismic Imaging
Reservoir Characterization
Regional Petroleum Analysis ... Read more

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This book represents the first attempt to coordinate the substantial database on biological markers which organic geochemists have accumulated, thus providing a comprehensive reference base. This monograph is arranged in chapters which are complete in themselves and exemplify both the range of molecules which can be encompassed as biological markers, and the varied environments in which they have been found. The chapters cover not only the question of which organic molecules qualify as biological markers, but discuss degradative pathways which when recognized and understood can extend the marker concept, and also say something specifically about environments of deposition. Some molecules currently identified as geolipids are not yet firmly related to their likely biological source. Here is the moving boundary of knowledge and the monograph carries the reader to this frontier and points the way forward where this can be done. Although petroleum exploration laboratories have developed their own databases over the years, this book is one of the first works of reference on the application of the technique to exploration data. ... Read more