Dryland Climatology

Sharon E. Nicholson (Florida State University)

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Hardback

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English

Cambridge University Press
27 October 2011

Geological surface processes (geomorphology); Meteorology & climatology; Arid zones, deserts

A comprehensive review of dryland climates and their relationship to the physical environment, hydrology, and inhabitants. Chapters are divided into five major sections on background meteorology and climatology; the nature of dryland climates in relation to precipitation and hydrology; the climatology and climate dynamics of the major dryland regions on each continent; and life and change in the world's drylands. It includes key topics such as vegetation, geomorphology, desertification, micro-habitats, and adaptation to dryland environments. This interdisciplinary volume provides an extensive review of the primary literature (covering nearly 2000 references) and the conventional and satellite datasets that form key research tools for dryland climatology. Illustrated with over 300 author photographs, it presents a unique view of dryland climates for a broad spectrum of researchers, environmental professionals and advanced students in climatology, meteorology, geography, environment science, earth system science, ecology, hydrology and geomorphology.

By: Sharon E. Nicholson (Florida State University)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 283mm, Width: 228mm, Spine: 27mm
Weight: 1.650kg
ISBN: 9780521516495
ISBN 10: 0521516498
Pages: 528
Publication Date: 27 October 2011
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Preface; Acknowledgements; Part I. The Dryland Environment: 1. Introduction to dryland environments; 2. The geomorphologic background; 3. Vegetation of the dryland regions; Part II. The Meteorological Background: 4. The general atmospheric circulation; 5. The global distribution of arid climates and rainfall; 6. Radiation, heat and surface exchange processes; 7. Water balance; 8. Evaporation; Part III. The Climatic Environment of Drylands: 9. Defining aridity: the classification and character of dryland climates; 10. Desert microclimate; 11. Precipitation in the drylands; 12. Hydrologic processes in the drylands; 13. Desert winds and dust; Part IV. The Earth's Dry Lands: 14. North America; 15. South America; 16. Subsaharan Africa; 17. The Mediterranean lands; 18. Australia; 19. Asia; 20. Coastal deserts; Part V. Life and Change in the Dryland Regions: 21. Drought and other hazards; 22. Desertification; 23. People in the dryland environments; 24. Plant and animal life in the desert; 25. Climatic variability and climatic change; Index.

Sharon E. Nicholson is a Professor of Meteorology at Florida State University, where she holds the rank of Distinguished Research Professor and also serves as the H. and K. Lettau Professor of Climatology. She has previously held positions at the Rheinische Friedrich-Willhelms-Universität Bonn, Clark University, Massachusetts, and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Colorado. She is acknowledged as an international expert on the climate of arid and semi-arid regions, having been active in arid lands research for forty years, and is best known for her work on climatic variability in Africa. Professor Nicholson's work has been acknowledged by awards and medals from the American Meteorological Society and the Royal Meteorological Society of the UK. Her photographic skills have seen her placed as a finalist in the National Geographic Travel Photography Contest and the American Geophysical Union's Geophysical Images Competition.

Reviews for Dryland Climatology

'Dryland Climatology provides the tools for an integrated understanding of the major drivers and effects of dryland climates [and] is much more than a traditional climatology monograph ... Written by a leading climatologist with decades of active research in arid environments, this unique book addresses a readership of students, researchers, and practitioners in the fields of dryland science ... I strongly recommend this topical book for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses and as a reference for research on dryland climates and arid landscapes.' Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union 'Dryland Climatology presents a unique view of dryland climates from a broad perspective. The author, Sharon E. Nicholson, draws together over 30 years of her research in drylands to provide a comprehensive, 500-plus-page review of dryland climates ... comprehensive yet skilfully crafted to explain detailed and complex concepts in an easy-to-follow manner ... this volume has been very carefully thought through and nicely presented. [It] is a must for anybody interested in dryland systems and certainly reaches audiences far beyond the title.' Adrian G. Parker, The Holocene