Weather's Greatest Mysteries Solved!

by Randy Cerveny

Why did T-Rex become extinct? Why did the Mayan civilization disappear? If the ancient Israelis did indeed cross the Red Sea, as reported in the Bible, what weather phenomena might have produced the parting of the waters? Why was nearly all human life swept away 73,000 years ago? And what factors created the Great American Dustbowl of the 1930s?The extraordinary people who are interested in asking-and answering-such questions are known as climatologists. In a lively narrative full of intriguing facts, award-winning, internationally known climatologist Randy Cerveny takes the reader on a fascinating tour of some of the world's most perplexing and provocative climate mysteries, past and present. Cerveny explains the science of climate study-from digging ice cores in Antarctica to counting tree rings in Arizona-and the various specialists whose ingenious techniques help to sort out climate's intricate components. He also delves into the human impact of weather through fictional introductions to each chapter that depict how climate change might have affected a typical inhabitant of the ancient Sahara or Indus Valley, a peasant during Europe's "Little Ice Age," or an aviation expert probing a deadly jet crash in New York City. Finally, he discusses research that attempts to forecast the weather of the next 10,000 years-essential information for planning the nuclear waste depository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.For readers of An Inconvenient Truth, devotees of the Weather Channel, history buffs, popular science fans, or anyone who wonders what makes our weather tick-and how it will impact our future, this engaging book offers much to ponder and to enjoy.

Genres: Science

338 pages, Hardcover

First published June 23, 2009

Reviews

[David Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun excursion into the mysteries of climate, climatology, and history, telling stories about various prehistoric and historic puzzles and how they can be explained by climate: ranging from the extinction of the dinosaurs, the near-extinction of humanity, to the story of Petra and why it disappeared, to the story of a jet plane crash and how new weather phenomena are still being discovered, as well as the "mystery of the future" and what we can use to predict how the climate and weather will change going forward.

This is a quick read and easily compartmentalized;a great 'bedtime reader' or something to snatch a read a bit at a time.

[Daniel DeLappe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book and very technical. A very open look at both sides of the climate change debate adn some interesting way to see things.

[PastAllReason · Rating 2 out of 5]

The content in the book that was about weather, climate and climate change was fine. I found the writing rather suspect when it went into other scientific areas.

[Dorothy Hynous · Rating 3 out of 5]

very interesting

[Jonas Gehrlein · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting introduction to climate science with a focus on specific cases to show how different dating methods work and what a climate model is.