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

C. Donald Ahrens, Robert Henson

  • Copyright 2022
  • {{checkPublicationMessage('Published', '2021-01-01T00:00:00+0000')}}
Starting At $77.95 See pricing and ISBN options
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Meteorology Today: An Introduction to Weather, Climate, and the Environment 13th Edition by C. Donald Ahrens/Robert Henson
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Overview

METEOROLOGY TODAY: AN INTRODUCTION TO WEATHER, CLIMATE, AND THE ENVIRONMENT, 13th edition, by meteorologists C. Donald Ahrens and Robert Henson combines the latest in weather, climate and earth science to introduce students to the concepts and current issues of meteorology. Grounded in the scientific method, the new edition of this highly visual text shows students how to observe, calculate and synthesize information as budding scientists. It includes updated information on climate change, ozone depletion, air quality, El Niño and other key topics as well as discussions of recent high-profile weather events such as droughts, heat waves, tornado outbreaks and hurricanes. The MindTap for Meteorology digital platform helps ensure class preparedness through concept check activities, increases conceptual understanding through high-quality animations and videos, and sharpens critical-thinking skills through hands-on activities.

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Meet the Authors

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C. Donald Ahrens

Don Ahrens is an emeritus professor 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 best-selling author of three Cengage texts -- METEOROLOGY TODAY, ESSENTIALS OF METEOROLOGY and EXTREME WEATHER AND CLIMATE -- Professor Ahrens received the Textbook and Academic Authors Association’s McGuffey Longevity Award for the 9th edition of METEOROLOGY TODAY. Professor Ahrens completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in meteorology at San Jose State University and his doctorate at the University of Northern Colorado.

Robert Henson

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.

What's New

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  • 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).
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Features

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  • 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.
  • 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: 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.
  • CHAPTER VIGNETTES: Each chapter opens with compelling stories that draw students into the discussion naturally, raising their interest in meteorology and climate change.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Table of Contents

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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.

Compare Buying Options

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MindTap Options

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MindTap
Each MindTap product offers the full, mobile-ready textbook combined with superior and proven learning tools at one affordable price. Students who purchase digital access can add a print option at any time when a print option is available for their course.

This Cengage solution can be seamlessly integrated into most Learning Management Systems (Blackboard, Brightspace by D2L, Canvas, Moodle, and more) but does require a different ISBN for access codes. Please work with your Cengage Learning Consultant to ensure the proper course set up and ordering information. For additional information, please visit the LMS Integration site.

Standalone Digital Access — Ultimate Value

Recommended and most popular

  • ISBN-10: 0357452356
  • ISBN-13: 9780357452356
  • RETAIL $99.95
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Textbook Only Options

Traditional eBook and Print Options

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  • ISBN-10: 0357709918
  • ISBN-13: 9780357709917
  • RETAIL $77.95

  • ISBN-10: 0357452070
  • ISBN-13: 9780357452073
  • RETAIL $184.95
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Supplements

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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.

FOR STUDENTS

MindTap for Ahrens/Henson's Meteorology Today: An Introduction to Weather, Climate, and the Environment, 1 term Instant Access

ISBN: 9780357452356
MindTap for Ahrens/Henson's Meteorology Today: An Introduction to Weather, Climate, and the Environment, 13th Edition, is the digital learning solution that powers students from memorization to mastery. It gives you complete control of your course -- to provide engaging content, to challenge every individual and to build their confidence. Empower students to accelerate their progress with MindTap. MindTap: Powered by You.\n\nMindTap for Meteorology Today MindTap is well beyond an eBook, or a homework solution. MindTap is a personal learning experience that combines all of your digital assets -- readings, multimedia, activities, study tools and assessments -- into a singular learning path to improve student outcomes in your Earth Science course. \n\nThe 13th edition of MindTap for Meteorology course contains: Case Study activities with summaries and questions written by co-author Bob Henson, concept check activities, animations and videos, and homework activities that solidify concepts at an appropriately rigorous level.