Mountain Meteorology: Fundamentals and Applications aims to heighten awareness and appreciation of the weather in mountainous areas by introducing the reader to the basic principles and concepts of mountain meteorology and by discussing applications of these principles and concepts in natural resource management. The reader will learn to recognize characteristic mountain weather patterns and events, to anticipate their evolution and to evaluate their impact on planned activities. Two hundred and twenty four figures, diagrams and photographs, most in full color, support the text and promote a conceptual understanding of mountain meteorology. In the figures and in the text, observable indicators (winds, temperature, clouds) of atmospheric processes are emphasized to facilitate the recognition of weather systems and events.
Mountain Meteorology will be of interest to anyone who spends time in or near mountains and whose daily life, work or recreational activities are affected by the weather . It was written, however, to meet the specific needs of three U.S. government agencies. Work on the book was initiated with the support of the USDA Forest Service to address the need for a training manual for aerial spraying operations in national forests. Support was also provided by the National Weather Service, which needed a reference and training book for their meteorologists, who forecast mountain weather for the general public as well as for natural resource agencies responsible for air pollution investigations, forest fire and smoke management, aerial spraying and other land management activities. The U.S. Army also supported the project because of its interest in aerosol dispersion in mountainous terrain and in training personnel to meet land management responsibilities at army facilities in complex terrain.
The mountains of North America provide most of the examples included in this text, although the principles behind the examples apply to mountainous regions around the world. Examples from the European Alps, the Southern Alps of New Zealand and the Himalayas are included when the phenomena being described are generally associated with that particular region or are particularly well developed there.
Both English and metric units are usually used. The order in which the units are given varies and depends on the specific context. Mathematical equations are provided in an appendix rather than in the main text. Throughout the book, "Points of Interest" expand on mountain weather topics, provide specific examples or explore a closely related subject. These sections are identified by a shaded border. "Key Points" appear in the margins and highlight basic concepts. Technical terms that may be new to readers are italicized and usually defined on first use. These terms, and many others, are included in a glossary at the back of the book. An index assists the reader in quickly finding topics or geographical place names of interest.
Mountain Meteorology is divided into four parts. The first part (Chapters 1 and 2) discusses four factors that influence climate (Chapter 1) and describes the characteristic climates of the mountain areas of North America (Chapter 2). The second part (Chapters 3-9) sets the stage for the discussions of mountain wind systems and applications in parts three and four by describing basic weather elements and processes. These chapters also highlight several mountain meteorology topics, including mountain clouds, mountain thunderstorms and lightning safety. The third part (Chapters 10 and 11) focuses on mountain wind systems. The wind systems are key to understanding of all types of mountain weather. They affect the movement of fronts and air masses, the development of clouds and precipitation and the daily and seasonal cycles of temperature and humidity in mountain areas. Chapter 10 focuses on the terrain-forced flows produced when air currents approach a mountain barrier and are forced to flow over or around the barrier or through gaps in the barrier. These flows connect the atmosphere within a mountain region to the larger-scale winds aloft and can impact wildfires and atmospheric dispersion within the mountain massif. Chapter 11 discusses diurnal circulations that develop within mountain areas. These circulations, caused by temperature contrasts within the mountain massif or between the mountain massif and the plains, occur regularly on fair weather days and are characteristic of the mountain environment. The fourth part of the book (Chapters 12-14) applies the meteorological principles explained in the earlier chapters to selected forest and land management practices and operations. Chapter 12 discusses air pollution dispersion. Chapter 13, written by Carl J. Gorski and Allen Farnsworth, discusses fire weather and the management of smoke from prescribed and wildfires. Chapter 14, written by Harold W. Thistle and John W. Barry, discusses aerial spraying of pest control agents, seeds and fertilizers.
Appendices provide key equations (Appendix A), tables for computation of relative humidity (Appendix B), a compilation of source materials on meteorological monitoring and instrumentation (Appendix C), units conversion tables (Appendix D), computer programs for calculating theoretical solar radiation on slopes (Appendix E), a list of additional reading materials (Appendix F) and a list of abbreviations used in meteorological codes (Appendix G).