Strangeways I. Precipitation - Theory, Measurement and Distribution

Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New York, 2007, 300 pp. - ISBN10: 0-521-85117-3
Precipitation plays a very significant role in the climate system, every bit as important as temperature, yet this is the first book that provides a comprehensive examination of the processes involved in the growth of clouds, rain, snow and hail. The book also shows how precipitation is measured and what these measurements tell us about its distribution around the globe.
The book begins by tracing our attempts to understand what precipitation is, starting with the ideas of the ancient Greeks, followed, after a long period of stagnation through the Middle Ages, by the improved insights of seventeenth-century scientists, leading to today’s detailed knowledge. The measurement of precipitation with rain gauges, radar and satellites is explained followed by what these measurements tell researchers about global annual means, trends, variability and extremes of precipitation. There are still very few rainfall measurements from any of the oceans, while coverage on land is extremely patchy. The concluding chapter outlines what needs to be done to correct these deficits, thereby making it possible to observe future climate change with more confidence.Acronyms and abbreviations.
Past theories of rain and snow.
Present theories of precipitation.
Measuring precipitation.
The global distribution of precipitation.
Future developments.