- Email: [email protected]
The ocean—atmosphere system
309 crystallography available. In a forward looking work of the late 1970s a few pages on the electron probe should have replaced the long section on the charcoal block and the wind blowpipe even one of the improved type! A severe pruning of the crystallography would have left room for a more imaginative treatment of optics including reflected light, and allowed for an expansion of the systematics chapters which are already very good in places. Unfortunately omissions greatly curtail the utility of this book; at today's prices there is better value available, -
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I.D. Muir, Cambridge
REMOTE SENSING E.C. Barrett and L.F. Curtis, 1976. Intro. duction to Environmental Remote Sensing. Chapman and Hall, London, 336 pp., £ 11.00. One of the more common criticisms that can be made about the recent generation of remote sensing textbooks is that they attempt to be all things to all people. While addressing remote sensing applications to the entire realm of the earth sciences, many topics do not receive proper attention. Barrett and Curtis, in their book Introduction to Environmental Remote Sensing, have set a precedent, whether intentional or not, by placing a heavy emphasis on the topic of climatology. While they include chapters on geology, agriculture, etc., they have devoted two complete chapters to global climatology and weather forecasting and a great many of the illustrations have a climatology orientation. At a time when topic-specific textbooks in remote sensing are sorely needed, it is encouraging to see books such as this one. However, it is unfortunate that these authors did not devote the entire text to climatology and leave the other topics for in-depth analysis elsewhere. The book has seventeen chapters and progresses in standard fashion from the basics of the spectrum, radiation, and sensors through the various areas of applications and future prospects. The introductory chapters are quite complete and well written and could be easily understood by
beginning remote sensing classes. The section on image processing, however, is pitifully lacking. This is no better exemplifled than by noting that the portion on image enhancement is only one paragraph in length. Image processing is undoubtedly the wave of the near future in remote sensing and any introductory text which does not adequately address the basics of this topic does not fulfill introductory level requirements. The book uses many climatological photos to illustrate basic concepts which could be much better portrayed using examples from other disciplines. Some line diagrams are unnecessarily busy andcumbersome and too much use is made of f l o w charts and schematics of management programs and planning charts. If an instructor intends to use the introductory chapters of this book for background, and supplements information from other sources on topics such as image processing, this reviewer makes a strong recommendation on the use of this text. If, on the other hand, he intends to use the book as his all-around course reference, there are several other textbooks on the market which would be more appropriate. As a final note, this reviewer craves to see greater originality in the selection of titles for remote sensing textbooks and journals. Authors seem to be locked into using phrases such as 'remote sensing of environment' and 'environmental remote sensing'. Viewed by an outsider, the field seems to be riddled with repetition. In a science that is as far-ranging and dynamic as remote sensing it would seem to be quite easy to discover a greater number of original and different titles than the reader currently finds. Thomas K. Budge, Albuquerque, New Mex.
A T M O S P H E R I C SCl E N C E Perry and J.M. Walker, 1977. The System. Longman Group, Essex, 160pp., £ 5.50. A.H.
Ocean--Atmosphere
This book aims to provide 'a comprehensive integrated approach to atmo-
310 spheric sciences' for a readership of postgraduate and upper-year undergraduate students. This is an ambitious goal for a book of some 160 pages, particularly when it is claimed to be at a level beyond that of an introductory undergraduate text, and yet is largely non-mathematical in approach, The introductory chapter stresses the importance of treating oceans and atmosphere as an integrated system, although little indication is given of what the basic mechanisms of this system are. Instead several pages are spent on an historical review and a philosophical discussion of the integrated approach, interesting enough but an irrelevant luxury in so brief a book. The second chapter is largely devoted to oceanic circulations. As a text on descriprive physical oceanography, this chapter is clear and informative and to be recommended to students. It is much weaker in its explanation of mechanisms by which the currents are produced and interact with the wind system. The reader untrained in dynamical oceanography will find difficulty with concepts such as dynamic height, Coriolis force, and vorticity which are introduced merely with a footnote definition. Moreover, to describe vorticity as 'equivalent to angular velocity' could be very misleading, Chapter three explores the direct action of the wind on the sea in the generation of wind waves, the Ekman theory of wind driven currents and the production of storm surges. The section on waves takes the form of a highly condensed review of the literature which could well be confusing to the student reader, particularly if he has not the mathematical ability to follow up the references. Concepts such as wave spectra are introduced without even a diagram, and since no mention is made of dispersion or group velocity, a phrase such as 'waves spread with a phase speed ( c ) . . . ' could easily be misleading. The fourth chapter switches to those aspects of meteorology directly affected by transfer of heat and moisture from sea to
back between atmosphere and ocean may occur, and this is developed in the fifth chapter at the scale of climatic response to sea-surface temperatures and the identification of anomalies. Even here very little indication of actual feedback mechanisms is given. The reader is left with the impression that in fact the oceans and atmosphere are not yet very well understood as an integrated system, and it is appropriate that the final chapter should be a summary of the observational and numerical modelling programmes presently being conducted in a i r sea interaction. The authors would have been more realistic to describe their book as a collection of processes contributing to air-sea interaction, rather than a 'comprehensive integrated approach'. The style tends to be one of reporting the work (and indeed extensive passages of the words) of others, with little comment and sometimes little integration between different sources. Where the authors choose to describe physical processes in their own words, it is much more readable and illumihating. On the other hand, the wealth of references could make it a useful starting point for a study of the subject in depth. The book is well produced and laid out, with clear diagrams, and at a paperback price accessible to students. However, the lack of even an elementary exposition of the dynamics of atmosphere and oceans means that it can only be recommended to students in conjunction with other introductory texts of dynamical oceanography and meteorology. After all, to neglect dynamics is to neglect the essence of the air-sea interaction processes, and it would be misleading to encourage students to think that the subject could be approached non-mathematically at anything more than a superficial level.
air. This covers radiation patterns and the energy budget on a global scale, transfers in the turbulent boundary layer, the physics of sea, ice and fog formation, and cloud and storm production by convective processes. In the latter w e b e g i n t o s e e h o w s o m e feed-
R.S.K. Barnes (Editor), 1977. The Coast/ine. Wiley and Sons, Chichester, 356 pp., E 12.50, U.S. $ 34.50.
I.S. Robinson, Southampton
ECOLOGY
The Coastline includes fifteen chapters written by fourteen specialists in coastal
-
I.D. Muir, Cambridge
REMOTE SENSING E.C. Barrett and L.F. Curtis, 1976. Intro. duction to Environmental Remote Sensing. Chapman and Hall, London, 336 pp., £ 11.00. One of the more common criticisms that can be made about the recent generation of remote sensing textbooks is that they attempt to be all things to all people. While addressing remote sensing applications to the entire realm of the earth sciences, many topics do not receive proper attention. Barrett and Curtis, in their book Introduction to Environmental Remote Sensing, have set a precedent, whether intentional or not, by placing a heavy emphasis on the topic of climatology. While they include chapters on geology, agriculture, etc., they have devoted two complete chapters to global climatology and weather forecasting and a great many of the illustrations have a climatology orientation. At a time when topic-specific textbooks in remote sensing are sorely needed, it is encouraging to see books such as this one. However, it is unfortunate that these authors did not devote the entire text to climatology and leave the other topics for in-depth analysis elsewhere. The book has seventeen chapters and progresses in standard fashion from the basics of the spectrum, radiation, and sensors through the various areas of applications and future prospects. The introductory chapters are quite complete and well written and could be easily understood by
beginning remote sensing classes. The section on image processing, however, is pitifully lacking. This is no better exemplifled than by noting that the portion on image enhancement is only one paragraph in length. Image processing is undoubtedly the wave of the near future in remote sensing and any introductory text which does not adequately address the basics of this topic does not fulfill introductory level requirements. The book uses many climatological photos to illustrate basic concepts which could be much better portrayed using examples from other disciplines. Some line diagrams are unnecessarily busy andcumbersome and too much use is made of f l o w charts and schematics of management programs and planning charts. If an instructor intends to use the introductory chapters of this book for background, and supplements information from other sources on topics such as image processing, this reviewer makes a strong recommendation on the use of this text. If, on the other hand, he intends to use the book as his all-around course reference, there are several other textbooks on the market which would be more appropriate. As a final note, this reviewer craves to see greater originality in the selection of titles for remote sensing textbooks and journals. Authors seem to be locked into using phrases such as 'remote sensing of environment' and 'environmental remote sensing'. Viewed by an outsider, the field seems to be riddled with repetition. In a science that is as far-ranging and dynamic as remote sensing it would seem to be quite easy to discover a greater number of original and different titles than the reader currently finds. Thomas K. Budge, Albuquerque, New Mex.
A T M O S P H E R I C SCl E N C E Perry and J.M. Walker, 1977. The System. Longman Group, Essex, 160pp., £ 5.50. A.H.
Ocean--Atmosphere
This book aims to provide 'a comprehensive integrated approach to atmo-
310 spheric sciences' for a readership of postgraduate and upper-year undergraduate students. This is an ambitious goal for a book of some 160 pages, particularly when it is claimed to be at a level beyond that of an introductory undergraduate text, and yet is largely non-mathematical in approach, The introductory chapter stresses the importance of treating oceans and atmosphere as an integrated system, although little indication is given of what the basic mechanisms of this system are. Instead several pages are spent on an historical review and a philosophical discussion of the integrated approach, interesting enough but an irrelevant luxury in so brief a book. The second chapter is largely devoted to oceanic circulations. As a text on descriprive physical oceanography, this chapter is clear and informative and to be recommended to students. It is much weaker in its explanation of mechanisms by which the currents are produced and interact with the wind system. The reader untrained in dynamical oceanography will find difficulty with concepts such as dynamic height, Coriolis force, and vorticity which are introduced merely with a footnote definition. Moreover, to describe vorticity as 'equivalent to angular velocity' could be very misleading, Chapter three explores the direct action of the wind on the sea in the generation of wind waves, the Ekman theory of wind driven currents and the production of storm surges. The section on waves takes the form of a highly condensed review of the literature which could well be confusing to the student reader, particularly if he has not the mathematical ability to follow up the references. Concepts such as wave spectra are introduced without even a diagram, and since no mention is made of dispersion or group velocity, a phrase such as 'waves spread with a phase speed ( c ) . . . ' could easily be misleading. The fourth chapter switches to those aspects of meteorology directly affected by transfer of heat and moisture from sea to
back between atmosphere and ocean may occur, and this is developed in the fifth chapter at the scale of climatic response to sea-surface temperatures and the identification of anomalies. Even here very little indication of actual feedback mechanisms is given. The reader is left with the impression that in fact the oceans and atmosphere are not yet very well understood as an integrated system, and it is appropriate that the final chapter should be a summary of the observational and numerical modelling programmes presently being conducted in a i r sea interaction. The authors would have been more realistic to describe their book as a collection of processes contributing to air-sea interaction, rather than a 'comprehensive integrated approach'. The style tends to be one of reporting the work (and indeed extensive passages of the words) of others, with little comment and sometimes little integration between different sources. Where the authors choose to describe physical processes in their own words, it is much more readable and illumihating. On the other hand, the wealth of references could make it a useful starting point for a study of the subject in depth. The book is well produced and laid out, with clear diagrams, and at a paperback price accessible to students. However, the lack of even an elementary exposition of the dynamics of atmosphere and oceans means that it can only be recommended to students in conjunction with other introductory texts of dynamical oceanography and meteorology. After all, to neglect dynamics is to neglect the essence of the air-sea interaction processes, and it would be misleading to encourage students to think that the subject could be approached non-mathematically at anything more than a superficial level.
air. This covers radiation patterns and the energy budget on a global scale, transfers in the turbulent boundary layer, the physics of sea, ice and fog formation, and cloud and storm production by convective processes. In the latter w e b e g i n t o s e e h o w s o m e feed-
R.S.K. Barnes (Editor), 1977. The Coast/ine. Wiley and Sons, Chichester, 356 pp., E 12.50, U.S. $ 34.50.
I.S. Robinson, Southampton
ECOLOGY
The Coastline includes fifteen chapters written by fourteen specialists in coastal