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The Upper Atmosphere and Solar-terrestrial Relations
Journal of Atmospheric and Tenestrial Physics, Vol. 42, p. 6137. Pergamon Press Ltd. 1980. Printed in Northern Ireland
Book review The Upper Atmosphere and !Solu-terre
Relations by J. K. Hargreaves (Xv+298 pp) Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, Workingham, England. Cloth f7.25 (1979).
A study of the Earth’s environment from distances of tens of kilometres to tens of earth radii above the surface involves a wide range of theoretical ideas, descriptive material, and experimental techniques. The author is to be commended for attempting to deal with these in a single volume. The main part of the work is contained in Chapters 4-11. The major emphasis is given to plasma phenomena, although certain aspects of the neutral atmosphere are briefly discussed in Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 11. Chapters 4 and 5 are chiefly devoted to the vertical structure and the geographical and temporal variations of the ionosphere; Chapter 6 deals with small-scale irregularities and wind and current systems in the ionosphere; Chapters 7 and 8 are concerned with the general features and dynamical behaviour of the magnetosphere; Chapter 9 describes the characteristics of electromagnetic and hydromagnetic waves in the magnetosphere, and wave-particle interactions; Chapter 10 outlines effects associated with solar flares and solar proton events; and Chapter 11 covers magnetic storm disturbances in the ionosphere, the anomalous behaviour of the D-region in winter, and the effects of solar activity changes on tropospheric weather. Of the remainder of the’book, Chapters 1 and 2 provide an overall introduction and description of relevant topics in classical physics, Chapter 3 outlines experimental
techniques employed, and Chapter 12 indicates some applications of ionospheric and solar disturbance studies. In a subject involving several interacting phenomena, difficulties arise in the classification of material into independent chapters. This is reflected in the close relationship between certain sections of Chapters 4 and 6, 5 and 11, and 7 and 10. The volume is intended as a text-book for undergraduates and for those requiring a background for vocational purposes. These categories of readers will welcome this work as will graduate students and research workers who wish to broaden their background of the subject. The “further reading” listed at the end of each chapter will assist in this, but the lack of individua! references within the text will render it difficult to follow up points of detail. The subject of this volume has advanced very rapidly in the past decade, particularly in observational data and theoretical concepts. The material presented gives a reasonably up-to-date overall view at the time of preparation-1976, but certain detailed developments in the early 1970’s have been omitted. Some general statements might be questioned, such as the supposed lack of significance of water vapour in the upper atmosphere on p. 4, but these may have arisen in the attempt to give a broad treatment of the subject. The volume is well produced with the diagrams being clear and the captions generally adequate. Very few typographical errors have been noted and the adoption of ‘mid-Atlantic’ English admitted by the author does not cause any inconvenience. L. Thomas
Book review The Upper Atmosphere and !Solu-terre
Relations by J. K. Hargreaves (Xv+298 pp) Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, Workingham, England. Cloth f7.25 (1979).
A study of the Earth’s environment from distances of tens of kilometres to tens of earth radii above the surface involves a wide range of theoretical ideas, descriptive material, and experimental techniques. The author is to be commended for attempting to deal with these in a single volume. The main part of the work is contained in Chapters 4-11. The major emphasis is given to plasma phenomena, although certain aspects of the neutral atmosphere are briefly discussed in Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 11. Chapters 4 and 5 are chiefly devoted to the vertical structure and the geographical and temporal variations of the ionosphere; Chapter 6 deals with small-scale irregularities and wind and current systems in the ionosphere; Chapters 7 and 8 are concerned with the general features and dynamical behaviour of the magnetosphere; Chapter 9 describes the characteristics of electromagnetic and hydromagnetic waves in the magnetosphere, and wave-particle interactions; Chapter 10 outlines effects associated with solar flares and solar proton events; and Chapter 11 covers magnetic storm disturbances in the ionosphere, the anomalous behaviour of the D-region in winter, and the effects of solar activity changes on tropospheric weather. Of the remainder of the’book, Chapters 1 and 2 provide an overall introduction and description of relevant topics in classical physics, Chapter 3 outlines experimental
techniques employed, and Chapter 12 indicates some applications of ionospheric and solar disturbance studies. In a subject involving several interacting phenomena, difficulties arise in the classification of material into independent chapters. This is reflected in the close relationship between certain sections of Chapters 4 and 6, 5 and 11, and 7 and 10. The volume is intended as a text-book for undergraduates and for those requiring a background for vocational purposes. These categories of readers will welcome this work as will graduate students and research workers who wish to broaden their background of the subject. The “further reading” listed at the end of each chapter will assist in this, but the lack of individua! references within the text will render it difficult to follow up points of detail. The subject of this volume has advanced very rapidly in the past decade, particularly in observational data and theoretical concepts. The material presented gives a reasonably up-to-date overall view at the time of preparation-1976, but certain detailed developments in the early 1970’s have been omitted. Some general statements might be questioned, such as the supposed lack of significance of water vapour in the upper atmosphere on p. 4, but these may have arisen in the attempt to give a broad treatment of the subject. The volume is well produced with the diagrams being clear and the captions generally adequate. Very few typographical errors have been noted and the adoption of ‘mid-Atlantic’ English admitted by the author does not cause any inconvenience. L. Thomas