Fundamentals of Numerical Weather Prediction

A practical, accessible overview of weather forecasting and climate modeling techniques for graduate students, researchers and professionals in atmospheric science.

Jean Coiffier (Author)

9781107001039, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 1 December 2011

368 pages, 75 b/w illus. 3 tables
25.4 x 19.5 x 2.1 cm, 0.94 kg

"The topic is treated in full mathematical detail on the advanced undergraduate level and above…The text is clearly written and the line of thought is easy to follow…This book deserves a recommendation both for advanced students of meteorology and as a reference for experts in the field." - Manuel Vogel, Contemporary Physics

Numerical models have become essential tools in environmental science, particularly in weather forecasting and climate prediction. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the techniques used in these fields, with emphasis on the design of the most recent numerical models of the atmosphere. It presents a short history of numerical weather prediction and its evolution, before describing the various model equations and how to solve them numerically. It outlines the main elements of a meteorological forecast suite, and the theory is illustrated throughout with practical examples of operational models and parameterizations of physical processes. This book is founded on the author's many years of experience, as a scientist at Météo-France and teaching university-level courses. It is a practical and accessible textbook for graduate courses and a handy resource for researchers and professionals in atmospheric physics, meteorology and climatology, as well as the related disciplines of fluid dynamics, hydrology and oceanography.

Foreword to the French edition
Foreword to the English edition
Preface
Acknowledgements
List of symbols
1. Half a century of numerical weather prediction
2. Weather prediction equations
3. Finite differences
4. Spectral methods
5. The effects of discretization
6. Barotropic models
7. Baroclinic model equations
8. Some baroclinic models
9. Physical parameterizations
10. Operational forecasting
Appendix A. Examples of non-hydrostatic models
Further reading
References
Index.

Subject Areas: The environment [RN], Meteorology & climatology [RBP], Earth sciences, geography, environment, planning [R]