Description: For advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in atmospheric, oceanic, and climate science, Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate Dynamics is an introductory textbook on the circulations of the atmosphere and ocean and their interaction, with an emphasis on global scales. It will give students a good grasp of what the atmosphere and oceans look like on the large-scale and why they look that way. The role of the oceans in climate and paleoclimate is also discussed. The combination of observations, theory and accompanying illustrative laboratory experiments sets this text apart by making it accessible to students with no prior training in meteorology or oceanography.
Brief description: James R. Holton was Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington until his death in 2004. A member of the National Academies of Science, during his career he was awarded every major honor available in the atmospheric sciences including AGU's Revelle Medal.
Review Quotes: "Marshall and Plumb have nicely presented the basics of both meteorology and oceanography in this work. The book begins with a discusssion of atmospheric characteristics; the final chapter on climate and climatic variability nicely leads into the subject of global warming, and should be read by anyone with an interest in the future of the planet. . . . Highly recommended." --A.E. Staver, Northern Illinois University, in CHOICE, June 2008