This book is a thorough introduction to climate science and global change. The author is a geologist who has spent much of his life investigating the climate of Earth from a time when it was warm and dinosaurs roamed the land, to today's changing climate. Bill Hay takes you on a journey to understand how the climate system works. He explores how humans are unintentionally conducting a grand uncontrolled experiment which is leading to unanticipated changes. We follow the twisting path of seemingly unrelated discoveries in physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and even mathematics to learn how they led to our present knowledge of how our planet works. He explains why the weather is becoming increasingly chaotic as our planet warms at a rate far faster than at any time in its geologic past. He speculates on possible future outcomes, and suggests that nature itself may make some unexpected course corrections. Although the book is written for the layman with little knowledge of science or mathematics, it includes information from many diverse fields to provide even those actively working in the field of climatology with a broader view of this developing drama. Experimenting on a Small Planet is a must read for anyone having more than a casual interest in global warming and climate change - one of the most important and challenging issues of our time. This new edition includes actual data from climate science into 2021. Numerous Powerpoint slides can be downloaded to allow lecturers and teachers to more effectively use the book as a basis for climate change education.
eBook - ePub
Experimenting on a Small Planet
A History of Scientific Discoveries, a Future of Climate Change and Global Warming
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
Experimenting on a Small Planet
A History of Scientific Discoveries, a Future of Climate Change and Global Warming
About this book
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Front Matter
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Discovering Climate
- 3. The Language of Science
- 4. Applying Mathematics to Problems
- 5. Geologic Time
- 6. Putting Numbers on Geologic Ages
- 7. Documenting Past Climate Change
- 8. The Nature of Energy Received from the Sun—The Analogies with Water Waves and Sound
- 9. The Nature of Energy Received from the Sun—Figuring Out What Light Really Is
- 10. Exploring the Electromagnetic Spectrum
- 11. The Origins of Climate Science—The Idea of Energy Balance
- 12. The Climate System
- 13. What Is at the Bottom of Alice’s Rabbit Hole?
- 14. Energy from the Sun—Long-Term Variations
- 15. Solar Variability and Cosmic Rays
- 16. Albedo
- 17. Air
- 18. HoH—The Keystone of Earth’s Climate
- 19. The Atmosphere
- 20. Oxygen and Ozone—Products and Protectors of Life
- 21. Water Vapor—The Major Greenhouse Gas
- 22. Carbon Dioxide
- 23. Other Greenhouse Gases
- 24. The Earth is a Sphere and Rotates
- 25. The Coriolis Effect
- 26. The Circulation of Earth’s Atmosphere
- 27. The Circulation of Earth’s Oceans
- 28. The Biological Interactions
- 29. Sea Level
- 30. Global Climate Change—The Geologically Immediate Past
- 31. Human Impacts on the Environment and Climate
- 32. Predictions of the Future of Humanity
- 33. Is There an Analog for the Future Climate?
- 34. The Instrumental Temperature Record
- 35. The Changing Climate of the Polar Regions
- 36. Global, Regional, and Local Effects of Our Changing Climate
- 37. Final Thoughts
- Back Matter
Trusted by 375,005 students
Access to over 1.5 million titles for a fair monthly price.
Study more efficiently using our study tools.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn how to download books offline
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.5M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1.5 million books across 990+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn about our mission
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more about Read Aloud
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS and Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Yes, you can access Experimenting on a Small Planet by William W. Hay in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Physical Sciences & Geology & Earth Sciences. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.