Tropical Climatology Oceanographic Sciences

104 Student books supplement Nature Vol. 272 2 March 1978 particularly where the seasonal variations Africa. Temperate latitude students will Tropical in actual hours of sunshine are relatively find that their needs are better served by climatology small. Nevertheless, Nieuwolt states that such books as Introduction to the the main function of the tropical climates Atmosphere by H. Riehl (McGraw-Hill, Tropical Climatology: An Introduction to as a natural resource is in relation to 1965) and Atmosphere, Weather and the Climates of the Low Latitudes. By agriculture, and he considers both solar Climate by R. G. Barry and R. J. S. Nieuwolt. Pp. 207. (Wiley: London, radiation and rainfall in relation to Chorley (Methuen, third edition, 1976). Sydney, New York and Toronto, tropical crop production. Even so, they will find it a useful book 1977.) £6.75; $15. The book as a whole is easy to read, for additional reading on introductory well produced, and forms an excellent courses. introduction to the climatology of the J. G. Lockwood Tropical Climatology is primarily intended tropics. It should be ideal for University J. G. Lockwood is Senior Lecturer in the for students studying geography at Uni geography students studying within the School of Geography at the University of versities within the tropics, though it tropics and in particular those living in Leeds, UK. contains much information useful to students working elsewhere. The level is about that of a first-year geography course in a British University. The book assumes monograph. As well as the extensive that the reader has some basic knowledge Oceanographic references, there are explanatory notes of general climatology, but only a limited to each chapter: "Isotropic turbulence is knowledge of mathematics and physics. sciences determined solely by the nature of the According to the author, the book takes surface over which the wind blows ... " a geographical viewpoint, which concen MODERN BOOKS, like modern museums, is an (l hope atypical) example. The trates on the results of the physical pro seem able to display their exemplary classic temperature- salinity diagram is cesses in the atmosphere, and their impor contents in attractive, eye-catching ways. briefly (and incompletely) described in tance to mankind, rather than on the Four recently published books on the the appendix. The book is an attempt to processes themselves. The book covers oceanographic sciences are well made and fill a gap in the literature but the gaps most aspects of tropical climatology, well illustrated; their style is comparable seems likely to continue to exist, as it is including the general circulation of the but they vary in their aims and in the between differently trained people. tropical atmosphere, tropical distur extent to which they suceed in achieving F. P. Shepard, the author of Geological bances, precipitation and applied tropical them. Oceanography: Evolution of Coasts, Conti climatology. To me the most visually attractive is nental Margins and the Deep-Sea Floor Nieuwolt starts his book with a dis that of J. G. Harvey : Atmosphere (Crane, Russach: New York, $10.50), cussion on the term "tropics" and the and Ocean: Our Fluid Environments is an emeritus professor at the Scripps distinguishing features of "tropical cli (Artemis: Horsham, Sussex, UK, £3.75). Institution of Oceanography who was a mates". In the early chapters on radiation Although the cheapest of the four it has pioneer in the subject and has been con and temperature, he continues to stress good paper, clear print and is well tributing to it for over 50 years. His book the general uniformity within the deep illustrated. It also seems to me the least is intended for beginning students and tropics. These chapters would have been presumptuous-writing for those with no for the general public-it is descriptive, improved by the introduction of a dis previous knowledge of meteorology and with lots of charts, diagrams and photo cussion of the energy balance of vegetated oceanography and with little physics or graphs but no formulae. The chapter on and dry surfaces, as the tropics are not mathematics, the author states results waves and currents is less authoritative uniformally wet. Evaporation limits the rather than proving them, with enough than the others: no group velocity, and a temperature over wet surfaces to 32 "C supporting argument to make them seem bit shaky on wave velocity; but it has or below, whereas over dry surfaces it reasonable. To give an example of his useful advice for surfers and for swim can rise to much higher values. scope: group velocity is mentioned; meso mers in rip currents or on a coral reef. Nieuwolt devotes the last half of his scale oceanic eddies and double diffusive The marine geology is confident and clear, book largely to aspects of water in the convection not. I share the author's view if perhaps a bit discursive. Redolent of tropical atmosphere. He starts with a that there are benefits to be gained from the Pacific, rather than the Atlantic or brief discussion of evapotranspiration, studying the atmosphere and the ocean Mediterranean, I was sorry not to see humidity, condensation and clouds. The together: his book is a useful introduction some reference to side-scan sonar or to principles of evapotranspiration are ex for non-specialists. modern magnetic methods. Professor plained in clear simple terms. The nature The Ocean-Atmosphere System (Long Shepard has written an interesting intro of tropical clouds are discussed, together man : London, £5 .50) by A. H. Perry and duction rather than a textbook. with their relationship to precipitation J. M. Walker, sounds, and is, more por Oceanography: A View of the Earth patterns. Tropical rainfall is discussed, tentous. The authors have taken on a (Prentice-Hall: Englewood Cliffs, New together with theories of its formation. harder task, seeking to " treat meteor Jersey, £13.55) by M. Grant Cross, is on a Nieuwolt ends his book with a chapter ology, climatology and physical ocean bigger scale than the others: more than on applied tropical climatology. Here he ography" for more advanced students in twice the pages, more than twice the cost. suggests that one field in which tropical "the broad fields of geography, geo It is the second edition (first in 1972) of climates can make significant contribu physics, environmental science, marine his attempt to survey oceanography tions to the world's economy is in the biology and nautical studies". It seems to (marine physics, marine geology and geo generation of power. Thus, the high me doubtful that such an aim can be physics, marine biology, a little marine amounts of rainfall which are regularly achieved: specialised branches of fluid chemistry) for beginning students or for received in many elevated areas of the mechanics surely need a good grounding those who need only a nodding acquaint tropics, constitute a reliable basis for the in the the fundamentals? To me their ance with the science of the sea. ln this construction of hydroelectric power treatment is too historico-geographical, he has to a great extent succeeded: as stations. The author claims that about too prone to quote detail rather than examples, he gives a good description 55 ~~ of the world's total potential of this basic principle, too broad and too shal of group velocity (though not using it form of energy is located in the tropics. low. Again as an example: group velocity in a later section) but regards sonar as a Solar energy is another source of power is not mentioned, though there are ritual method for the sonic detection of other in which the tropics are potentially rich, references to Lamb's treatise and Phillips' vessels or objects and for underwater ©Macmillan Journals Ltd 1978 .

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