Weather's Greatest Mysteries Solved!

by Randy Cerveny

Book Overview

Why did T-Rex become extinct? Why did the Mayan civilization disappear? If the ancient Israelis did indeed cross the Red Sea, as reported in the Bible, what weather phenomena might have produced the parting of the waters? Why was nearly all human life swept away 73,000 years ago? And what factors created the Great American Dustbowl of the 1930s?The extraordinary people who are interested in asking-and answering-such questions are known as climatologists...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1591027209
• ISBN13: 9781591027201
• Release Date: June 2009
• Publisher: Prometheus Books
• Length: 328 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.2" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

A lively narrative packing in facts

Climatologists and their research are presented in a lively narrative packing in facts presented by well-known climatologist author Randy Cerveny, who examines history and climate mysteries around the world. From the science of climate study and how it leads to historical discovery to discussions of forecasting challenges, WEATHER'S GREATEST MYSTERIES SOLVED! is a recommendation for both science and general collections.

History's Mysteries: The Weather Factor

Randy Cerveny, author of Freaks of the Storm: From Flying Cows to Stealing Thunder: The World's Strangest True Weather Stories, has written a very interesting book for those who enjoy their history served up one mystery at a time. "Weather's Greatest Mysteries" is arranged chronologically, starting 65 million years ago with the asteroid strike that produced global cooling and global drought, thus ending the reign of the dinosaurs. In between, the author explains how the eruption of the Mt. Toba supervolcano 75,000 or so years ago nearly extiguished the human species; why hippos once lived in what is now the Sahara Desert; what might have parted the waters of the Reed Sea during the Exodus; and what the future may hold for climate change. He also explores how climate affects civilizations--and sometimes affects them less than other factors like disease--from the famous lost city of Petra to the collapse of the Maya. One point that comes through clearly is that climate change is a young science, and an extraordinarily complex one at that. When a new generation of supercomputers is created, they are often stress tested with climate problems. Interestingly, Cerveny notes that while the planet may experience global warming in the near future, the long-term prediction is for a return to the cycle of ice ages that have been with the earth for the last 40 million years or so. Measured on a scale of thousamds or tens of thousands of years, we'll run out of carbon-producing fuels eventually, the carbon load in the atmosphere will return to something resembling pre-industrial levels, and orbital cycles and other factors will take us back to "normal"--assuming we make it through the intervening bake off, it will be time to break out those winter jackets.

A Scientific Thriller

This book is very difficult to put down. The author, a climatologist, discusses about twenty historical weather/climate mysteries that span the period from the dinosaurs' demise to the present. One must admit that the book's title seems like too tall an order to fill; that's because it is. Some of the mysteries that are presented do appear to be solved; however, others involve phenomena that are better understood now than in earlier times but are still in need of varying amounts of research, and thus, as admitted to by the author, are still unsolved. The writing style is clear, very authoritative, friendly, widely accessible and quite engaging. The various scientific terms that are used are clearly explained by the author, as are the scientific principles involved. Part detective thriller, part archaeological/historical adventure, and all very level-headed in the analyses that it contains, this fascinating book can be enjoyed by anyone who is interested in weather and climate: how they work, how we know what we know about them, how and why climate can change and how weather/climate mysteries can be solved.

A must read for anybody interested in climate change

Professor Randy Cerveny has written a book that every single person interested in climate change must read. Far too many stories in the media (including blogs) about global climate change are written by individuals with no background in climate science. This book will provide them some understanding of how climate change works, but delivered in a way that fans of Sherlock will enjoy. For citizens hearing all about climate catastrophe and how the world as we know it will come to an end, this book will move you from a state of confusion to position where you will feel like you have a handle on the entire topic. For students interested in climate change, whether high school or college, this book will fill in gaps that you never knew you had. You may have seen videos, listened to lectures, and seen movies. I guarantee you that these presentations were missing the real story behind global climate change -- how climatologists figure out how and why Earth's climate changes. Professor Cerveny is an award winning teacher at Arizona State. He teaches freshman courses, and he teaches graduate seminars. Dr. Cerveny brings these experiences to the table in this amazing book. You learn about climate change at the graduate level, but there are no prerequisites to reading this book! He gives you all of the background knowledge you will need to understand how the great climate mysteries are solved. It is this perspective that will make you the master of discussions, because you will be able to take his stories and re-explain them to friends who "just don't get it" -- because you will!