Meteorological Instruments : : Third edition / / W.E.K. Middleton, A.F. Spilhaus.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter University of Toronto Press eBook-Package Archive 1933-1999
• VerfasserIn: Middleton, W.E.K.,; Spilhaus, A.F. ,
• Place / Publishing House: Toronto : : University of Toronto Press, , [2019]; ©1941
• Year of Publication: 2019
• Language: English
• Series: Heritage
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (300 p.)

Since its first appearance in 1941, this book has remained, through various editions and reprintings, the standard, indeed the only modern work in English in its field. This third edition, completely reset, includes descriptions of the newer devices which have come into use in upper-atmosphere sounding, electronic techniques for wind finding, thunderstorm location, and through the renewed interest in meterorological observations from aircraft. A number of new illustrations have been added. The authors have followed the pattern of the earlier editions in presenting examples found in regular weather service. Some attention has been given, however, to new techniques which, though not widely in use at the present time, show such promise as to deserve the studen'ts attention. A general treatment of the application of radar, radio direction finders, and radiosoundes to meteorology has been included. Of the previous edition the bulletin of the American Meteorological Society said: "This is the first general textbook on the subject in English for more than half a century . While the book is indispensable for reference for the practising meterorologist, the needs of the student are met by an adequate presentation of theoretical topics."

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION -- PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION -- PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION -- CONTENTS -- I. INTRODUCTION: PROPERTIES OF METEOROLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS -- 1. General properties of scientific instruments -- 2. Special characteristics of meteorological instruments -- 3. Characteristics of recording instruments in general -- 4. Control of recording instruments by eye readings of non-recording instruments -- II. THE MEASUREMENT OF ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE -- 1. General principles and methods -- 2. Discussion of units of pressure -- 3. General errors of pressure measurements -- 4. The mercury barometer -- 5. Elastic barometers -- 6. The hypsometer -- 7. Pressure variographs and variometers -- III. THE MEASUREMENT OF TEMPERATURE IN METEOROLOGY -- 1. Scope of the chapter. Definition of temperature. Units -- 2. Exposure of thermometers -- 3. The lag coefficients of meteorological thermometers -- 4. Classification of meteorological thermometers -- 5. Liquid-in-glass thermometers -- 6. Deformation thermometers -- 7. Liquid-in-metal thermometers -- 8. Electrical thermometers -- 9. The testing of thermometers and thermographs -- 10. Checking thermographs against thermometers in the screen -- IV. THE MEASUREMENT OF ATMOSPHERIC HUMIDITY -- 1. Introduction: Units of measurement -- 2. Classification of methods of humidity measurement -- 3. The psychrometer -- 4. The hair hygrometer -- 5. The dew-point hygrometer -- 6. Absorption hygrometry -- 7. Diffusion hygrometers -- 8. Optical Hygrometers -- 9. Hygrometer calibration cechniques -- V. THE MEASUREMENT OF PRECIPITATION AND EVAPORATION -- 1. General considerations -- 2. The ordinary rain gauge -- 3. Recording rain gauges -- 4. Totalizers -- 5. Rate-of-rainfall recorders -- 6. Measurement of snow -- 7. Exposure of rain and snow gauges -- 8. Rainfall measurements by radar -- 9. Measurement of dew: Drosometers -- 10. Measurement of evaporation -- VI. THE MEASUREMENT OF WIND NEAR THE SURFACE -- I. General considerations: Units -- 2. Wind vanes -- 3. The measurement of wind speed: Classification of Anemometers -- 4. Rotation anemometers -- 5. Pressure-plate anemometers -- 6. Bridled anemometers -- 7. Pressure-tube anemometers -- 8. Anemometers making use of the cooling powers of the air -- 9. Exposure of wind instruments -- VII. THE MEASUREMENT OF UPPER WINDS BY MEANS OF PILOT BALLOONS -- 1. General remarks -- 2. Balloons -- 3. Theodolites for following balloons -- 4. Methods of observation and computation -- 5. General accuracy of pilot-balloon results -- 6. Upper winds by radio and radar -- 7. Controlled-altitude free balloons -- VIII. INSTRUMENTS FOR INVESTIGATING CLOUDS -- 1. The measurable attributes of clouds -- 2. Cloud amount -- 3. Cloud direction -- 4. Speed of motion -- 5. Measurement of cloud height -- 6. The structure of clouds -- 7. Cloud photography -- 8. Sferics -- 9. Radar meteorology -- IX. SUNSHINE RECORDERS -- 1. General considerations -- 2. The Campbell-Stokes recorder -- 3. The Jordan sunshine recorder -- 4. The Pers sunshine recorder -- 5. The Marvin sunshine recorder -- 6. Sunshine intensity recorders -- X. INSTRUMENTS FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF THE UPPER AIR -- I. Introduction -- 2. Sounding balloons -- 3. Sounding-balloon meteorographs (without radio) -- 4. Special applications of sounding balloons -- 5. Aircraft observations -- 6. Radiosondes: General remarks and classification -- 7. The time-interval radiosonde -- 8. Code-type radiosonde -- 9. The variable-radio-frequency-type radiosonde -- 10. Variable-audio-frequency radiosonde -- 11. The errors of radiosondes -- 12. Constant-level-balloon radiosondes -- 13. Special uses of radiosondes -- 14. Calibration apparatus -- 15. Radio wave soundings -- XI. SPECIAL METEOROLOGICAL ASSEMBLIES AND SYSTEMS -- 1. General -- 2. Portable packaged weather stations -- 3. Mobile meteorological stations -- 4. Automatic weather stations -- 5. The complete weather instrument-an atmospheric intelligence system -- INDEX