Antarctic Meteorology and Climatology

Antarctica is the coldest of the continents and the most remote. Both of these facts pose problems for meteorologists. The lack of easy access to most of the continent presents significant obstacles to effective data collection, and the often hostile conditions make accurate, believable measurements difficult to obtain. Nonetheless, as the authors point out in the preface of Antarctic Meteorology and Climatology , the last decade has seen a great increase in both the quantity and quality of data available in the Antarctic region, making this book a timely review of the state of knowledge of the Antarctic climate system. The reader will not find extensive discussion of the “ozone hole” or of paleoclimate records here. Rather, what the reader does find is a comprehensive and smoothly written account of the present and recent past climate of the Antarctic troposphere in its many aspects.