Mostly Cloudy: Cloud Physics for Meteorologists (PDF), by Sonia Lasher-Trapp

Format

• This is the downloadable PDF version (US only)
• See also the Google Play edition. 
• Purchase the print edition (soft cover) here.

About this book

This textbook is written primarily for upper-level undergraduate meteorology students who require an introduction to the physics and observed properties of clouds and precipitation, building upon their knowledge of atmospheric thermodynamics that they have already typically gained from a meteorology curriculum. Graduate students new to the field of atmospheric science may also find this textbook useful as an introductory treatment of the topic; more advanced treatments of various concepts are recommended at the end of each chapter to allow these students to pursue additional independent study. This textbook introduces the student to commonly-used terminology in the field, explains theoretical concepts both qualitatively and quantitatively, and provides evidence to support those concepts from observations obtained through field campaigns and laboratory studies, and from the results of numerical simulations.

Format:  PDF with clickable internal/external links
ISBN:  978-1-944441-03-6    

About the author

Sonia Lasher-Trapp is a cloud physicist who has been working in research and academia for over 25 years. She is currently a Professor in the Department of Climate, Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  Her research mainly focuses on cloud microphysics, convection, and precipitation processes, utilizing both numerical modeling and analysis of field observations. She has also performed research on improving student learning at the undergraduate level.
In addition to her research, Dr. Lasher-Trapp has dedicated much of her time to educating and mentoring students.  She has received seven teaching or mentoring awards from two different universities. In 2021, she received the Edward N. Lorenz Teaching Excellence Award from the American Meteorological Society, their highest honor for teaching. Her experience and commitment to both teaching and research have motivated her to author this textbook on cloud physics, aimed at providing students with a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the subject.

Online Resources For This Book

A variety of electronic resources, including problem sets, review questions, and other materials will be posted to this page as they become available.