Aeronomy of the Middle Atmosphere : Chemistry and Physics of the Stratosphere and Mesosphere

The reader may be surprised to learn that the word "aeronomy" is not found in many of the standard dictionaries of the English language (for exam­ ple. Webster's International dictionary). Yet the term would appear to exist, as evidenced by the affiliations of the two authors of this volume (Institut d'Aeronomie, Brussels, Belgium; Aeronomy Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, CO, USA). Perhaps part of this obscu­ rity arises because aeronomy is a relatively new and evolving field of endeavor, with a history dating back no farther than about 1940. The Chambers dic­ tionary of science and technology provides the following definition: "aeronomy (Meteor. ). The branch of science dealing with the atmosphere of the Earth and the other planets with reference to their chemical com­ position, physical properties, relative motion, The reader may be surprised to learn that the word "aeronomy" is not found in many of the standard dictionaries of the English language (for examƯ ple. Webster's International dictionary). Yet the term would appear to exist, as evidenced by the affiliations of the two authors of this volume (Institut d'Aeronomie, Brussels, Belgium; Aeronomy Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, CO, USA). Perhaps part of this obscuƯ rity arises because aeronomy is a relatively new and evolving field of endeavor, with a history dating back no farther than about 1940. The Chambers dicƯ tionary of science and technology provides the following definition: "aeronomy (Meteor.). The branch of science dealing with the atmosphere of the Earth and the other planets with reference to their chemical comƯ position, physical properties, relative motion Front Matter....Pages i-xvi The Middle Atmosphere and Its Evolution....Pages 1-8 Chemical Concepts in the Atmosphere....Pages 9-31 Structure and Dynamics....Pages 32-88 Radiation....Pages 89-200 Composition and Chemistry....Pages 201-319 The Ions....Pages 320-374 Possible Perturbations and Atmospheric Responses....Pages 375-430 Back Matter....Pages 431-443