<p>I like Roland Stull's book very much.  I also like the text by Steve Ackerman and John Knox, <em>Meteorology:  Understanding the Atmosphere</em>.  Both of these are quite informative.  </p>

<p>Historically, the book I think I like the best is the one by James Edinger, et al., if you can find it - <em>Understanding our Atmospheric Environment</em>, by a team of faculty from UCLA in the 1970s.  It still has a great pedagogic structure to it and plenty of mathematical structure appropriate for scientists from other quantitative backgrounds who have a need for more depth.  It of course lacks the details that are needed to understand the climate system based on the last 40 years of important climate research, atmospheric chemistry, and mesoscale systems - someone needs to write that book with some calculus.  Roland's book may come closest.  </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-30T20:24:37.367Z
2014-04-30T20:24:37.367Z
Paul Ruscher
<p><a href="http://www.esc.cam.ac.uk/library/research-skills/reading-lists/idp2" rel="nofollow">Cambridge University Earth Sciences Department's reading list</a> particularly suggests:</p>

<ul>
<li>Pierrehumbert, R.T. (2012), <em>Principles of Planetary Climate</em>. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK, ISBN:9780521865562.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ipcc.ch/" rel="nofollow">IPPC assessment reports</a></li>
<li>Cronin, T.M., 2010. <em>Paleoclimates: Understanding Climate Change Past and Present</em>. Columbia University Press, ISBN 978-0-231-14494-0</li>
</ul>

<p>... plus many others, with a range of focuses, all of which are made explicit.</p>

<p>Other books include:</p>

<ul>
<li>Physics of the Climate System, Peixoto and Oort</li>
<li>An introduction to dynamic meteorology, James Holton</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-30T23:46:25.933Z
Holton's book is beyond a "basic introduction".
BHF
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-01T06:41:02.223Z
And the IPCC reports don't really go over basic climate and meteorological science much...
naught101
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-01T11:05:03.970Z
@naught101 but the summaries for policy-makers are poss helpful?
kaberett
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-01T13:33:33.497Z
@BHF Basic is relative.  So is introduction.
gerrit
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-30T16:22:17.077Z
2014-04-30T19:47:53.190Z
2014-04-30T19:47:53.190Z
kaberett
<p>The basic meteorology book from my bookshelf would be "Meteorology for Scientists and Engineers" from Roland B. Stull, or his more recent but not completely finished work <a href="http://www.eos.ubc.ca/books/Practical_Meteorology/" rel="nofollow">Practical Meteorology: An Algebra-based Survey of Atmospheric Science</a>. But this is of course subjective and there will be plenty alternatives.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-30T15:16:59.097Z
2014-05-01T12:33:29.143Z
2014-05-01T12:33:29.143Z
BHF
<p>I have a mainly a hydro-geological and geo-statistical background, I would like to have a basic introduction to meteorological, climatic processes and modelling techniques related to these fields. Any good resources?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-30T19:46:56.327Z
I changed this to community wiki, because it is about establishing a list of resources.
gerrit
<meteorology><climate><modelling>
A good book or source for climate science and meteorology basics?
fabio
# A good book or source for climate science and meteorology basics?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-04-30)

I have a mainly a hydro-geological and geo-statistical background, I would like to have a basic introduction to meteorological, climatic processes and modelling techniques related to these fields. Any good resources?

**Tags:** meteorology, climate, modelling

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I changed this to community wiki, because it is about establishing a list of resources.  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-04-30. Score: 3

I like Roland Stull's book very much. I also like the text by Steve Ackerman and John Knox, *Meteorology: Understanding the Atmosphere*. Both of these are quite informative.

Historically, the book I think I like the best is the one by James Edinger, et al., if you can find it - *Understanding our Atmospheric Environment*, by a team of faculty from UCLA in the 1970s. It still has a great pedagogic structure to it and plenty of mathematical structure appropriate for scientists from other quantitative backgrounds who have a need for more depth. It of course lacks the details that are needed to understand the climate system based on the last 40 years of important climate research, atmospheric chemistry, and mesoscale systems - someone needs to write that book with some calculus. Roland's book may come closest.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2014-04-30. Score: 3

[Cambridge University Earth Sciences Department's reading list](http://www.esc.cam.ac.uk/library/research-skills/reading-lists/idp2) particularly suggests:

* Pierrehumbert, R.T. (2012), *Principles of Planetary Climate*. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK, ISBN:9780521865562.
* [IPPC assessment reports](http://www.ipcc.ch/)
* Cronin, T.M., 2010. *Paleoclimates: Understanding Climate Change Past and Present*. Columbia University Press, ISBN 978-0-231-14494-0

... plus many others, with a range of focuses, all of which are made explicit.

Other books include:

* Physics of the Climate System, Peixoto and Oort
* An introduction to dynamic meteorology, James Holton

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Holton's book is beyond a "basic introduction".  
> **username_5**: And the IPCC reports don't really go over basic climate and meteorological science much...  
> **username_3**: @username_5 but the summaries for policy-makers are poss helpful?  
> **username_1**: @username_4 Basic is relative.  So is introduction.  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2014-04-30. Score: 2

The basic meteorology book from my bookshelf would be "Meteorology for Scientists and Engineers" from Roland B. Stull, or his more recent but not completely finished work [Practical Meteorology: An Algebra-based Survey of Atmospheric Science](http://www.eos.ubc.ca/books/Practical_Meteorology/). But this is of course subjective and there will be plenty alternatives.


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