REVIEWS 74 1

threatening production are the main topics of a chapter entitled agricultural meteorology and climatology. This section is notable for the marked emphasis placed on Soviet work - 130 of the 168 references, compared with somewhat less than half in other sections.

The two remaining chapters depart from the general formula for the series in that each is a review article on a particular topic, without special reference to the recent literature. The first of these is an improved derivation of the ozone profile, based on the equations governing the photochemical reactions. The second, which lists over 200 references, relates to various aspects of glaciers: their water and heat bud,:ets, accumula- tion and ablation ; their value as climatic indicators; the conditions required for their existence in different regions; their transformation of overlying air masses.

The new series of which this hook is a part has obvious value for research workers. Some unevenness of treatment is inevitable, partly because various authors are involved, partly also because all topics do not fit the desired formula with equal ease.

The value of this particular volume is impaired by the delay in its appearance. The future intention is that the English translation be available concurrently with the Russian original.

D. H. MCINTOSH

The dynamic meteorology of the stratosphere and mesosphere: Meteorological Monograph, Volume 15, Number 37. J. R. Holton, Boston. Mass. (American Meteorological Society) 1975. Pp. 218, 1 Table, 74 Figures. Price $30 ($20 to A.M.S. members). Research into the dynamical meteorology of the stratosphere and mesosphere has led to an understand-

ing of many aspects of the behaviour of the upper atmosphere, but until now a large part of this research has been described only in a variety of original papers. Dr. Holton is therefore to be commended for devoting much of a recent sabbatical year to the preparation of a monograph that provides a systematic and compre- hensive account of the present state of the dynamical theory. The publication of this work is particularly timely in view of the interest in stratospheric meteorology that has been stimulated by the availability of new satellite-based observations and by the recognition that the vitally important ozone layer may become depleted as a result of human activity.

The monograph begins with a short introductory chapter in which the observed state is described, and attention drawn to a number of features of dynamical interest. This is followed by a chapter introducing the primitive equations, and the various dynamical and geometrical approximations used in theoretical studies. Also included are linear wave solutions for a resting atmosphere, and a brief discussion of radiative and photochemical effects. Chapter 3 examines the baroclinic stability of the stratospheric and mesospheric circulations. The predicted instabilities are generally weaker than their tropospheric counterpart, and are unable to account for the predominant observed disturbances. The latter are, however, well described by the theory of forced waves and their interactions with the mean state, and this topic is discussed in chapter 4, which includes descriptions of the models that have been proposed for the basic dynamics of sudden polar warmings and the quasi-biennial oscillation. A possible mechanism for the semi-annual oscillation is also mentioned. The monograph concludes with a critical review of results from numerical models of various degrees of complexity.

The general level of discussion renders this a useful reference work. Moreover, since the subject matter is reasonably self-contained, and each new section given a clear introduction relating it to topics already discussed, the book will serve also as a good introductory text for the research student. It is likely, however, to require diligent study by any reader with little previous experience of dynamical meteorology. The contents appear to be free of major error, but mention should be made of an incomplete 'physical' explana- tion of the destabilizing effect of horizontal boundaries on a baroclinic flow. The argument given fails to distinguish between a local eddy heat flux and a zonally averaged flux, and if true would preclude the existence of neutral baroclinic modes. Most other criticisms relate to relatively minor choices of wording.

This particular contribution to the American Meteorological Society's series of Meteorological Mono- graphs has been produced in the form of a book of convenient size with a good layout and clear type. Its price to a member of the A.M.S., with a salary defined in dollars, represents good value for a work of its kind. The current exchange rate makes it an expensive purchase for an individual in the U.K., but it should prove a worthwhile addition to the library of any institution undertaking advanced meteorological training or research.

ADRIAN SIMMONS

Climate in a small area - an introduction to local meteorology. By Masatoshi M. Yoshino. University of Tokyo Press, 1975. Pp. xvi, 549. 237 Figs., 31 Plates, 120 Tables. f16.

This volume is a completely revised and enlarged edition of an original work in Japanese, published in 1961. Translation into English has been accomplished by the author and his helpers, with a more than adequate proficiency: even of those lapses which do occur, few can lead to any serious ambiguity in the English text.

Consciously or otherwise, the author, who is Professor of Climatology and Meteorologyat the University of Tsukuba, would appear to have modelled his book on Geiger's classic text, but with varying degrees of