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meteorology Book review W M O Bulletin (Vol. 41, No. 4 October 1992). World Meteorological Organisation, Case Postale 2300, CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland. Subscription rates per volume of four issues; 1 year Sw Fr 48, 2 years Sw Fr 78, 3 year Sw Fr 109 (Please note revised prices at end of the review). The Bulletin opens with a long biography of a distinguished meteorologist and scholar - Professor Tom Malone. Born on a farm in Iowa, USA, in 1917 of Irish parentage, he decided very early in life to become a meteorologist and eventually started professional studies at MIT in 1941. He rose to become an Assistant Professor in the 1940s during which he compiled the well-known text "Compendium of Meteorology". Throughout, the range of his interests expanded and, with them, involvement with many international bodies. His many interests embracing meteorology, geophysics and economics resulted in his becoming an environmental scientist with the broadest possible interests in geo-politics, centred around topics of resources and resource management. These were embraced by the general topic of sustainable development, as expressed by the following quotes: "We know that the changes in the global environment are drawn by two forces: exponential growth in population and exponential growth in the energy- and technology-driven economy. The number of people is doubling every few decades as is the production of goods and services per person. It is the increasing level imposed on the biosphere by exponential growth that is degrading the quality of the environment and sapping its carrying capacity". Furthermore, "There is asymmetry also between demographic and economic growth ... for every individual added in the developed countries, there are about 20 more added in the developing countries. But for every US dollar of growth in the developing countries there are US$ 20 of growth in the developed countries. The aggregate demand per person on planet Earth is therefore greater in the developed ... (than) in the developing countries". A notable landmark occurring during his career was the setting-up of GARP (Global Atmospheric Research Programme) from which developed the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP). These activities were supported by a series of studies carried out by S C O P E (Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment) in which Professor Malone played a prominent role. The topic for the main feature articles in this issue is World Climate Research. The first of these "The Earth's Climate System "" by G. McBean (pp. 393-401) summarises various salient data (including temperature, CO2 concentration) over a span of 160000 years notably by means of the analysis of ice and of air bubbles that were trapped in the ice when it froze over time. He discusses the broad techniques for tackling events on various time-scales, and indicates changes in future years on the basis of projected changes in the activities of various elements (e.g. CO2 concentration, icecover, solar intensity). Next, (pp. 402-413) D.L. Anderson and M.K. Davey report on the Tropical Ocean-Global Atmosphere Programme (TOGA). They first consider the properties and development of the E N S O (El Nifio/ Southern Oscillation) which, whilst being strongest in the Southern Hemisphere, has consequences traceable at higher latitudes notably in association with the Walker cell, and associated Rossby waves. The writers speculate on seasonal and longer period climate forecasts and note that T O G A has initiated the establishment of a real-time observational network for the Pacific region. The widening of interest has led to the successful C O A R E (Coupled Ocean-

Atmosphere Response Experiment). W.L. Gates (pp. 413-420) discusses "Climate Modelling" and compares current attempts with previous efforts. He reveals that one of the outstanding issues in need of attention is the parametrization of cloudiness in order to clarify the input of radiation exchanges in the global systems. Associated with this problem is the study of atmospheric pollution and he interestingly comments (p. 417) that "recent research indicates that the scattering of solar radiation by atmospheric sulphate aerosols, and their possible role in increasing cloud albedos may exert an overall climate forcing that is comparable in magnitude but opposite in sign to that of anthropogenic greenhouse gases". D.W. Limbert (pp. 420M31) examines and summarises the outstanding "Weather Events in 1991 and their Consequences ". After a narrative account of the most damaging effects, classified according to WMO Regions (and subdivided into Countries), the weather events are segregated into three columns (headed Temperature, Precipitation, Storms) followed by two columns giving "'Impact" subdivided into Damage and Lives. By highlighting the consequences of climate events in human and economic terms, it is impossible to ignore the scale of the disaster. It is evident that the worst consequences occur in Asia and parts of the western Pacific. Limbert comments that " T h e regions with the largest number of fatalities due to weather events are those with the weakest economies and fewest resources. The technologically advanced countries are either better placed geographically or have an infrastructure that can withstand the more violent extremes. The death-toll in Bangladesh would not have been so great if the densely populated lowlying delta regions had effective sea defences or had there been higher ground for ease of evacuation". This treatment appears to be a very useful innovation; although based on a rather selected collection of data, one hopes it will become an annual feature. Pages 432-436 are occupied by a report headed UNCED, "'The Summit that will Change the Planet ", of proceedings at the Earth Summit held in Brazil in June 1992. WMO and meteorology generally contributed substantially to the meetings, but events since June have clearly shown the difficulties of attaining the objectives. Brief reports on two meetings follow, viz. " W M O Executive Council Highlights '" (pp. 436-438), and WMO Technical Conference on Instruments and Methods of Observation (TECO-92) (pp. 438-440). Progress on the many Programmes occupy pages 440-465, most of which contain matters of interest to readers of this journal; the articles on Electrical Energy and the Environment (pp. 444-445) and Hydrology & Water Resources (pp. 458-464) caught the eye of the reviewer. (International) Technical Cooperation matters are discussed on pp. 466-469 and domestic matters on pp. 470-477 and pp. 480-482. The usual excellent reviews of new books (pp. 483-489) and a comprehensive index for WMO Bulletin, Volume 41 (1992) complete the issue. An important notice to subscribers is that as from Jan. 1 1993 the rates for subsequent W M O Bulletins have been raised (per volume) to :

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