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Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences: Library Resources

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Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Climate Glossary. Glossary of climate terms drawn from a number of sources, by the NWS Climate Prediction Center.

Comprehensive Glossary of Weather Terms for Storm Spotters. The second edition of this detailed listing offers definitions of terms used by weather spotters. (NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS SR 145, by Michael Branick).

Dictionary of Global Climate Change. [SCIENCE REF QC 981.8 C5 M38 1994] Covers scientific terms, as well as the many abbreviations and acronyms used in climate-change research.

Dictionary of Weather (Oxford).Accessible to University at Albany users only Almost 2,000 entries cover all areas of weather. Weather records and extremes are also covered, as well as biographical information. 

Encyclopedia of Climate and Weather. [SCIENCE REF QC 854 E523 2011] This set offers long, signed articles on climate and weather, as well as related topics like oceans, new energy systems and biomass.

Encyclopedia of Earth. The Encyclopedia of Earth covers a wide range of earth science topics, from the earth, to its natural environments, to water profiles of selected countries. Well-written articles can be browsed alphabetically or by topic.

Encyclopedia of Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones. [SCIENCE REF QC 944 L66 2008] Offers definitions of terms, as well as information on individual hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones and tropical storms. Biographical information is included.

Environmental Encyclopedia, 3rd ed., 2003.Accessible to University at Albany users only Offers broad coverage of environmental issues. Sample topics include global change, tsunamis, the Hudson River and fossil fuels, along with brief biographies of environmentalists.

Glossary of Climate Change Terms. A glossary of climate change terminology from the EPA' Global Warming web site.

Glossary of National Hurricane Center Tropical Prediction Center Terms. Brief listing of terms relating to tropical storms.

Glossary of Meteorology. [SCIENCE REF QC 854 G55 2000] The glossary attempts to define every important meteorological term in the literature. Over 12,000 items cover meteorology, as well as oceanographic and hydrologic terms.

Macmillan Encyclopedia of Energy. Accessible to University at Albany users only Broad coverage of the science and technology of energy, in over 250 articles.

Oxford Companion to Global ChangeAccessible to University at Albany users only Over 200 entries cover interdisciplinary topics, on manmade and natural change on planet Earth. 

Washington Post's Weather Glossary. A dictionary of weather terms.