**Contents**

Foreword *pg ix*

*P.J. Sellers*

Preface *pg xv*

*M.D. King, C.L. Parkinson, K.C. Partington, R.G. Williams*

Acknowledgments *pg xvii*

**Part I The Dynamic Atmosphere *pg 1***

Introduction *pg 5*

*M.D. King*

Clouds--Are the Shutters of the Earth Changing? *pg 10*

*D.P. Wylie, W.P. Menzel*

Cloud Optical and Microphysical Properties *pg 15*

*M.D. King*

Clouds and the Earth's Radiation Budget *pg 21*

*N.G. Loeb, T. Wong*

Water Vapor *pg 26*

*B.J. Soden*

A World of Rain *pg 30*

*R.F. Adler, G.J. Huffman, S. Curtis*

Hurricanes: Connections with Climate Change *pg 36*

*J.B. Halverson*

Lightning *pg 44*

*S.J. Goodman, D.E. Buechler, E.W. McCaul, Jr.*

Warming and Cooling of the Atmosphere *pg 53*

*Q. Fu, C.M. Johanson*

Dust in the Wind *pg 56*

*N.C. Hsu, S. Tsay, M.D. King, D.J. Diner*

Atmospheric Pollution: A Global Problem *pg 61*

*D.P. Edwards*

Ship Tracks *pg 66*

*S. Platnick*

Airplane Contrails *pg 71*

*P. Minnis*

Weekly Cycle of Nitrogen Dioxide Pollution from Space *pg 74*

*S. Beirle, U. Platt, T. Wagner, M.O. Wenig, J.F. Gleason*

The Ozone Hole *pg 78*

*R.D. McPeters*

The Chlorine Threat to Earth's Ozone Shield *pg 82*

*M.L. Santee*

**Part II The Vital Land *pg 88***

Introduction *pg 91*

*K.C. Partington*

The San Andreas Fault: Adjustments in the Earth's Crust *pg 94*

*D.T. Sandwell, B.R. Smith*

Mount Pinatubo: An Enduring Volcanic Hazard *pg 97*

*P.J. Mouginis-Mark*

Extreme Floods *pg 100*

*S. Caquard, G.R. Brakenridge*

Satellite Monitoring of Ebola Virus Hemorrhagic Fever Epidemics *pg 104*

*J.E. Pinzon, C.J. Tucker*

Snow Cover--The Most Dynamic Feature on the Earth's Surface *pg 110*

*D.K. Hall, J.L. Foster*

Glaciers: Scribes of Climate; Harbingers of Change *pg 116*

*D.K. Hall, R.S. Williams, Jr.*

Boreal Forests: A Lengthening Growing Season *pg 120*

*K.C. McDonald, J.S. Kimball*

Soil Moisture: A Critical Underlying Role *pg 124*

*M.F. Jasinski, T.J. Jackson, M. Owe, B.A. Cosgrove*

The Sunlit Earth *pg 129*

*C.B. Schaaf*

Temperature of the Land Surface *pg 136*

*Z. Wan*

**Part III The Restless Ocean *pg 142***

Introduction *pg 145*

*R.G. Williams*

Ocean Bathymetry and Plate Tectonics *pg 149*

*D.T. Sandwell*

Ocean Surface Topography and Circulation *pg 153*

*L. Fu*

Heat in the Ocean *pg 156*

*P.J. Minnett*

Sea Level Rise *pg 162*

*G.T. Mitchum, R.S. Nerem*

Tides *pg 165*

*R.D. Ray*

Winds Over Ocean *pg 168*

*W.T. Liu, X. Xie*

The Stormy Atlantic *pg 172*

*D.K. Woolf, I.S. Robinson*

The Ocean Biosphere *pg 176*

*C.R. McClain, G.C. Feldman*

Coccolithophores and the 'Sea of Milk' *pg 181*

*W.M. Balch*

Coral Bleaching *pg 184*

*G. Liu, A.E. Strong*

Hunting Red Tides from Space *pg 187*

*K.L. Carder, J.J. Walsh, J.P. Cannizzaro*

Marine Sediments *pg 191*

*J.G. Acker*

Tsunamis *pg 196*

*R. Scharroo*

**Part IV The Frozen Caps *pg 202***

Introduction *pg 205*

*K.C. Partington*

Antarctica: A Continent Revealed *pg 209*

*K.C. Jezek*

Ice Sheets on the Move *pg* *214*

*E. Rignot, I. Joughin*

Ice Sheets and the Threat to Global Sea Level *pg 218*

*R.H. Thomas, R.A. Bindschadler*

The Great White Ocean: The Artic's Changing Sea Ice Cover *pg 226*

*C.L. Parkinson*

Bound Together: Arctic Sea Ice, Ocean, and Atmosphere *pg 232*

*C.L. Parkinson*

Sea Ice: The Shifting Crust of the Southern Ocean *pg 238*

*M.R. Drinkwater, J.C. Comiso*

Antarctic Polynyas: Ventilation, Bottom Water, and High Productivity for
the World's Oceans *pg 243*

*J.C. Comiso, M.R. Drinkwater*

**Part V Evidence of Our Tenure *pg 250***

Introduction *pg 253*

*C.L. Parkinson*

Mapping the Ancient Maya Landscape from Space *pg 258*

*T.L. Sever, D.E. Irwin*

Global Land Use Changes *pg 262*

*J.A. Foley, N. Ramankutty, B. Leff, H.K. Gibbs*

The Changing Role of Fire on Earth *pg 266*

*D.P. Roy, C.O. Justice*

The Tropical Rain Forest: Threatened Powerhouse of the Biosphere *pg
274*

*K.C. McDonald, B. Chapman, J.S. Kimball, R. Zimmermann*

The Green Wave *pg 280*

*L. Zhou, R.K. Kaufmann, C.J. Tucker, R.B. Myneni*

Monitoring Urban Areas Globally and Locally *pg 286*

*A. Schneider*

Gray Wave of the Great Transformation *pg 291*

*M.L. Imhoff, L. Bounoua, J.M. Shepherd*

Urban Heat Islands *pg 298*

*D.A. Quattrochi, M.G. Estes, Jr., C.A. Laymon, W.L. Crosson, B.F.
Howell, J.C. Luvall, D.L. Rickman*

Urbanization in China: The Pearl River Delta *pg 302*

*K.D. Seto*

Water Issues in the Fertile Crescent: Irrigation in Southeastern Turkey
*pg 306*

*M. Ozdogan, C.E. Woodcock, G.D. Salvucci*

Chronicling the Destruction of Eden: The Draining of the Iraqi Marshes
*pg 312*

*G.T. Koeln, Y. Naficy, C.L. Parkinson*

Destruction of the Aral Sea *pg 320*

*P.P. Micklin*

The Desiccation of Lake Chad *pg 326*

*M.T. Coe, C. Birkett*

Industrial Pollution in the Russian Arctic *pg 329*

*W.G. Rees*

Oil Spills at Sea *pg 332*

*F. Parthiot*

Epilogue *pg 337*

Appendix 1--Satellites and Satellite Orbits *pg 339*

*M.D. King*

Appendix 2--Glossary *pg 347*

Appendix 3--Acronyms *pg 363*

Appendix 4--Contributors *pg 367*

Index *pg 374*

About the Editors *pg 391*