THE GLOBAL WEATHER MACHINE: Solar and terrestrial radiation -- The global atmosphere -- Ocean currents -- Temperature regimes -- THE DEVELOPMENT OF SATELLITE METEOROLOGY: The early days -- Global atmospheric research -- Satellite programmes -- SATELLITE INSTRUMENTATION: Satellites and their orbits -- Radiometers -- Radiometric measurement of the atmosphere and the Earth -- Experimental infrared radiometers -- The current TIROS-N/NOAA operational system -- Geostationary satellite imaging systems -- Microwave radiometers -- Radar systems -- DATA HANDLING: Collection and transmission -- Assimilation and processing -- Enhanced images and false colour -- Moving pictures -- Putting the data to good use -- INTERPRETING SATELLITE IMAGES: Standard images -- Forecasting guidelines -- Depressions - large and small -- Fronts, thunderstorms, and tornadoes -- Global patterns -- Going into more detail -- THE STRUCTURE OF THE ATMOSPHERE: Images of terrestrial radiation -- Temperature sounding -- Ground-level temperatures -- Urban heat islands -- Fog and air pollution -- Winds aloft -- MEASURING RAINFALL: Cloud brightness and temperatures -- Radar measurement of rainfall -- Microwave measurements -- Practical results -- and MEASURING THE SURFACE OF THE LAND: Global vegetation index -- Desertification -- Dust storms -- Deforestation -- Measuring evaporation -- Agricultural forecasts -- Flooding -- MEASURING THE OCEANS: Sea surface temperatures -- Ocean currents -- The El Nino -- Ocean colour measurement -- Fuelling hurricanes -- Winds and waves -- Synthetic aperture radar -- SNOW AND ICE: Visible and infrared measurements -- Records of snow cover -- Microwave measurements of sea ice -- Variations in sea ice -- Sea ice and the weather -- Altimeter measurement of ice-caps -- BETTER WEATHER FORECASTING: Bigger computers -- Problem areas -- Forecasting rainfall -- Extending the range of useful forecasts -- Spells of weather -- CLIMATIC CHANGE: Climatic variability -- Solar variability -- Global cloudiness -- Sea surface temperature records -- Changes in the cryosphere -- Changes in land use -- Holes in the ozone layer -- THE FUTURE: Refinement of operational systems -- New programmes for the 1990s -- New instrumentation -- A long look backwards -- Global climate programmes.
