Tropical atmosphere and ocean are receiving increased attention in
relation to the functioning of the global climate system, the remarkable
climatic variability in low latitudes, and the associated manifold
environmental and societal consequences. Beyond the traditional emphasis
of meteor- ology on weather analysis and forecasting, there is a growing
interest in the climate and large- scale circulation of the tropics.
This book may serve as a text for graduate and upper-division
undergraduate students in meteorology, and is also intended as a
reference work for practicing meteorologists, and researchers in the
atmospheric, oceanic, and other environmental sciences. I began writing
this book in 1979, but the roots reach further back. Early experiences
in North Africa fuelled my curiosity about the low latitudes. In 1960 I
seized the opportunity to work in the National Meteorological Service of
El Salvador in Central America. My interest in the tropics continued
after joining the University of Wisconsin in 1963. Field research
brought me to the equatorial Pacific, and many times to the tropical
Americas and Africa. This involved visits and correspondence with many
weather services. My acquaintance with Australasia and South Asia is
limited to short study visits, but includes continuous contacts with
colleagues at key research institutions in India, namely the India
Meteorological Department, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology,
and Andhra University. A guest semester at the University of the
Witwatersrand in 1971 and related travels provided a perspective on the
problems of Southern Africa.