Weather Cycles: Real or Imaginary? - Softcover

' ... a book whose clarity and breadth of vision sets it apart.' Scientific American

' ... in his excellent book ... Burroughs objectively examines fluctuations in the weather ...' Science

' ... an excellently presented piece of popular science ...' The Times Higher Education Supplement

' ... the best quick overview of the 'maximum entropy' technique that I know.' New Scientist

'An enjoyable and informative read.' The Observatory

The unresolved debate on the existence of weather cycles is explored in detail within this book. The evidence for and against the existence of cycles in the weather is examined and the difficulties in establishing the credentials of cycles discussed. A wide range of events from the ice ages to the El Niño and many examples of apparently cyclic behaviour are presented, with evidence from both instrumental observations and other records such as tree rings, ice cores and ocean sediments. The general conclusion is that, with few exceptions, the case for weather cycles is not proven. The complex analysis needed to look at the evidence for cycles is examined with the minimum of mathematics, so that this book will appeal to readers with an interest in how the weather works, as well as to the workers in this important and controversial field.