PREFACE
This book demonstrates applications of statistical thinking in climate (atmospheric, oceanographic) research. It aims at students in general, taking first
and second year courses at the graduate level.
The volume has grown from the lectures given du ring the Autumn School
on Elba. We have included here the arguments which referred explicitly to
applications of statistical techniques in climate science, since we feIt that
general descriptions of statistical methods, both at the introductory and at
advanced level, are already available. We tried to stress the application side,
discussing many examples dealing with the analysis of observed data and with
the evaluation of model resuIts (Parts land 11). Some effort is also devoted to
the treatment of various techniques of pattern analysis (Part 111). Methods
like tele connections , EOF, SSA, CCA and POP are becoming routine tools
for the climate researcher and it is probably important for graduate students
to be exposed to them early in their academic career in a hopefully clear and
concise way.
A short subject index is included at the end of the volume to assist the
reader in the search of selected topics. Rather than attempting to reference
every possible occurrence of some topic we have preferred to indicate the
page where that topic is more extensively discussed.
It would not have been possible to complete this book without the enthusiastic support of many people who collaborated at various stages of preparation. We thank Ib Troen, of the EEC Commission, for his undemanding
effort to get things done and to put up with all these crazy scientists for two
weeks in Elba. Many thanks also go to Antonella Sapere and Marina Vereertbrugghen for their organizational support in Elba and to Marion Grunert and
Jörg Wegner for their essential help for preparing and adapting the diagrams.
The Editors
This book demonstrates applications of statistical thinking in climate (atmospheric, oceanographic) research. It aims at students in general, taking first
and second year courses at the graduate level.
The volume has grown from the lectures given du ring the Autumn School
on Elba. We have included here the arguments which referred explicitly to
applications of statistical techniques in climate science, since we feIt that
general descriptions of statistical methods, both at the introductory and at
advanced level, are already available. We tried to stress the application side,
discussing many examples dealing with the analysis of observed data and with
the evaluation of model resuIts (Parts land 11). Some effort is also devoted to
the treatment of various techniques of pattern analysis (Part 111). Methods
like tele connections , EOF, SSA, CCA and POP are becoming routine tools
for the climate researcher and it is probably important for graduate students
to be exposed to them early in their academic career in a hopefully clear and
concise way.
A short subject index is included at the end of the volume to assist the
reader in the search of selected topics. Rather than attempting to reference
every possible occurrence of some topic we have preferred to indicate the
page where that topic is more extensively discussed.
It would not have been possible to complete this book without the enthusiastic support of many people who collaborated at various stages of preparation. We thank Ib Troen, of the EEC Commission, for his undemanding
effort to get things done and to put up with all these crazy scientists for two
weeks in Elba. Many thanks also go to Antonella Sapere and Marina Vereertbrugghen for their organizational support in Elba and to Marion Grunert and
Jörg Wegner for their essential help for preparing and adapting the diagrams.
The Editors