Statistical Analysis of Climate Extremes

The risks posed by climate change and its effect on climate extremes are an increasingly pressing societal problem. This book provides an accessible overview of the statistical analysis methods which can be used to investigate climate extremes and analyse potential risk. The statistical analysis methods are illustrated with case studies on extremes in the three major climate variables: temperature, precipitation, and wind speed. The book also provides datasets and access to appropriate analysis software, allowing the reader to replicate the case study calculations. Providing the necessary tools to analyse climate risk, this book is invaluable for students and researchers working in the climate sciences, as well as risk analysts interested in climate extremes.

Table of Contents:
1. Introduction; 2. Data; 3. Methods; 4. Floods and droughts; 5. Heatwaves and cold spells; 6. Hurricanes and other storms; Appendix A. Climate measurements; Appendix B. Natural climate archives; Appendix C. Physical climate models; Appendix D. Statistical inference; Appendix E. Numerical techniques; Appendix F. Data and software; Appendix G. List of symbols and abbreviations; References; Index.

About the Author :
Manfred Mudelsee is founder of the research company Climate Risk Analysis, and a visiting scientist at the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research. His research focuses on how climate change is related to extreme climate and weather. He is a member of the European Geosciences Union and International Association for Mathematical Geosciences.

Review :
'As I write this - with fires raging across Australia, floods submerging the capital of Indonesia, and tornados having recently devastated parts of the southern United States - it is difficult to imagine a more timely and relevant book. In this accessible and comprehensive introduction to the tools and methods of analyzing extreme climate and weather events, Mudelsee equips researchers with the knowledge they will need to understand such data. Scientific advisors to politicians and governments will find it an invaluable resource as the world's climate continues to change.' David J. Hand, Imperial College London '… an excellent textbook for upper-level undergraduate and graduate-level university courses, targeted toward students interested in the extreme weather aspects of climate change, as well as their impacts. It is also useful to those professionals who want to apply rigorous statistical methods to real-world climate change issues. Practical examples illustrate useful methods for describing climate and weather extremes, as well as the author's personal viewpoints on the subject. The textbook is accessible to readers with an introductory statistics background and clearly explains the utility of statistical modeling of climate and weather extremes.' Michael F. Wehner, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 'This is a very important and timely book. With global warming our society is increasingly challenged by the risks associated with weather and climate extremes. In times of ever-growing amounts of data, it is essential to provide accessible knowledge and guidance on how to analyze extreme events under climate change in the presences of various sources of uncertainty and complexity. Mudelsee's book is an exceptional contribution to educate students, teachers and scientists working on the interface of climate sciences, statistics and risk analysis. Last but not least, the book serves as an excellent educational resource as it provides exercises and reading material for different kinds of applications and extreme events, such as heatwaves, floods, droughts and storms, and information on data and software.' Jana Sillmann, CICERO Center for International Climate Research, Oslo