A Four-Book Series

The Atmosphere Explained

For Non-Scientists

Climate, weather, water, and the physics of the sky — no equations, no politics, no alarm. Just the evidence, laid out clearly.

By Mark L. Morrissey and Susan Postawko
Professors Emeriti — School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma

The Books About the Series Ask a Question The Authors

The Series

Four books, one complete picture

Each book stands alone, but they build on each other — starting with the physics of heat, moving to the tropics, then water, and finally the storms and fronts that shape daily weather.

What Greenhouse Gases Really Do cover

Book 1

What Greenhouse Gases Really Do

They Don't Turn Up the Sun — They Redistribute Heat

Starting with a house and its insulation, this book explains the actual physics of greenhouse warming — what the molecules do, and why the result is not what most people picture.

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Why the Tropics Matter cover

Book 2

Why the Tropics Matter

A Guide to Tropical Weather and Its Global Reach

The tropics drive global circulation. This book explains why — from the ITCZ and trade winds to monsoons and hurricanes, and why what happens near the equator affects weather everywhere.

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The Restless Molecule cover

Book 3

The Restless Molecule

Water, Air, and the Physics of Weather

Water's phase changes release and absorb enormous amounts of energy. This book traces water's journey through the atmosphere and what it does along the way.

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When Air Masses Collide cover

Book 4

When Air Masses Collide

Fronts, Storms, and Why Forecasts Are Hard

Mid-latitude weather — the fronts, cyclones, and jet stream that produce most of the weather across the continental US, Europe, and similar latitudes.

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About the Series

Written for the curious adult

This series is written for the curious adult who is tired of being told what to think about the atmosphere.

Each book takes one topic — greenhouse gases, tropical weather, the physics of water, or mid-latitude storms — and follows the evidence step by step, using familiar analogies instead of equations or jargon.

The goal is not to hand you conclusions. It is to give you the tools to reach them yourself. Starting with something as familiar as a house and its insulation, each book builds on the last, until the science is not something you are told but something you understand.

The authors spent decades teaching atmospheric science at the graduate level, and years traveling the Pacific with the SPaRCE program — giving climate talks on remote islands where rising seas and stronger storms were not abstract concerns but everyday reality. That experience shaped every page of this series.

Interactive

Ask a Question

Have a question about weather, climate, or anything covered in the series? Ask it here — answers draw on the content across all four books.

The Authors

Mark L. Morrissey & Susan Postawko

Professors Emeriti from the University of Oklahoma's School of Meteorology, with careers spanning research, education, and fieldwork across the Pacific.

Mark L. Morrissey

Professor Emeritus, University of Oklahoma · University of Hawaii

Mark's research focused on tropical Pacific rainfall measurement, satellite algorithm verification, and observational sampling error. As co-director of the SPaRCE program, he worked directly with Pacific island communities on climate education for over a decade. He now lives in Hawaii.

Susan Postawko

Professor Emerita, University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology

Susan's research spanned climate variability, atmospheric modeling, and science education. She co-directed the SPaRCE program alongside Mark and has extensive experience translating complex atmospheric science for non-specialist audiences, both in the classroom and in the field.