Micrometeorology is a branch of meteorology that is concerned with atmospheric phenomena and processes near the ground at scales of tens of meters to several kilometers. Progress in micrometeorologyismade throughexperimentalinvestigationofthesephenomenaandquantitative studyattemptingtobringordertoexperimentaldata. Studiesofsurfa- air ?ux play a crucial role in this endeavor. The current paradigm of micrometeorology builds on two premises: (i) that scale separation exists so that the microscale phenomena can be treated more or less in isolation of phenomena occurring at larger scales, and (ii) that these phenomena are in?uenced by the surface to such an extent that "external factors" can be ignored. Quantitative studies have been based on the assumption of horizontal homogeneity, which inevitably biases the investigation toward over-idealization of the real world by restricting it to perfectly ?at topography and daytime, fair weather conditions. This bias was noted by John Philip 40 years ago: "Experimenters attempt to avoid [advection] by working on sites downwind of extensive 'homogeneous' areas. Sometimes advection is invoked to explain otherwise inexplicable observations..." (J. Meteorol. 16, 535).

The Handbook of Micrometeorology is the most up-to-date reference for micrometeorological issues and methods related to the eddy covariance technique for estimating mass and energy exchange between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere. It is intended to provide micrometeorologists, ecosystem scientists, boundary-layer meteorologists, and students involved in micrometeorology with the state of science on measurement and analysis. The Handbook is the culmination of many detailed discussions of theory, analysis, and practical applications by the leading scientists in the field. It provides useful advice for bringing coherence to estimates of mass and energy exchange for understanding the role of the terrestrial biosphere in global environmental change.

From the reviews:

"This 'Handbook of Micrometeorology' manages to provide scientists and students in meteorology and fluid dynamics with the state of the art on the theory of the measurement and analysis of exchange of mass and energy between the biosphere and the atmosphere. ? this review on the theory of measuring the biosphere-atmosphere exchange by the eddy covariance technique ? should be available to all concerned with such measurements." (S. Emeis, Meteorologische Zeitschrift, Vol. 15 (2), 2006)

"This book provides a comprehensive review, of the many specific issues involved in taking eddy covariance measurements and analyzing and processing the data streams to produce flux estimates. ? it provides a unique resource for those who are interested in the details of this method and puts in context the difficulties involved in estimating land surface fluxes and the sources of uncertainty in the estimates. ? a valuable reference for those working in the area of characterizing land-atmosphere fluxes and their inherent uncertainty." (Steve Margulis, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, July, 2006)