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This book consists of the articles from the special issue of “‘Hot Spots'in the Climate System” in the Journal of Oceanography, Vol. 71 No. 5, 2015, comprising 9 chapters that cover a wide spectrum of topics. This spinoff book is a collection of papers on the scientific outcomes of a nationwide 5-year project funded by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and known internationally as the “Hot-Spot Project.” The academic achievement of the project has gained international recognition, making substantial contribution to unveiling the climatic role of warm western boundary ocean currents, including the Kuroshio, and associated oceanic fronts characterized by sharp temperature gradients and active meso-scale oceanic eddies. Specifically, those warm currents may be called “hot spots” in the climate system, as they intensively release heat and moisture to the atmosphere, thereby acting to organize clouds and precipitation systems and set conditions favorable for recurrent development of storms. This spinoff is a unique collection of the outcome of the particular project. The collected papers cover a wide range of aspects of ocean–atmosphere interaction characteristic of the oceanic fronts and continental marginal seas, unveiled through observational, theoretical, analytical, and numerical investigations. Most of the readers of the book are assumed to be researchers and graduate students who study climate dynamics, physical oceanography, atmospheric science, and air–sea interaction.

Science of Weather, Climate and Ocean Extremes presents an evidence-based view of the most important ways in which the build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is affecting both our atmosphere and the oceans. The book provides compelling reasons why concerted action is required to slow the rate at which the atmosphere and oceans are changing. It not only covers longer-term changes in extremes and their causes, but also considers the drivers and attribution of extreme events, including relevant methods and techniques. Members of the Royal Meteorological Society are eligible for a 35% discount on all Developments in Weather and Climate Science series titles. See the RMetS member dashboard for the discount code. Provides an evidence-based understanding of a significant risk to the future performance of human and natural systems Includes assessments, advice and recommendations of extreme weather and climate events Features case studies from around the globe to provide further context to the research