The Hawaiian Islands are small in area, but they resemble continents in miniature with climates ranging from tropical rainforest to desert to tundra. Prevailing Trade Winds: Weather and Climate in Hawaii, intended for students of geography, biology, ecology, and hydrology, for visitors interested in the natural phenomena of the places they visit, and for island residents, explains in clear language the many aspects of the climate and weather of Hawaii.

Weather is usually defined as the current state of the atmosphere, while climate denotes average weather and includes the variability and frequency of the factors that produce weather. The authors of this volume discuss the factors that control climate; the radiation, energy, and water balances; the impact of climate on human activity; the climate-related meanings of many place names in Hawaii; and the importance of the climate of Hawaii for scientific research.

Contributors: Paul Ekern, Tom Giambelluca, Dennis Nullet, Saul Price, Marie Sanderson, and Thomas Schroeder.