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Nine scientific journals and two monograph series are published by the Society under the direction of its Publications Commission: the Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, Journal of Physical Oceanography, Monthly Weather Review, Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, Journal of Climate, Weather and Forecasting, Journal of Hydrometeorology, Earth Interactions, Meteorological Monograph Series, and Historical Monograph Series. In addition, beginning in the autumn of 2009, a tenth peer-reviewed journal, Weather, Climate, and Society, will begin publication.

All papers appearing in these serials have undergone peer review and editorial judgment by an editorial board appointed by the AMS Council. The editorial board is composed of volunteers who oversee the peer-review portion of the editorial process. Accepted papers are then sent to AMS Headquarters, where the full-time publications staff carries out the production portion of the publication process.

The history of AMS journals is an interesting one. It began in 1944 with publication of the Journal of Meteorology. In 1962 this first AMS journal was divided into the Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences and the Journal of Applied Meteorology. In 1983 climatology was added to the latter journal, and it became the Journal of Climate and Applied Meteorology. By 1988 the climatology articles spread among the AMS journals had become such that it was possible to split off a separate Journal of Climate, leaving the Journal of Applied Meteorology with its original title and content. In 2006, the Journal of Applied Meteorology was given the new name Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology to reflect a renewed editorial focus on publishing applied climatological research, including climate as it relates to the environment and society, that may not be appropriate for the Journal of Climate.

The growth of research in the oceanographic sciences led, in 1971, to the founding of the Journal of Physical Oceanography. Monthly Weather Review, which had been published by the U.S. government since 1872, became a journal of the AMS in 1974. The Society began the Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology in 1984 and Weather and Forecasting in 1986. The Journal of Hydrometeorology, began in 2000. Beginning in autumn 2009, Weather, Climate, and Society will fill a niche to accommodate research that addresses the interactions of weather and climate with society, including economic, policy, institutional, social, and behavioral research.
The Meteorological Monograph Series, devoted to the occasional publication of extended papers or a series of related shorter papers addressing a single theme, began in 1947 with a review of developments in applied climatology resulting from World War II. The 54th volume in this series appeared in 2004. Under the aegis of the Board of Meteorological Monographs, but with a separate editor, is the Historical Monograph Series. Its first volume was published in 1977; the two latest were released in 2007.

An all-electronic journal, whose first articles appeared in 1997, is an additional publication of the AMS. This journal, Earth Interactions, is an interdisciplinary journal in the earth system sciences that exploits the capabilities of electronic publication to their maximum effect. For this journal, the AMS has been joined by two other societies, the American Geophysical Union and the Association of American Geographers, who are serving as copublishers. While this new journal is fully peer reviewed and edited at the high level associated with other AMS journals, its editorial style is a blend of the copublishers’ styles and the means of submission is markedly different than that for print journals. This guide does not cover the information necessary to contributors to Earth Interactions, but this information can be found on the Earth Interactions Web site.