Global Physical Climatology

Global Physical Climatology, Second Edition, provides an introduction to the science of climate and climate change that spans the atmosphere, ocean, and land surface, and the interactions among them.

It begins with a basic introduction to the climate system, and then introduces the physics of the climate system, including the principles and processes that determine the structure and climate of the atmosphere, ocean, and land surface. More advanced topics apply the basic knowledge introduced to understanding natural variability of the climate in both the present and past, the sensitivity of climate to external forcing, explanations for the ice ages, and the science of human-induced climate change. The physical principles and computer models necessary for understanding past climate and predicting future climate are also discussed.

This book is recommended for upper division undergraduates and graduates in meteorology, atmospheric science, oceanography, and other environmental fields. It is also suitable for students with a background of at least one year of college physics and calculus as well as researchers in academia, government (military, NOAA, NWS), and policymakers.

Covers a great range of information on the Earth’s climate system and how it works Includes a basic introduction to the physics of climate suitable for physical science majorsProvides an overview of the central themes of modern research on climate change suitable for beginning researchersIncorporates problem sets to aid learning Offers an authoritative, clearly written, well-illustrated text with up-to-date data and modeling results

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Climate System

Chapter 2: The Global Energy Balance

Chapter 3: Atmospheric Radiative Transfer and Climate

Chapter 4: The Energy Balance of the Surface

Chapter 5: The Hydrologic Cycle

Chapter 6: Atmospheric General Circulation and Climate

Chapter 7: The Ocean General Circulation and Climate

Chapter 8: Natural Intraseasonal and Interannual Variability

Chapter 9: History and Evolution of Earth’s Climate

Chapter 10: Climate Sensitivity and Feedback Mechanisms

Chapter 11: Global Climate Models

Chapter 12: Natural Climate Change

Chapter 13: Anthropogenic Climate Change