Polyteknisk Boghandel

Climate Physics is a modern subject based on a space-era understanding of the physical properties of the atmosphere and ocean, their planetary-scale history and evolution, new global measurement systems and sophisticated computer models, which collectively make quantitative studies andpredictions possible. At the same time, interest in understanding the climate has received an enormous boost from the concern generated by the realization that rapid climate change, much of it forced by the relentless increase in population and industrialization, is potentially a serious threat tothe quality of life on Earth. Our ability to resist and overcome any such threat depends directly on our ability to understand what physical effects are involved and to predict how trends may develop. In an introductory course like that presented here, we want to clarify the basics, topic by topic,and see how far we can get by applying relatively simple Physics to the climate problem. This provides a foundation for more advanced work, which we can identify and appreciate at this level although of course a full treatment requires more advanced books, of which there are many.

1. The Climate System
2. Solar Radiation and the Energy Budget of the Earth
3. Atmosphere and Climate
4. Clouds and Aerosols
5. Ocean and Climate
6. Radiative Transfer
7. Earth's Energy Budget: The 'Greenhouse' Effect
8. The Ozone Layer
9. Climate Observations by Remote Sensing
10. Climate Sensitivity and Change
11. Climate Models and Predictions
12. Climate on Other Planets
13. Epilogue