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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.
List of contents
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
About the author
Professor D.L. Hartmann received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Portland, and his PhD in Geophysical Fluid Dynamics from Princeton University. After postdoctoral appointments at McGill University and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, he joined the faculty of the University of Washington, where he is currently a professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, and Senior Fellow of the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean.Professor Hartmann’s research interests include dynamics of the atmosphere, atmosphere-ocean interaction, climate feedback processes and climate change. His primary areas of expertise are atmospheric dynamics, radiation and remote sensing, and mathematical and statistical techniques for data analysis.
