Global Physical Climatology,

Edition 2

Editors: By Dennis L. Hartmann

Publication Date: 19 Dec 2015

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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.

Key Features

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 majors
Provides an overview of the central themes of modern research on climate change suitable for beginning researchers
Incorporates problem sets to aid learning
Offers an authoritative, clearly written, well-illustrated text with up-to-date data and modeling results

About the author

By Dennis L. Hartmann, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

Preface to the Second Edition
Preface to the First Edition
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Climate System
- Abstract
- 1.1. Atmosphere, ocean, and land surface
- 1.2. Atmospheric temperature
- 1.3. Atmospheric composition
- 1.4. Hydrostatic balance
- 1.5. Atmospheric humidity
- 1.6. Atmospheric thermodynamics, vertical stability and lapse rate
- 1.7. The world ocean
- 1.8. The cryosphere
- 1.9. The land surface
Chapter 2: The Global Energy Balance
- Abstract
- 2.1. Warmth and energy
- 2.2. The solar system
- 2.3. Energy balance of earth
- 2.4. Emission temperature of a planet
- 2.5. Greenhouse effect
- 2.6. Global radiative flux energy balance
- 2.7. Distribution of insolation
- 2.8. The energy balance at the top of the atmosphere
- 2.9. Poleward energy flux
Chapter 3: Atmospheric Radiative Transfer and Climate
- Abstract
- 3.1. Photons and minority constituents
- 3.2. The nature of electromagnetic radiation
- 3.3. Description of radiative energy
- 3.4. Planck’s law of blackbody emission
- 3.5. Selective absorption and emission by atmospheric gases
- 3.6. The Lambert–Bouguer–Beer law: Formulation of flux absorption
- 3.7. Infrared radiative transfer equation: absorption and emission
- 3.8. Heuristic model of radiative equilibrium
- 3.9. Clouds and radiation
- 3.10. Radiative–convective equilibrium temperature profiles
- 3.11. The role of clouds in the energy balance of earth
- 3.12. A simple model for the net radiative effect of cloudiness
- 3.13. Observations of real clouds
Chapter 4: The Energy Balance of the Surface
- Abstract
- 4.1. Contact point
- 4.2. The surface energy budget
- 4.3. Storage of heat in the surface
- 4.4. Radiative heating of the surface
- 4.5. The atmospheric boundary layer
- 4.6. Sensible and latent heat fluxes in the boundary layer
- 4.7. Diurnal variation of the surface energy balance
- 4.8. Seasonal variation of the energy balance of land areas
- 4.9. Geographic variation of the surface energy balance
Chapter 5: The Hydrologic Cycle
- Abstract
- 5.1. Water, essential to climate and life
- 5.2. The water balance
- 5.3. Surface water storage and runoff
- 5.4. Precipitation and dewfall
- 5.5. Evaporation and transpiration
- 5.6. Annual variation of the terrestrial water balance
- 5.7. Modeling the land surface water balance
Chapter 6: Atmospheric General Circulation and Climate
- Abstract
- 6.1. The great communicator
- 6.2. Energy balance of the atmosphere
- 6.3. Atmospheric motions and the meridional transport of energy
- 6.4. The angular-momentum balance
- 6.5. Large-scale circulation patterns and climate
Chapter 7: The Ocean General Circulation and Climate
- Abstract
- 7.1. Cauldron of climate
- 7.2. Properties of seawater
- 7.3. The mixed layer
- 7.4. The wind-driven circulation
- 7.5. Theories for wind-driven circulations
- 7.6. The deep thermohaline circulation
- 7.7. Transport of energy in the ocean
- 7.8. Mechanisms of transport in the ocean
Chapter 8: Natural Intraseasonal and Interannual Variability
- Abstract
- 8.1. Stuff happens
- 8.2. Internal atmospheric variability
- 8.3. El Niño, La Niña, and the southern oscillation
- 8.4. Decadal variations of weather and climate
Chapter 9: History and Evolution of Earth’s Climate
- Abstract
- 9.1. Past is prologue
- 9.2. The instrumental record
- 9.3. The historical record
- 9.4. Natural recording systems: the paleoclimatic record
- 9.5. A brief survey of Earth’s climate history
- 9.6. Uses of paleoclimatic data
Chapter 10: Climate Sensitivity and Feedback Mechanisms
- Abstract
- 10.1. Fools’ experiments
- 10.2. Objective measures of climate sensitivity and feedback
- 10.3. Basic radiative feedback processes
- 10.4. Ice–albedo feedback
- 10.5. Dynamical feedbacks and meridional energy transport
- 10.6. Longwave and evaporation feedbacks in the surface energy balance
- 10.7. Cloud feedback
- 10.8. Biogeochemical feedbacks
Chapter 11: Global Climate Models
- Abstract
- 11.1. Mathematical modeling
- 11.2. Historical development of climate models
- 11.3. The atmospheric component
- 11.4. The land component
- 11.5. The ocean component
- 11.6. Sea ice models
- 11.7. Validation of climate model simulations
- 11.8. Feedback strength and sensitivity estimates from climate models
- 11.9. Coupled atmosphere–ocean processes and the thermohaline circulation
Chapter 12: Natural Climate Change
- Abstract
- 12.1. Natural forcing of climate change
- 12.2. Solar luminosity variations
- 12.3. Natural aerosols and climate
- 12.4. Volcanic eruptions and stratospheric aerosols
- 12.5. The orbital parameter theory of ice ages
- 12.6. Modeling of ice age climates
Chapter 13: Anthropogenic Climate Change
- Abstract
- 13.1. The wings of Daedalus
- 13.2. Humans and the greenhouse effect
- 13.3. Carbon dioxide
- 13.4. Methane
- 13.5. Halocarbons
- 13.6. Nitrous oxide
- 13.7. Ozone
- 13.8. Anthropogenic aerosols and climate
- 13.9. Changing surface conditions
- 13.10. Climate forcing by humans
- 13.11. Global warming potential
- 13.12. Equilibrium climate changes
- 13.13. Detection and attribution
- 13.14. Time-dependent climate changes
- 13.15. Projections of future climate
- 13.16. Outlook for the future
- 13.17. Climate intervention: geoengineering the climate of earth
Appendix A: Calculation of Insolation Under Current Conditions
Appendix B: Symbol Definitions
Appendix C: Système International (SI) Units
Appendix D: Useful Numerical Values
Appendix E: Answers to Selected Exercises
Glossary
References
Subject Index

ISBN: 9780123285317

Page Count: 498

Retail Price (USD) :

Wallace and Hobbs, Atmospheric Science 2e, 9780127329512, 2006, Academic Press, $72.95
Holton and Hakim, An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology 5e, 9780123848666, 2012, Academic Press, $94.95
Salby, Fundamentals of Atmospheric Physics, 9780126151602, 1996, Academic Press, $94.95
Arya, Statistical Methods in the Atmospheric Sciences 3e, 780123850225, 1995, Academic Press, $99.95
Arya, Introduction to Micrometeorology 2e, 9780120593545, 2001, Academic Press, $118.00

Upper division undergraduates and graduates in meteorology, atmospheric science, oceanography, and other environmental fields; suitable for students with a background of at least one year of college physics and calculus. Researchers in academia, government (military, NOAA, NWS). Policymakers.

Global Physical Climatology,

Editors: By Dennis L. Hartmann

Key Features

About the author

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