F. W. Taylor – författare

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 and predictions 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 to the 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.

When this book was first published in 1984, the technique of remote sounding was growing rapidly in importance as a means for studying the structure, climate and weather of the atmospheres of the Earth and planets. Measurements from Earth satellites and interplanetary spacecraft proved particularly useful because they allowed good coverage of atmospheric systems in space and time, often with high resolution. This book describes how measurements can be made of the properties of the Earth and planets using this method. It includes descriptions of the scientific principles, technical implementation, mathematical methods for analysing the measurements, a history of measurements that have been made and discussions of the phenomena that have been discovered and studied using remote sounding. The technique is important for meteorology, climatology and an understanding of humankind's impact on the Earth's atmosphere.