Global Physical Climatology
- 3rd Edition - May 1, 2026
- Latest edition
- Author: Dennis L. Hartmann
- Language: English
Global Physical Climatology, Third Edition delineates the science of climate and climate change that spans the atmosphere, oceans, and land surfaces. The book begins with a detail… Read more
Global Physical Climatology, Third Edition delineates the science of climate and climate change that spans the atmosphere, oceans, and land surfaces. The book begins with a detailed introduction of the climate system and then introduces its physics, including the principles and processes that determine the structure and climate of the atmosphere, oceans, and land surfaces. More advanced sections apply the basic knowledge introduced earlier in the text in understanding natural variability of the climate in both the present and past, the sensitivity of climate to external forces, 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.
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 majors
- Provides an overview of the central themes of modern research on climate change that is 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
Students in upper undergraduate courses on climatology
1. Introduction to the Climate System
2. The Global Energy Balance
3. Atmospheric Radiative Transfer and Climate
4. The Energy Balance of the Surface
5. The Hydrologic Cycle
6. Atmospheric General Circulation and Climate
7. The Ocean General Circulation and Climate
8. Natural Intraseasonal and Interannual Variability
9. History and Evolution of Earth’s Climate
10. Climate Sensitivity and Feedback Mechanisms
11. Global Climate Models
12. Natural Climate Change
13. Anthropogenic Climate Change
2. The Global Energy Balance
3. Atmospheric Radiative Transfer and Climate
4. The Energy Balance of the Surface
5. The Hydrologic Cycle
6. Atmospheric General Circulation and Climate
7. The Ocean General Circulation and Climate
8. Natural Intraseasonal and Interannual Variability
9. History and Evolution of Earth’s Climate
10. Climate Sensitivity and Feedback Mechanisms
11. Global Climate Models
12. Natural Climate Change
13. Anthropogenic Climate Change
- Edition: 3
- Latest edition
- Published: May 1, 2026
- Language: English
DH
Dennis L. Hartmann
Professor Dennis 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 an emeritus professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Climate Sciences. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. 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.
Affiliations and expertise
Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA