The Oceans and Climate - 2nd Edition

Paperback  286 pages 197 line diagrams 6 half-tones  ISBN 0521016347      £30.00

The oceans are an integral and important part of the climate system. The Oceans and Climate introduces the multi-disciplinary controls on air-sea interaction - physical, chemical and biological - and shows how these interact. It demonstrates how the ocean contributes to, and is affected by, climate processes on timescales from seasonal to millennial and longer. Past, present and future relationships between the ocean and climate are discussed. The new edition of this successful textbook has been completely updated throughout, with extensive new material on thermohaline processes in the ocean and their link to both abrupt climate change and longer-term climate change. It will prove an ideal course and reference book for undergraduate and graduate students studying earth and environmental sciences, oceanography, meteorology and climatology. The book will also be useful for students and teachers of geography, physics, chemistry and biology.

'Climate change has influenced the origin and growth of early civilisations and will continue to do so. Grant Bigg's The Oceans and Climate introduces a multidisciplinary approach to this central problem affecting human wellbeing ... The book takes us through the planetary phenomena that affect global climate ... offers an excellent mathematical introduction to these complex issues, and should be read by students of oceanography, whatever their background.'
New Scientist

Contents

1. The climate system; 2. Physical interaction between the ocean and atmosphere; 3. Chemical interaction of the atmosphere and ocean; 4. Biochemical interaction of the atmosphere and ocean; 5. Large-scale air-sea interaction; 6. The ocean and natural climatic variability; 7. The ocean and climatic change; Appendixes; Glossary; Bibliography; Index.