Climatic Change and Variability
A Southern Perspective

This book presents a broad and authoritative interdisciplinary approach to the study of climatic change and its impact on mankind.

A. B. Pittock (Edited by), L. A. Frakes (Edited by), D. Jenssen (Edited by), J. A. Peterson (Edited by), J. W. Zillman (Edited by)

9780521172264, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 17 February 2011

480 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.7 cm, 0.7 kg

This book was first published in 1978. It responds to a rapid growth of scientific and popular interest in questions of climatic change, variability and stability. The many distinguished contributors have combined to present a broad and authoritative interdisciplinary approach to the study of climatic change and its impact on mankind. There is a particular reference to data from the southern hemisphere. The topics discussed include a description of the physical basis of climate; the long- and short-term climatic record; models and mechanisms of climatic change; climate forecasting; and the economic, social and political implications of climatic change. While the book was intended as a university text suitable for introductory courses in the earth sciences, it is written with a minimum of mathematics and jargon. It is therefore intelligible to the interested lay person, and of relevance to those having responsibilities in areas such as economics, agriculture and environmental planning.

List of contributors
Foreword C. H. B. Priestley
Preface
Part I. An Overview A. B. Pittock: Part II. The Physical Basis of Climate: 1. The climatic system
2. The general circulation of the atmosphere G. B. Tucker
3. The role of the oceans B. V. Hamon and J. S. Godfrey
Part III. The Long-Term Climatic Record: 4. Cenozoic climates: Antarctica and the Southern Ocean L. A. Frakes
5. Some results of the CLIMAP project N. J. Shackleton
6. Climatic and topographic changes from glaciological data D. Jenssen
7. Quaternary climates of the Australian region D. Walker
8. Closed lakes and the palaeoclimatic record D. M. Churchill, R. W. Galloway and G. Singh
9. Eustatic sea-level changes and environmental gradients H. A. Martin and J. A. Peterson
10. Abrupt events in climatic history H. Flohn
Part IV. Patterns of Shorter-Term Change and Variability: 11. Climatic variability and extremes W. J. Gibbs, J. V. Maher and M. J. Coughlan
12. Climatic fluctuations during the period of historical and instrumental record R. G. Barry
13. Patterns of variability in relation to the general circulation A. B. Pittock
14. The Southern Oscillation P. B. Wright
15. Regional mechanisms and variations S. Hastenrath, J. Williams, H. van Loon and M. J. Coughlan
Part V. Models of Climatic Change: 16. Global cycles and climate R. W. Fairbridge
16. Theories of Upper Quaternary ice ages J. Chappell
17. Modelling of ice masses: implications for climatic change W. Budd and B. McInnes
18. Mathematical modelling of climate J. S. A. Green and G. W. Paltridge
19. Volcanic events, climate, and climate modelling J. R. Bray and B. G. Hunt
Part VI. Modification of Climate: 20. The biosphere, atmospheric composition and climate I. E. Galbally and J. R. Freney
21. Atmospheric carbon dioxide: recent advances in monitoring and research G. I. Pearman
Part VII. The Effect of Climatic Change and Variability on Mankind: 22. Cultural and economic aspects G. W. Arnold, K. A. Galbraith and P. J. Walsh
23. Climate and the historians J. L. Anderson
24. The cultural, economic and climatic records R. A. Bryson
25. Economic and political issues W. J. Maunder
26. Mankind, climate and doomsday science M. Charlesworth
Part VIII. Progress and Prospect: 27. The problem of short-term climatic forecasting R. A. S. Ratcliffe
28. Possible future climatic trends: a panel discussion
29. Reflections on climatological research G. Manley, J. Oliver and B. R. Morton
References
Indices.

Subject Areas: Meteorology & climatology [RBP]