A concise presentation of current knowledge of climate change and its implications for society, this new edition is ideal for introductory courses within the departments of meteorology, oceanography, environmental science, earth science, geography, agriculture and social science. It will also interest a reader concerned with climate change.

1. Introduction; 2. Radiation and the Earth's energy balance; 3. The elements of the climate; 4. The measurement of climate change; 5. Statistics, significance and cycles; 6. The natural causes of climate change; 7. Human activities; 8. Evidence of climate change; 9. Consequences of climate change; 10. Modelling the climate; 11. Predicting climate change; Bibliography; Glossary; Index.

'... a recommended read for the informed layman and student seeking a wider background in this topical but complex field.' Grant Bigg, Weather'The book is well written, contains practically no mathematics and yet manages to explain, in a clear and attractive style, the subtleties of the subject ... I recommend it to everybody interested in the climate of our earth.' Michael Hantel, Meteoroligsche Zeitschrift'... the book enthusiastically achieves its aims of not oversimplifying but explaining the complexities of what is well established and unknown about the climate system for a wider audience ...' Claire Goodess, International Journal of Climatology'Burroughs is to be congratulated for having written a serious and up-to-date book that competently surveys many highly technical aspects of modern climate science but manages to do so in a non-mathematical manner.' American Meteorological Society"...an excellent synthesis of current knowledge of the climate system and past and present climates. ... This book will become an oft-cited reference for climate researchers and students, and should be essential reading for politicians and managers involved in issues of climate change. ...presents the basics surrounding climate change in a simple way while pointing out the complexity of climate-data collection, processing, and interpretation. Burroughs must be congratulated on this achievement. This new edition gives readers an up-to-date and appealing reference that provides a scholarly foundation for improving our understanding of climate change and its future economic and political implications." - Raphael Wust, OceanographyPraise of the First Edition: "The book is best appreciated by those with an understanding of science, particularly earth sciences, and will be of interest to many following the climate change discussions." American Meteorological Society, October 2001"Burroughs is to be congratulated for having written a serious and up-to-date book that competently surveys many highly technical aspects of modern climate science but manages to do so in a nonmathematical manner." American Meteorlogical Society, June 2002