Climate as a problem in physics

Abstract

The logical fundamentals of the theory of climate are outlined: (1) The climate system OLA (Ocean-Land-Atmosphere) is defined; (2) Analogous to the theory of turbulence, the notion of climate is defined as a multicomponent random function in the OLA space-time (or, equivalently, as a statistical ensemble of states the OLA system passes through in a period of several decades); (3) The solar climate - i.e. the distribution of solar radiation in the upper atmosphere - is determined, to be employed as the boundary condition for the OLA system; (4) 'Horizontal' heat and mass transfer processes between the equatorial and polar zones are described; (5) The 'vertical' processes of radiative- convective heat and mass transfer, in particular the 'green house effect' of water vapour and small gas admixtures, are discussed; (6) The 'vertical' radiative heat transfer processes in an aerosol-containing atmosphere is considered, including the 'anti-green house effect' of volcanic and smoke aerosols, and the 'nuclear night' and 'nuclear winter' scenarios.