ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the climate effect of changes in atmospheric composition by natural and human agencies. Spatial variations of climate are a response to local considerations of latitude, distance from the sea, topography, land cover and a host of other factors. Temporal variations are equally a response to changes in the relative importance of particular controls. Seasonal changes in the radiation balance or surface pressure, diurnal changes in air movements, these may be just some of the influences producing changes in mass, momentum and energy. The climatic system is constantly seeking to readjust itself to accommodate changes in the mix of external and internal forcing agents. The climate system may be rendered unstable when key pathways for energy and moisture are interfered with. Climate extremes could be expressed in probability terms, and engineers and architects could design structures which provided an acceptable trade-off between construction cost and public safety.