ABSTRACT
In the present chapter we are primarily concerned with the large-scale air flow pattern of the whole globe: the general circulation of the atmosphere. In addition to providing our winds, the general circulation serves to redistribute energy and moisture, modifying their latitudinal imbalances and thus establishing the climate. In this chapter we shall emphasise the processes acting to create and control this circulation, and then consider the global-scale climate regions which result. Detailed discussion of these regions is deferred to the subsequent chapters. Throughout, we shall also refer to the companion to the atmospheric circulation, the general circulation of the ocean. This is also involved in energy redistribution and climate production. Interactions between the two circulations, by no means fully understood, are proving to be vital for a full appreciation of climate and climate variability.
