Climatology

GLOBAL EQUILIBRIUM 8-

PURE AIR10-

ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS 12-

COLLISION 14-

COLORS IN THE SKY 16-

SATELLITE IMAGE

In this image of the Earth,

one clearly sees the movement

of water and air, which causes,

among other things,

temperature variations.

T

he constantly moving

atmosphere, the oceans, the

continents, and the great

masses of ice are the principal

components of the

environment. All these constitute what is

called the climatic system; they

permanently interact with one another

and transport water (as liquid or vapor),

electromagnetic radiation, and heat.

Within this complex system, one of the

fundamental variables is temperature,

which experiences the most change and

is the most noticeable. The wind is

important because it carries heat and

moisture into the atmosphere. Water,

with all its processes (evaporation,

condensation, convection), also plays a

fundamental role in Earth's climatic

system.