This book was first published in 1978. It responds to a rapid growth of scientific and popular interest in questions of climatic change, variability and stability. The many distinguished contributors have combined to present a broad and authoritative interdisciplinary approach to the study of climatic change and its impact on mankind. There is a particular reference to data from the southern hemisphere. The topics discussed include a description of the physical basis of climate; the long- and short-term climatic record; models and mechanisms of climatic change; climate forecasting; and the economic, social and political implications of climatic change. While the book was intended as a university text suitable for introductory courses in the earth sciences, it is written with a minimum of mathematics and jargon. It is therefore intelligible to the interested lay person, and of relevance to those having responsibilities in areas such as economics, agriculture and environmental planning.