In this wide-ranging Very Short Introduction to climate Mark Maslin considers all aspects of the global climate system exploring & explaining the different components that control climate on Earth He considers the processes that allow energy to reach the Earth & how it is redistributed around the planet by the ocean-atmosphere system; the relationship & differences between climate & the weather; how climate has affected life on Earth & human settlements; & the cyclic & quasi-cyclic features of climate such as the Milankovitch cycles & El Nino He concludes by touching on the issue of climate change & outlines some of the approaches that are now being taken to tackle it ABOUT THE SERIES The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly Our expert authors combine facts analysis perspective new ideas & enthusiasm to make interesting & challenging topics highly readable