Ideal for the upper-level undergraduate or introductory-level graduate course on climatology, the thoroughly updated third edition provides students with a comprehensive foundation of the climatic system. It begins with an overview of climatology basics, including a discussion on climatology versus meteorology and an introduction to the atmosphere. Also included in these introductory chapters is a discussion on air/sea interactions to assist readers in understanding this critical aspect of the earth/atmosphere system. Using a regional approach, discussions progress to more advanced concepts, such as microscale processes; climatic water balance; global atmospheric circulation; climatic classification; the spatial variability of climates; and much more. The comprehensive Third Edition provides up-to-date data through graphs and maps, and introduces new key terms that have crept into the science and public discourse.