The Mechanisms of Earth’s Climate

Abstract

The article provides a coherent physical overview of the fundamental mechanisms that govern Earth’s climate. The authors clearly distinguish between weather and climate and introduce the energy balance as the central organizing principle. Solar radiation, reflection (albedo), and the greenhouse effect are treated both quantitatively and conceptually, including the dual role of clouds in cooling and warming. The article places natural climate variability in perspective across different timescales and discusses how anthropogenic influences differ in terms of their rate of change. For physicists, the text serves as a solid framework linking thermodynamics, radiation physics, and atmospheric dynamics.