First published in 1977, the second volume of Climate: Past, Present and Future covers parts III and IV of Professor Hubert Lamb's seminal and pioneering study of climatology.
Part III provides a survey of evidence of types of climates over the last million years, and of methods of dating that evidence. Through the earlier stages of the Earth's development the book traces what is known of the various geographies presented by the drifting continents and indicates what can be learnt about climatic regimes and the causes of climatic change. From the last ice age to the present our knowledge of the succession of climates is summarized, indicating prevailing temperatures, rainfalls, wind and ocean current patterns where possible.
Part IV considers events during the fifteen years prior to the book's initial publication, leading on to the problems of estimating the most probable future course of climatic development, and the influence of Man's activities on climate.
12. Man's Awareness of Climatic Changes
Part III: Climatic History
13. Evidence of Past Weather and Climate
14. Climate and the Long History of the Earth
15. The Quartenary Ice Ages and Interglacial Periods
16. Postglacial Times
17. Climate in Historical Times
18. Climate Since Instrument Records Began
Part IV: The Future
19. Man-Made Climatic Changes
20. Approaches to the Problem of Forecasting
"Professor Lamb has indeed served us well, in a complex field of study of the utmost significance to mankind"
– The Times Higher Education Supplement
"Destined to become one of the classics of climatology"
– Geographical Magazine
"Professor Lamb is to be congratulated on producing such an informative book, one which is almost certainly destined to become a classic synthesis of our present understanding of physical and dynamical climatology."
– Times Literary Supplement