Earth, like the other inner planets, receives virtually all of its energy from space in the form of solar electromagnetic radiation. The Earth's total heat content does not vary significantly with time, indicating a close overall balance between absorbed solar radiation and the diffuse stream of low-temperature, thermal radiation emitted by the plant. This book, a reprint of the second edition of Goody's classic work, is concerned with the interaction of solar electromagnetic energy with planetary atmospheres, the subsequent redistribution of this energy, and its ultimate return to space as terrestrial thermal radiation.