In this acclaimed textbook, John Houghton provides a comprehensive and concise description of the physical processes governing the structure and the circulation of the atmosphere. Completely revised and updated, the third edition contains much new and expanded material. New chapters have been introduced on topics of strong contemporary interest such as Chaos and Predictability and Climate Change. The chapters on global observations (especially through remote sensing) and numerical modeling have also been substantially extended. Like its predecessors, which received excellent reviews, this new edition will be an essential textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in meteorology, atmospheric physics, remote sensing, climate science, environmental science, and planetary science. Researchers and professionals in atmospheric physics and meteorology will also find it an excellent and up-to-date review of their subject.