The two chapters of this book originally appeared in "Air- Sea Exchange
of Gases and Particles", edited by P.S. Liss and W.G.N. Slinn. We wrote
them as a general introduction to the physical processes in the
atmosphere and ocean which govern the transport of gases and particles
in and between the two media. Our audience was to be graduate students
in physical chemistry of air and sea, and research workers wishing to
get started in this or a related field. It was Dr. Alan Longhurst,
Director-General of the Atlantic Region, Canada Department of Fisheries
and Oceans, who pointed out that our introduction had a far wider
audience: in fact, anyone with a scientific background who needs a basic
under- standing of the physics of the atmosphere and ocean. Dr. D.J.
Larner of Reidel agreed, and this book is the result. Since we expended
considerable effort to satisfy the demands of the physical chemists, and
also discussed the explanations much with our colleagues at home, we
expect the reader will find the two parts to be complementary and useful
as a unified reference text. On the other hand, since it was designed as
background material for a text on air-sea gas exchange and trans- port,
the more experienced reader will be aware that the picture presented
emphasizes transport and exchange processes while it ignores others. No
mention is made, for example, of weather forecasting; neither is
large-scale ocean modelling considered.