Hervé Le Treut, Polytechnique, Sorbonne University and ENS, France.
Mounia Mostefaoui, Sorbonne University and ENS, France.
ISBN : 9781789452303
Publication Date : September 2025
Hardcover 352 pp
165.00 USD
Co-publisher
Energetics of the Climate System is derived from a course taught by Hervé Le Treut, who has been delivering this lecture series for decades to students at institutions such as the École Normale Supérieure, École Polytechnique, and Sorbonne University, along with students from other international institutions. This book offers a comprehensive understanding of the intricate energetics driving the Earth’s climate system.
The goal was not only to capture the depth and complexity of this subject, but also to preserve the pedagogical brilliance and unique storytelling style of Hervé Le Treut. This work stands as both a tribute to his remarkable contributions and a reflection of his passion for teaching, having mentored generations of climatologists, engineers, and economists, many of whom – including the co-author Mounia Mostefaoui – have greatly benefited from his guidance.
The text retains elements of an oral presentation to evoke the professor’s distinctive voice and teaching approach. The book is structured into five chapters, each independent and deeply interconnected, and is complemented by an appendix of exercises to reinforce its material.
1. A Description of the Main Constraints Regulating the Earth Climate.
2. The Vertical Dimension of the Energy Processes of the Climate System: Radiative Processes and Radiative–Convective Models.
3. The Horizontal Motion of Atmospheric and Oceanic Transport.
4. A Transition from Quasi-Equilibrium to Forcing from Anthropogenic Source: A Cartography of Predictable Phenomena, Uncertainties and Feedback Related to the Climate Response to Anthropogenic Disturbance.
5. From Scientific Diagnostic to Decision-Making.
Hervé Le Treut worked as IPSL Director for IPCC between 2008 and 2019. He built his internationally recognized research career at Polytechnique, Sorbonne University and ENS, France. He co-created AcclimaTerra and received several distinctions. He is a knight of the Legion of Honor.
Mounia Mostefaoui graduated from Polytechnique and completed her PhD in physics of climate change at LMD-IPSL, France. Her advisors were Hervé Le Treut and Philippe Ciais. She was Expert Reviewer for the AR6 IPCC report and participated in several COPs as a speaker in the IPCC Pavilion.
