"Climate system", or the part of the earth near the surface

Components
Atmosphere (non-ionized part)
approximated by 2 components: "dry air" and water vapor
Ocean
approximated by 2 components: water and "salinity"
Cryosphere
snow pack, sea ice, glaciers and ice sheets, permafrost
Land (surface)
functions related to exchanges of energy, water & momentum only
including some functions of life (water metabolism of land plants etc.)
Important issues that cannot be handled from this viewpoint
Changes of constituents of atmosphere and ocean other than water
carbon cycle, photochemistry related to ozone
Processes of erosion and sedimentation
Crustal movement
(Deformation of solid earth is included in discussion of ice sheets)
Behaviour of ecosystems
Human activity (those not directly affecting energy and water cycles)