Interactions that create Earth's climate and may result in climate change
Earth's climate system is a complex system with five interacting components: the atmosphere (air), the hydrosphere (water), the cryosphere (ice and permafrost), the lithosphere (earth's upper rocky layer) and the biosphere (living things).[1]Climate is the statistical characterization of the climate system.[2] It represents the average weather, typically over a period of 30 years, and is determined by a combination of processes, such as ocean currents and wind patterns.[3][4] Circulation in the atmosphere and oceans transports heat from the tropical regions to regions that receive less energy from the Sun. Solar radiation is the main driving force for this circulation. The water cycle also moves energy throughout the climate system. In addition, certain chemical elements are constantly moving between the components of the climate system. Two examples for these biochemical cycles are the carbon and nitrogen cycles.
The climate system can change due to internal variability and external forcings. These external forcings can be natural, such as variations in solar intensity and volcanic eruptions, or caused by humans. Accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, mainly being emitted by people burning fossil fuels, is causing climate change. Human activity also releases cooling aerosols, but their net effect is far less than that of greenhouse gases.[1] Changes can be amplified by feedback processes in the different climate system components.
^ abcPlanton 2013, p. 1451.
^Planton 2013, p. 1450.
^"Climate systems". climatechange.environment.nsw.gov.au. Archived from the original on 2019-05-06. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
^"Earth's climate system". World Ocean Review. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
Earth's climatesystem is a complex system with five interacting components: the atmosphere (air), the hydrosphere (water), the cryosphere (ice and permafrost)...
usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climatesystem. Climate change...
wind, and precipitation. In a broader sense, climate is the state of the components of the climatesystem, including the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere...
Climate classifications are systems that categorize the world's climates. A climate classification may correlate closely with a biome classification,...
leads to large, accelerating and often irreversible changes in the climatesystem. If tipping points are crossed, they are likely to have severe impacts...
Since the Industrial Revolution, the climate has increasingly been affected by human activities. The climatesystem receives nearly all of its energy from...
that advances basic understanding of the dynamics and physics of the climatesystem on large spatial scales, including variability of the atmosphere, oceans...
treaty among countries to combat "dangerous human interference with the climatesystem". The main way to do this is limiting the increase in greenhouse gases...
Center for ClimateSystem Observation. Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2011. "Beltsville Center for ClimateSystem Observation...
Numerical climate models (or climatesystem models) are mathematical models that can simulate the interactions of important drivers of climate. These drivers...
Mediterranean climate (/ˌmɛdɪtəˈreɪniən/ MED-ih-tə-RAY-nee-ən), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen as Cs, is a temperate climate type that...
The Trewartha climate classification (TCC) or the Köppen–Trewartha climate classification (KTC) is a climate classification system first published by American...
how fast the climate changes. Large positive feedbacks can lead to tipping points—abrupt or irreversible changes in the climatesystem—depending upon...
The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) was established in 1992 as an outcome of the Second World Climate Conference, to ensure that the observations...
An abrupt climate change occurs when the climatesystem is forced to transition at a rate that is determined by the climatesystem energy-balance. The...
system that can either amplify (a positive feedback) or diminish (a negative feedback) the effects of a change in climate forcing. The climatesystem...
Effects of climate change are well documented and growing for Earth's natural environment and human societies. Changes to the climatesystem include an...
The Community ClimateSystem Model (CCSM) is a coupled general circulation model (GCM) developed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research...
(IPO). Climate models are used for a variety of purposes from studying the dynamics of the weather and climatesystem to predictions of future climate. The...
increasing temperatures have secondary effects on the climatesystem. These secondary effects are called climate feedbacks. Self-reinforcing feedbacks include...
Climate justice is an approach to climate action that focuses on the unequal impacts of climate change on marginalized or otherwise vulnerable populations...
between the climate response and the forcing from the amount of incoming solar radiation. adaptation Any adjustment in natural or human systems in response...
temperate climates in the Köppen climate classification system where they are identified by their first letter, a capital D. In the Trewartha climate classification...
level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climatesystem" (Article 2). The Kyoto Protocol applied to the seven greenhouse gases...
of 20% in 2030. The notion of climate has evolved considerably, and it's now easier to define what the "climatesystem" is, i.e. all the very different...
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations. Its job is to advance scientific knowledge about climate change caused...
significant seasonal variation. Clouds play multiple critical roles in the climatesystem and diurnal cycle. In particular, being bright objects in the visible...
include estimates of how responsive the climatesystem might be to any given level of greenhouse gases (climate sensitivity). Disputes over the key scientific...