What drives or forces climate change?
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A small number of factors such as changes in ice, Earth's orbit, Sun's strength, plate tectonics, vegetation, atmosphere, ocean, and land surface.
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What drives or forces climate change?
A small number of factors such as changes in ice, Earth's orbit, Sun's strength, plate tectonics, vegetation, atmosphere, ocean, and land surface.
What role do greenhouse gases play in climate science?
They contribute to the greenhouse effect, influencing climate change.
How does the strength of the Sun affect climate?
It influences the amount of solar radiation arriving on Earth, with both long-term increases and shorter-term variations.
What is back radiation?
The process where the Earth emits heat back into the atmosphere, affecting climate.
What happens to hypotheses that are contradicted by observations?
They are often discarded.
What is the significance of solar radiation in climate science?
It is a primary external forcing factor that influences Earth's climate.
What is the broad term that refers to the multidisciplinary field of research linking past, present, and future climate?
Climate science.
What are the main components of the climate system?
Air, water, ice, land surfaces, and vegetation.
How do tectonic processes influence climate?
They alter the basic geography of Earth's surface, affecting climate over millions of years.
What significant scientific revolutions are mentioned in relation to climate science?
The theory of evolution and the theory of plate tectonics.
What is anthropogenic forcing?
The effect of humans on climate, resulting from agricultural, industrial, and other activities that alter Earth's land surfaces and add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
What is the relationship between external factors and the climate system?
External factors drive changes in the climate system, which then responds and interacts to produce observed variations in climate.
What does response time measure in the climate system?
The time it takes for a component of the climate system to react fully to an imposed change.
How do climate scientists advance their understanding of climate change?
Through an interactive mix of observation and theory.
What are the three fundamental kinds of climate forcing?
Tectonic processes, changes in Earth's orbit around the Sun, and changes in the strength of the Sun.
What do the terms 'forcing' and 'response' refer to in climate science?
'Forcing' refers to factors that cause changes, while 'response' refers to the resulting climatic shifts.
What are climate variations?
Measurable variations resulting from interactions among the internal components of the climate system.
What is the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)?
A national laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, where Earth's climate is studied.
How does the example of water heating relate to climate response?
The water temperature rises toward equilibrium in a manner where each response time moves it half of the remaining way to equilibrium.
What are 'unifying theories' in climate science?
Theories that explain a wide array of observations and are regarded as close approximations to the truth.
What processes are involved in carbon burial?
Uplift and weathering that contribute to long-term carbon storage.
What are the main components of Earth's climate system?
Air, water, ice, land, and vegetation.
How do changes in plate tectonics affect climate?
They can alter land surfaces and ocean currents, impacting climate patterns.
Why is the book organized by time scale?
Because Earth's climatic history has developed over time and will continue to do so.
What effect do changes in Earth's orbit have on climate?
They alter the amount of solar radiation received on Earth by season and latitude.
