Climate Change
Climate vs. Weather
▪ Weather
- refers to the mix of events that happen
each day in our atmosphere including
temperature, rainfall and humidity
▪ Climate
- described in terms of the mean and variability
of temperature, precipitation and wind over a
period of time, ranging from months to million of
years
▪ Precipitation
- any liquid or frozen water that forms
in the atmosphere and falls back to the
Earth
-occurs when the air becomes saturated
with water vapour; the vapor condenses
and falls from the sky
▪ Humidity
- amount of water vapor in the air
Climate vs. Global Warming
▪ Global Warming
- long-term heating of Earth’s
climate system
- observed since the pre-industrial
period due to human activities—
fossil fuel burning—increases
heat-trapping greenhouse gas
levels in Earth’s atmosphere
Climate
▪ the pattern of weather, usually based over
30 years
▪ Average results of the changes in the
atmosphere
▪ Climate talks about general information:
❖ warm, dry summers
❖ cold, dark winters
❖ hot and dry all year round.
The Köppen Climate Classification
System
▪ five major climate types based on the annual and monthly
averages of temperature and precipitation. Each type is
designated by a capital letter.
▪ divided the Earth's surface into climatic regions that generally
coincided with world patterns of vegetation and soils
Climate Change
▪ refers to the statistically significant
changes in climate for continuous period of
time
▪ “Change in the climate attributed directly
or indirectly to human activities, in
addition to natural climate variability
observed, over a comparable time periods”
–UNFCCC
Climate Change
▪ Increase in global atmospheric temperature
(global warming) that is attributed mainly
with increased greenhouse gases emissions
and natural processes
▪ Results to sea water expansion (Sea Level
Rise)
▪ Increased frequency of occurrence of more
intense extreme events
Climate Change and Its Causes
▪ Natural:
❖ Continental Drift
❖ Volcanic Eruptions
❖ Orbital Changes
❖ Ocean Currents
❖ Greenhouse gases
▪ Man-made:
❖ Enhanced Greenhouse effect
❖ Use of fossil fuel
❖ Deforestation
❖ Agriculture
Climate Change and Its Causes
▪ Natural:
❖Continental Drift
▪ a theory that explained how continents shift
position on Earth's surface
▪ it changed the physical features of the
landmass, their position and the position of
water bodies
▪ separation of the landmasses changed the flow
of ocean currents and winds, which affected
the climate.
Climate Change and Its Causes
▪ Natural:
❖Volcanic eruptions
▪ Volcano -a vent in the planet's crust
through which lava, ash, rock and gases
erupt
▪ large volumes of sulphur dioxide, water
vapor, dust, and ash into the
atmosphere.
▪ the large volume of gases and ash can
influence climatic patterns for years
Climate Change and Its Causes
▪ Natural:
❖Changes in the Earth’s orbit
❖Changes in the orientation of
the Earth’s axis of rotation
▪ Elliptical orbit – when the Earth is
closer to the Sun, its climate is warmer.
Climate Change and Its Causes
▪ Natural:
❖Ocean Currents
▪ continuous, predictable, directional
movement of seawater driven by
gravity, wind and water density
▪ Oceans store a large amount of
heat which can have a large effect
on coastal and global climate
Climate Change and Its Causes
▪ Natural:
❖Greenhouse gases
▪ gases that trap heat in the
atmosphere
▪ include water vapor, carbon
dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide,
ozone and some artificial chemicals
such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
▪ Greenhouse effect- natural process
that warms the Earth’s surface
Climate Change and Its Causes
▪ Man-made:
❖Enhanced Greenhouse effect
▪ refers to human activities that are adding to the
warming of the atmosphere due to the greenhouse
effect—the presence of gases that increases the
atmosphere's retention of the heat energy of the sun
Climate Change and Its Causes
▪ Man-made:
❖Use of fossil fuel to run vehicles, power plants and
industries
▪ Fossil fuels –hydrocarbons
formed from the remains of
dead plants and animals
▪ Include coal, oil and natural
gas—currently the world's
primary energy source
Climate Change and Its Causes
▪ Man-made:
❖Deforestation
▪ clearing or thinning of forests by
humans to make the land available
for other uses
▪ major cause to climate change due
to the decreasing number of trees
available to capture increasing
carbon dioxide levels in the
atmosphere
Climate Change and Its Causes
▪ Man-made:
❖Agriculture
▪ the art and science of cultivating
the soil, growing crops and raising
livestock
▪ provides most of the world’s food
and fabrics
▪ one of the sectors that generates
the highest amount of emissions of
carbon dioxide
What can be done?
5/10/2023
Ways to Protect and Preserve the
Environment
✓ Regular use of renewable energy
✓ Alternative energy sources
✓ Solar power
✓ Wind power
✓ Hydroelectric power
Ways to Protect and Preserve the
Environment
✓ Dispose garbage properly
✓ Practice 4R’s
✓ Don’t Burn Trash
✓ Live a simple life to minimize pollution
