Knowra Climate system Climate system The interacting atmosphere, oceans, land, ice, and living organisms that produce and regulate Earth’s climate through exchanges of energy, water, and carbon.
Earth's energy budget : The balance between solar energy absorbed by Earth and energy emitted back to space. Its imbalance drives changes in the climate system’s temperature.
Atmosphere : The layer of gases surrounding Earth, held in place by gravity. It transports heat and contains the greenhouse gases that influence surface temperature.
Climate model : A mathematical representation of climate processes used to simulate past, present, or future climate. Models represent interactions among the system’s components to project climate change.
Global warming : The long-term rise in Earth’s average surface temperature, primarily caused by human greenhouse gas emissions. It is a major observed response to changes in the system’s energy balance.
Atmospheric circulation : Large-scale movement of air driven by uneven heating, Earth’s rotation, and atmospheric pressure differences. It redistributes heat and moisture between regions.
Hydrosphere : All water on Earth, including oceans, rivers, groundwater, and atmospheric water. Its largest reservoir, the ocean, stores and moves substantial heat.
Climate change attribution : The process of determining the causes of observed changes in climate. Attribution separates human influences from natural variability in system behavior.
Sea-level rise : The increase in average ocean height caused mainly by seawater expansion and melting land ice. Warming oceans and land-ice loss translate climate change into coastal impacts.
Ocean circulation : The large-scale movement of seawater driven by winds, density differences, tides, and Earth’s rotation. It carries heat between the tropics and higher latitudes.
Cryosphere : Earth’s frozen water, including glaciers, ice sheets, sea ice, and snow. Changes in frozen water alter reflectivity, sea level, and freshwater flows.
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