Climate Science Overview

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary focus of climate science?

The primary focus of climate science is to study Earth's climate, including how it functions, its historical changes, and future projections.

List three components of the climate system.

The three components of the climate system are the atmosphere, oceans, and land surface.

Name two tools climate scientists use to study climate changes.

Climate scientists use observations from the atmosphere and computer models of the climate system.

How does climate science contribute to agricultural practices?

Climate science determines the type and location of human-managed ecosystems, such as agricultural farmlands. Signup and view all the answers

What type of data do climate scientists use from paleoclimate studies?

Climate scientists use data from ice cores and tree rings to study past climate conditions. Signup and view all the answers

What fields contribute knowledge to climate science?

Climate science draws knowledge from meteorology, oceanography, physics, chemistry, biology, and geology. Signup and view all the answers

What can the study of climate science help us with in terms of climate change?

It helps us make informed decisions about adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the role of climate science in soil formation processes.

Climate affects weathering of rock, soil type formation, and the rate of soil formation. Signup and view all the answers

Define weather and how it differs from climate.

Weather is the actual state of the atmosphere in a short period, while climate is a long-term statistical description of atmospheric conditions over extended periods. Signup and view all the answers

What role does climate play in determining the severity of natural disasters?

Climate largely determines the frequency and severity of droughts, storms, and floods due to its long-term patterns. Signup and view all the answers

Explain how meteorology and climatology are related but distinct fields.

Meteorology focuses on short-term atmospheric conditions, while climatology studies long-term weather patterns and statistical data. Signup and view all the answers

Identify two primary characteristics both weather and climate share.

Both weather and climate include temperature and precipitation as key characteristics. Signup and view all the answers

How does the rotation of the Earth influence atmospheric winds?

Earth's rotation causes Coriolis effects, which influence the direction and patterns of atmospheric winds. Signup and view all the answers

What advancements have improved the practice of meteorology in recent years?

The introduction of weather-monitoring satellites and supercomputers has greatly enhanced meteorology's accuracy and efficiency. Signup and view all the answers

What are biomes, and how does climate affect their distribution?

Biomes are major terrestrial ecosystems defined by their plant communities, and their distribution is largely determined by climate conditions. Signup and view all the answers

In what way can weather and climate be confusing to the general public?

People may confuse the two by assuming that a single weather event represents the climate of an area. Signup and view all the answers

What is adaptation in the context of climate change?

Adaptation is the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects, seeking to moderate or avoid harm and exploit beneficial opportunities. Signup and view all the answers

Define adaptive capacity and its significance.

Adaptive capacity is the ability of a system to adjust to climate change, aiming to moderate damages, leverage opportunities, or cope with consequences. Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes anticipatory adaptation from other types?

Anticipatory adaptation occurs before the observable impacts of climate change and involves proactive planning to minimize future risks. Signup and view all the answers

What role does planned adaptation play in climate response?

Planned adaptation is a deliberate response to changing conditions that involves policy decisions aimed at maintaining or achieving desired states. Signup and view all the answers

Give an example of anticipatory adaptation related to infrastructure.

Building seawalls or elevating infrastructure in coastal areas is an example of anticipatory adaptation. Signup and view all the answers

How does autonomous adaptation differ from planned adaptation?

Autonomous adaptation occurs without deliberate planning and is driven by ecological or market changes, unlike planned adaptation which is a conscious policy decision. Signup and view all the answers

What is a proactive step in water resource management under anticipatory adaptation?

Implementing drought-resistant crops is a proactive step in water resource management. Signup and view all the answers

Why is understanding climate-related risks important for adaptation planning?

Understanding climate-related risks is crucial for identifying how economic conditions and social situations influence vulnerability and adaptive capacity. Signup and view all the answers

Define climate change based on the IPCC's 3rd Assessment Report.

Climate change is a significant variation in the mean state of the climate or its variability, persisting for decades or longer, caused by natural processes or anthropogenic changes. Signup and view all the answers

What is climate variability?

Climate variability refers to variations in the climate's mean state and statistics on temporal and spatial scales beyond individual weather events, due to natural processes or external forcing. Signup and view all the answers

List three primary anthropogenic activities that contribute to climate change.

Burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests, and developing land for farms, cities, and roads. Signup and view all the answers

What are the major greenhouse gases resulting from human activities?

The major greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and halocarbons. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the greenhouse effect.

The greenhouse effect is the warming of the Earth's atmosphere due to greenhouse gases like CO2, which trap heat from the sun. Signup and view all the answers

How do human activities contribute to the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases?

Human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation result in the release of greenhouse gases, leading to increased atmospheric concentrations over time. Signup and view all the answers

What role do natural processes play in climate variability?

Natural processes contribute to climate variability through internal mechanisms within the climate system, influencing mean climate states and statistical occurrences. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the industrial era on greenhouse gas emissions?

The industrial era marked a significant increase in emissions of major greenhouse gases, such as CO2, altering the composition of the atmosphere. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of adaptation in climate change?

The primary purpose of adaptation in climate change is to reduce risk and vulnerability. Signup and view all the answers

Identify two types of adaptation options mentioned in the content.

Structural and physical options, and technological options. Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of engineering adaptation options?

They are typically expert driven, capital-intensive, and complex. Signup and view all the answers

Give an example of a 'hard' technological option for climate adaptation.

Adapting buildings to future climate conditions and extreme weather events. Signup and view all the answers

What are 'soft' options in climate adaptation?

Soft options include education and the optimization of resource use. Signup and view all the answers

How do service options contribute to climate change adaptation?

Service options provide essential services like water and sanitation, increasing adaptive capacity. Signup and view all the answers

What role do ecosystems play in adaptation options?

Ecosystems can be used to serve adaptation needs through their services. Signup and view all the answers

Mention one of the key objectives of identifying climate risks.

Identifying climate risks helps in selecting appropriate adaptation options. Signup and view all the answers

What are the financial barriers to climate change adaptation?

Financial barriers include insufficient funding for rehabilitation, mitigation, and adaptation, especially during extreme events. Signup and view all the answers

How does institutional capacity affect climate change adaptation?

A lack of administrative or political capacity limits the effectiveness of adaptation strategies. Signup and view all the answers

Identify one generic cause of vulnerability to climate change.

Education is a generic cause of vulnerability. Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to assess vulnerability to climate change?

Assessing vulnerability helps identify threats and improve adaptation measures and early warning systems. Signup and view all the answers

What defines vulnerability in the context of climate change?

Vulnerability is defined as the degree to which a system is susceptible to negative impacts of climate change. Signup and view all the answers

List two criteria for identifying key vulnerabilities in social-ecological systems.

<ol> <li>Exposure to climatic stressors; 2) Importance of the vulnerable system.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What role does government responsiveness play in vulnerability?

Government responsiveness affects a community's ability to prepare for and adapt to climate change. Signup and view all the answers

How can social and cultural factors create barriers to adaptation?

Resistance to adapt can stem from social and cultural beliefs that conflict with proposed changes. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Climate Science Course - University of Gondar

Offered by the Forest and Climate change MSc Program
Taught by Yirdaw Meride Teshome (Ph.D)
Course date: 2024

What is Climate Science?

Also known as climatology, it's the scientific study of Earth's climate.
Examines how the climate system operates, its historical changes, and future projections.
The climate system includes atmosphere, oceans, land surfaces, ice sheets, and biosphere.
System components interact to determine Earth's climate.

What is Climate Science? - Tools and Techniques

Climate scientists use various tools and methods:
Observations of the atmosphere, oceans, and land surfaces
Computer models of the climate system
Paleoclimate data (like ice cores, tree rings)
Theoretical studies of climate processes
It's a multidisciplinary field drawing on meteorology, oceanography, physics, chemistry, biology, and geology.

Climate Change Importance

Understanding how the climate system functions and changes is crucial.
Informed decisions on adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change are possible through this information.

Why Study Climate?

To understand the type and location of human-managed ecosystems like agriculture.
To understand rock weathering, soil formation, and soil type.
To understand water quantity and quality for human use.
To establish the severity of droughts, storms and floods
To define and understand biomes (major terrestrial ecosystems).

Weather vs. Climate

Weather describes the current state of the atmosphere (hours or days).
Climate is a statistical description of temperature, precipitation, etc. over a long period (months to millions of years).
The classical period for climate study is 30 years.
Climate includes variability in the climate system.

Characteristics of Weather and Climate

Temperature
Wind
Clouds
Precipitation
Humidity
Storms (e.g. cyclones)

Meteorology - The Study of Weather

A well-known field of atmospheric science.
Primarily focused on the troposphere (lowest region of Earth's atmosphere).
Factors influencing weather: Vertical, diurnal, seasonal variations of atmospheric density and temperature, solar heating, and horizontal variations on Earth's surface.
Earth rotation and surface conditions (land, sea, topography) impact atmospheric winds and circulation.
Weather monitoring satellites and supercomputers facilitate advancements in meteorology.

Climatology

The study of climate differs from meteorology.
Climatology considers long-term weather patterns over years, whereas meteorology looks at current weather conditions.
Examples of diverse climates: Antarctica, Sahara Desert, Amazon River basin.
Climate change is currently a pivotal area of study due to its effects on local, regional and global climates.

Industrial Revolution (late 18th - early 19th centuries): marked the rise of large-scale fossil fuel use (coal), increased greenhouse gas emissions (chiefly carbon dioxide).
1896: Svante Arrhenius's Theory: a groundbreaking paper proposing rising atmospheric Co2 leads to global warming.
Early 20th century: initial observations and data collection on global temperatures began revealing warming trends.
Mid-20th century: Industrial development accelerated greenhouse gas emissions, and scientific concern regarding climate change emerged.
1960s-1970s: Expanding scientific evidence pointed towards human influence on climate change. Growing environmental awareness.
1988: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Established; a significant step in international cooperation on climate change.
1997: Kyoto Protocol; the first treaty to set legally binding targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
2007: IPCC and Al Gore shared Nobel Peace Prize for raising awareness on climate change.
2015: Paris Agreement; global commitment to limit global warming.
Recent years: continued global temperature increase and heightened extreme weather events.

What is Climate Change?

IPCC 3rd Assessment Report: Statistically significant variation in climate (mean state or variability) over an extended period (decades or longer), potentially due to:
Natural internal processes.
External forcings.
Man-made changes (anthropogenic) to the atmosphere or land use.
UNFCCC, Article 1: a change of climate that's attributed directly or indirectly to human activity altering the global atmosphere, distinct from natural climate variability.

What is Climate Variability?

IPCC 3rd Assessment Report: Variations in climate mean state and statistics (including extremes) across all temporal and spatial scales greater than those of individual weather events.
Variability can be due to natural internal processes within the climate system, or to changes in natural or anthropogenic external forcing.

Primary Indicators of Climate Change

Global average temperature rise
Sea level rising
Glacier melt
Snow cover decline
Changes in sea ice extent
Changes in ocean temperature
Humidity
Increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events (e.g., droughts, floods, storms)

What are the Causes of Climate Change?

Anthropogenic activities (human-induced):
- Burning fossil fuels
- Deforestation
- Land use changes (e.g. agriculture)
Natural Factors:
- Volcanic eruptions
- Variations in Earth's orbit, tilt, and spin (affecting solar energy received)
- Ocean currents

Greenhouse Effect

GHGs (greenhouse gases) like water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide trap outgoing longwave radiation from Earth.
This helps maintain habitable temperatures.
Increased GHG concentrations lead to a strengthened greenhouse effect and global warming.
CO2 levels have risen from preindustrial levels of roughly 280 ppm to about 364 ppm in 1997.

Climate Change Impacts on Water

Impacts on water resources (quality and quantity)
Increased risk of water shortages
More frequent and severe glacial melt-related floods
Slope destabilization
Decreased river flows
Changed precipitation patterns (including changes in precipitation type — more rain, less snow).
Surface temperature changes modify atmospheric vapor capacity and snowfall/precipitation ratios.

Impacts of Climate Change on Ecosystems

Land use and cover changes: Conversion of forests and woodlands to agriculture and grazing, followed by further conversions.
Nitrogen deposition: Excess nitrogen from land-based sources, sewage, and industrial runoff affect terrestrial ecosystem productivity.
Global species extinctions: Climate change increasing extinction rates.
Habitat alteration: Climate change alters species habitats due to changes in distribution, species distribution, and habitat quality.

Impacts of Climate Change on Coastal Systems

Rising sea levels: caused by thermal expansion and glacier melt.
Coastal flooding, erosion, and wave overtopping exacerbated by rising sea levels.
Increased physical impacts on coasts (e.g., increased flooding, erosion, wave overtopping, rainfall runoff).

Impacts of Climate Change on Temperature

Ecosystem changes largely result from organism responses to temperature changes.
Information about organism thermal sensitivities, limits, and functional properties is needed.
Climate change impacts on species distributions, abundances, and diversity, and impacts on trophic interactions and community assemblages.
Changes to physical environments (stratification, reduced sea ice cover, and freshening).

Impacts of Climate Change on Precipitation

Increased precipitation across much of Asia; decreased precipitation in central Asia during summer.
Increased frequency of intense precipitation events in parts of South and East Asia.
Decreasing snow and ice in Himalayan and Tibetan glaciers.
Precipitation will change and become more extreme.

Impacts of Climate Change on Extreme Events

Rising frequency and intensity of extreme events (droughts, heatwaves, intense rainfall).
More intense and longer heat waves (particularly in East Asia).
Increased frequency of landslides and severe floods.

Climate Change Impacts on Agriculture and Food Security

Decreased crop yields in many parts of the globe, increasing hunger risk for millions.
Reduced soil moisture and evapotranspiration amplify land degradation and desertification.
Agriculture productivity might improve in certain northern regions.
Risk of food insecurity and breakdowns in food systems worsened by warming, drought, flooding, and erratic precipitation.

Human Health Impacts of Climate Change

Direct impacts (heat, drought, intense rainfall)
Impacts mediated by natural systems (disease vectors, waterborne diseases, and air pollution)
Impacts mediated by human systems (occupational risks, undernutrition, mental stress)
High risk for severe ill health and vulnerable livelihoods in several regions due to inland flooding.
Climate change contributes to undernutrition, diarrhea, and malaria deaths globally.

Ethiopia's Contribution to and Vulnerability to Climate Change

Ethiopia's contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is low; however the nation is highly vulnerable to harm from climate change, largely due to: increasing population density, fragile environmental conditions, reliance on climate sensitive sectors (e.g. agriculture), and a limited capability to adapt to climate change.
Temperature increase projections (0.5 - 3.6°C by 2070), and projected reduction in average daily rainfall.

Why Climate Change Adaptation is Necessary

Less mitigation—higher greenhouse gas production leads to more severe climate change effects and greater impacts on humans and the environment. More adaptation required.
More mitigation—lower greenhouse gas production leads to less serious climate change effects and lesser impacts on humans and the environment. Less adaptation required.

What Has Been Done to Address Climate Change and Variability?

Adaptation— adjusting to actual or anticipated climate changes, and their effects.
- Human systems adaptation aims to mitigate harm or exploit beneficial opportunities.
- Intervention in natural systems.
Adaptive measures protect countries and communities from climate change disruption.
Adaptive Capacity — a system's ability to adjust to climate change (variability and extremes), moderate damages, seize opportunities, and manage repercussions.
Measures to assess adaptive capacity: Economic condition, social situation, and institutional capacity/strength

Types of Adaptation

Anticipatory adaptation— measures undertaken in advance of detectable climate change impacts, considered proactive planning and preparation for the future.
- Includes: infrastructure improvements (coastal protections), water resource management (drought resistance crops), land use planning (restricting development in flood prone areas), early warning systems.
Benefits of anticipatory adaptation: reduced vulnerability, cost effectiveness, and increased resilience.
Autonomous adaptation—changes made by individuals or groups in response to climate change without deliberate planning by governments or agencies; spontaneous natural occurrence.
Key aspects: spontaneous, individual-driven, and reactive.
- Examples: farmers adjusting planting dates, people raising homes in coastal regions, communities diversifying livelihoods.
- Importance: complements planned adaptation, reveals flexibility and innovation of communities, and serves as baseline for evaluation.
Planned adaptation—results from a deliberate, policy-driven decision recognizing that conditions have changed or are likely to shift, and that action to achieve or regain a wanted condition is necessary.
- Key aspects: deliberate actions, structured approach (assessment of risks, developing strategies, implementation, and monitoring).
- Includes: infrastructure development (sea walls), water resource management (drought resistant crops), land use planning (limiting development in prone areas).
- Importance: reduces vulnerability, enhances resilience, cost-effectiveness, and promotes sustainable development.

Adaptation Involves…

Reducing risk and vulnerability.
Seeking opportunities.
Building capacity at national, regional, city, private sector, community, individual, and natural systems levels.

Adaptation Options - 1 Structural and Physical

Focuses on structural and engineering methods, discrete technologies, use of ecosystems, and service delivery (national, regional, local). Examples: Building seawalls, raising dykes, developing flood defenses, drought-tolerant crops, using ecosystem services, and adjusting building locations in vulnerable areas.

Adaptation Options - 2 Technological

Technological options include: efficient irrigation, fertilization methods, plant breeding (greater drought tolerance). Strategies include adjusting crop planting dates based on anticipated yields. New technologies as well as indigenous and local ones are potentially useful for climate change adaptation.

Adaptation Options - 3 Service

Provision of basic services (water, sanitation, waste disposal, transportation, and power).

Social protection schemes (transfer of income/assets to the poor) to support vulnerable populations threatened by extreme weather events. Initiatives to protect livelihoods and raise the social status of marginalized groups.

Adaptation Options - 5 Institutional

Policies, regulations, and measures that can enable adaptation (taxes, subsidies, insurance, protected areas, building codes, and re-zoning)

The Adaptation Process

A process consisting of interconnected steps (education, vulnerability assessment, adaptation planning, implementation). Collaboration between scientists and managers is central to effective adaptation.

Adaptation Strategies for the Agricultural Sector

Measures to allow the agricultural sector to adapt to future climate change. This includes: changing planting dates, selecting alternative crop species, drought and heat-resistant varieties, increasing intercropping, and using sustainable fertilizer/tillage practices to improve soil drainage. Other strategies are improved crop residue and weed management, better ways to harvest and conserve water, and improving pest/disease control of crops.

Adaptation Strategies – Forests

Adaptation for forests: reducing negative impacts on the forest, maintaining ecosystem function, and preserving ecosystem services. Forests' involvement in adaptation: providing ecosystem services that lessen local community and broader societal vulnerability.

Barriers to Climate Change Adaptation

Financial limitations (funding shortages for projects)
Private economic interests.
Inadequate institutional capacity (administrative and political).
Social and cultural resistance.
Technological limitations (insufficient tools and information).

Vulnerability

Vulnerability definition: the degree of susceptibility of a system to dealing with the effects of climate change including variability and extremes.
Components of vulnerability: Exposure to climatic stressors, importance of affected systems, and limited ability to adapt.

Exposure, Sensitivity, Adaptive Capacity

Exposure is the vulnerability to something (potential damage from climate change).
Sensitivity—effect of climate change and exposure on a system.
Adaptive capacity is the capability to adjust to climate change impacts.

How to Move From Vulnerability to Adaptation

Vulnerability assessment — identifying risks, conditions, and the target area; monitoring progress
Adaptation assessment — considering future vulnerability, adaptation options, strategies and priorities.

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Description

This quiz covers the fundamental aspects of climate science, including its components, tools, and contributions to various fields. Participants will explore the relationship between meteorology and climatology, the impact of climate on agriculture and natural disasters, and the significance of paleoclimate data. Engage with essential concepts that shape our understanding of climate change and its implications.