Climate research is the study of long-term weather patterns and the underlying processes that drive them. It is the scientific discipline that includes the studies of past climates (paleoclimatology) and contemporary climates through records like ice cores, tree rings (dendroclimatology), and air samples for atmospheric composition (chemoclimatology). It also encompasses the use of computer models (meteorological and statistical) to represent the complexity of observed climate variables in order to explain or predict them.
The results of climate science help us understand what is happening to our planet, including the fact that it is warming faster than it has in millennia. They are critical to international decision-making, forming the basis for treaties and agreements to limit global greenhouse gas emissions. And they provide a foundation for understanding the impacts of rising temperatures on ecosystems and human communities, and how to support effective adaptation strategies.
Educators and learners of all ages can explore this rich topic, using data from their own experiments or the many datasets available, from comparing daily weather to long-term records, exploring abstract representations of climate in computer models, or studying the ways climate influences and is influenced by human activity. This makes climate an ideal interdisciplinary theme for lifelong learning, from a basic understanding of scientific method and concepts to the complex interactions that influence and inform our lives.
As we face a future of uncertain but inevitable climate change, a strong public understanding of key research findings will help people assess news stories and contribute to the conversation as informed citizens. This is why it is so important that everyone understands the essential principles of climate science literacy.
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