Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
October 15, 2010
Understanding the influence of climate on our society and societal influence on climate is a critical aspect of our routine life. Knowing the principles of climate science helps us correctly understand scientifically credible climate information and make informed decisions in order to reduce our vulnerability to the climate.
Common terms such as weather, climate, global warming, climate change, etc. are being used in scientific literature and casual discussions for a variety of subjects including agricultural impacts. However, these terms are often misunderstood or misinterpreted. The scientific meanings of commonly used climate terms and how they are different from each other are explained here.
Is Weather Different from Climate?
Yes. Weather represents the atmospheric events that occur over a shorter period of time, such as in a minute, an hour, or a day. Climate, on the other hand, represents average weather conditions over a period of time, such as a month, a season, a year, or a number of years. Here are a few examples of weather and climate.
Weather:
The highest temperature recorded in Lincoln for summer 2010 was 100°F.
The record low temperature recorded in Lincoln for the month of September is 27°F.
Weather Forecast: There is a 90% chance of precipitation between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. today. (Note: The weather forecast statement above is only a hypothetical example.)
Climate:
June 2010 was the 9th wettest June on record for Lincoln.
Summer 2010 was the fourth warmest summer on record for the United States.
The last decade was the warmest on record globally.
Climate Forecast: Chances of above average temperatures for October 2010 for Nebraska is higher than normal.
Global Warming is not the Same as Climate Change
The terms “global warming” and “climate change” are often used interchangeably and synonymously. Global warming represents an increase in the average temperature near the earth’s surface due to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, whereas, climate change refers to changes in climate over time, such as major changes in temperature, precipitation, snow, and wind patterns lasting for decades or longer. Since global warming refers only to the increase in temperature, it can be considered as just one part of a more complete term, “climate change.”
Climate Variability versus Climate Change
Climate variability is often misinterpreted as climate change. According to a definition from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), climate variability refers to variations in the mean state and many other statistics of climate events on temporal and spatial scales beyond single day weather events. A key difference is that unlike climate variability, a persistent trend in climatic variation is analyzed over a longer time for climate change. For example single year climate extremes don’t necessarily correspond to climate change. Similarly, single year or multiyear colder-than-normal temperatures do not necessarily prove that global warming is over. Year to year variations refer to climate variability. When such events consistently occur over a long period of time and contribute to a “statistically significant” change, it can be attributed to climate change.
Tapan Pathak
Extension Educator in Climate Variability
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