GLOBAL CLIMATE SYSTEM

The climate system is the highly complex global system consisting of 5 major components: the atmosphere,
the oceans, the cryosphere (snow and ice), the land surface, the biosphere, and the interactions between
them. The interactions of these components determine not only day-to-day weather, but also long-term averages
that we refer to as the climate.

COMPONENTS AND THEIR INTERACTIONS

The atmosphere is the most unstable and rapidly changing of the 5 components. Its composition has
changed many times throughout the history of the Earth, and it currently is made up primarily
of nitrogen (78.1%) and oxygen (20.9%). These gases have limited interactions with incoming sunlight, and do
not interact with the infrared radiation emitted by the Earth. There are a number of trace gases present in the
atmosphere that do interact with this light however, notably carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) which are
referred to as greenhouse gases.
The hydrosphere is the component comprising all liquid surface and subterranean water, both fresh
water, including rivers, lakes and aquifers, and saline water of the oceans and seas. Fresh water runoff from the
land returning to the oceans in rivers influences the ocean’s composition and circulation. The oceans cover
approximately 70% of the Earth’s surface. They store and transport a large amount of energy and dissolve and
store great quantities of carbon dioxide. Mainly due to the large thermal inertia of the oceans, they damp vast
and strong temperature changes and function as a regulator of the Earth’s climate and as a source of natural
climate variability, in particular on the longer time-scales
The cryosphere impacts the climate system greatly through its high albedo (reflectivity), its low thermal
conductivity, and most importantly its critical role in driving deep ocean water circulation. Also, because the ice
sheets store a large amount of water, variations in their volume contribute to sea level rise.
Vegetation and soils at the land surface control how energy received from the Sun is returned to the
atmosphere. Some is returned as long-wave (infrared) radiation, heating the atmosphere as the land surface
warms. Some serves to evaporate water, either in the soil or in the leaves of plants, bringing water back into the
atmosphere. Because the evaporation of soil moisture requires energy, soil moisture has a strong influence on
the surface temperature. The texture of the land surface (its roughness) influences the atmosphere dynamically
as winds blow over the land’s surface..
The marine and terrestrial biospheres have a major impact on the atmosphere’s composition. The biota
influence the uptake and release of greenhouse gases. Through the photosynthetic process, both marine and
terrestrial plants (especially forests) store significant amounts of carbon from carbon dioxide. Thus, the
biosphere plays a central role in the carbon cycle, as well as in the budgets of many other gases, such as
methane and nitrous oxide.
There are numerous interactions between the components of the climate system, as they are all open
systems with the freedom to exchange mass, heat and momentum with one another. An example of an
interaction is the ocean-atmosphere system, which is a strongly-coupled system exchanging water vapour and
heat through evaporation, among other things. This is part of the hydrologic cycle which leads
to condensation, cloud formation, and precipitation, while also supplying energy to weather systems. The
ocean-atmosphere system also exchanges gases like carbon dioxide, where the ocean acts as a large carbon sink.
"The climate crisis has already been solved. We already have all the facts and solutions,"
In this passionate call to action, 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg explains why, in August 2018, she
walked out of school and organized a strike to raise awareness of global warming, protesting outside the Swedish
parliament and grabbing the world's attention. "The climate crisis has already been solved. We already have all the
facts and solutions," Thunberg says. "All we have to do is to wake up and change."
BALANCE OF THE SYSTEM
The climate system is powered by radiation from the sun, of which approximately 49% is absorbed by
the Earth's surface, and 20% is absorbed by the atmosphere. Some of this energy is reflected back into space,
while the rest is absorbed by the land and ocean and re-emitted as radiant heat; this is known as the heat balance
of the Earth. Not all of the energy that is reflected or re-emitted by the land and ocean makes it back into space
however, as the Earth's greenhouse effect acts to trap in some of the light. This heat balance is what determines
the temperature of the Earth.

CAUSES CLIMATE CHANGE

External causes are Solar activity, Earths orbit and Meteorites. Internal causes is divided into 2: the natural and
anthropogenic. The natural causes are Volcanic eruption and Ocean circulation
Anthropogenic are Emissions of greenhouse gases, Particles/clouds and Land change.

External Causes

 Solar activity - The Sun is the source of energy for the Earth’s climate system. Although the Sun’s
energy output appears constant from an everyday point of view, small changes over an extended period
of time can lead to climate changes. Some scientists suspect that a portion of the warming in the first
half of the 20th century was due to an increase in the output of solar energy. As the sun is the
fundamental source of energy that is instrumental in our climate system it would be reasonable to
assume that changes in the sun's energy output would cause the climate to change. Scientific studies
demonstrate that solar variations have performed a role in past climate changes. For instance a decrease
in solar activity was thought to have triggered the Little Ice Age between approximately 1650 and 1850,
when Greenland was largely cut off by ice from 1410 to the 1720s and glaciers advanced in the Alps.

 Earths orbit - Natural climate change can also be affected by forces outside Earth’s atmosphere. For
instance, the 100,000-year cycles of ice ages are probably related to changes in the tilt of
Earth’s axis and the shape of its orbit around the sun. Those planetary factors change slowly over time
and affect how much of the sun’s energy reaches different parts of the world in different seasons.

 Meteorites - The impact of large meteorites on Earth could also cause climate change. The impact of
a meteor would send millions of tons of debris into the atmosphere. This debris would block at least
some of the sun’s rays, making it cold and dark. This climate change would severely limit what
organisms could survive. Many paleontologists believe the impact of a meteor or comet contributed to
the extinction of the dinosaurs. 

Internal Causes: Natural

 Volcanic eruption - The main effect volcanoes have on the climate is short-term cooling. Volcanic
eruptions pump out clouds of dust and ash, which block out some sunlight. Because the ash particles are
relatively heavy, they fall to the ground within about three months, so their cooling effect is very short-
lived. But volcanic debris also includes sulfur dioxide. This gas combines with water vapor and dust in
the atmosphere to form sulfate aerosols, which reflect sunlight away from the Earth’s surface. These
aerosols are lighter than ash particles and can remain in the atmosphere for a year or more.
  Ocean circulation - The ocean has an interconnected current, or circulation, system powered by wind,
tides, the Earth’s rotation (Coriolis effect), the sun (solar energy), and water density differences. The
topography and shape of ocean basins and nearby landmasses also influence ocean currents. Deep ocean
currents are density-driven and differ from surface currents in scale, speed, and energy. Water density is
affected by the temperature, salinity (saltiness), and depth of the water. The colder and saltier the ocean
water, the denser it is. The greater the density differences between different layers in the water column,
the greater the mixing and circulation. Density differences in ocean water contribute to a global-scale
circulation system, also called the global conveyor belt.

Internal Causes: Anthropogenic

 Emissions of greenhouse gases - Humans—more specifically, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that
human activity generates—are the leading cause of the earth’s rapidly changing climate today.
Greenhouse gases play an important role in keeping the planet warm enough to inhabit. But the amount
of these gases in our atmosphere has skyrocketed in recent decades. According to the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, our current concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous
oxide “are unprecedented compared with the past 800,000 years.” Indeed, the atmosphere’s share of
carbon dioxide—the planet’s chief climate change contributor—has risen by 46 percent since
preindustrial times.

 Land change - Activities like agriculture and road construction can also change the reflectivity of the
earth’s surface, leading to local warming or cooling. Though our planet’s forests and oceans absorb
greenhouse gases from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and other processes, these natural carbon
sinks can’t keep up with our rising emissions. The resulting buildup of greenhouse gases is causing
alarmingly fast warming worldwide. It’s estimated that the earth’s average temperature rose by about 1
degree Fahrenheit during the 20th century.