climate system
Planetary weather engine
The climate system is the complex of interacting components that determine Earth's climate: atmosphere, oceans, land surfaces, ice sheets, and living organisms.
These elements exchange energy, water, and gases in ways that produce weather patterns and long-term climate conditions.
Human activity has altered the climate system by adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
Lowest atmospheric layer
- stratosphereSecond atmospheric layer up
- mesosphereAtmospheric layer, 50-85km up
- thermosphereHigh-temperature atmospheric zone
- exosphereAtmosphere's outermost region
ozone layer · jet stream · air pressure · convection · aerosols · albedo · ionosphere · magnetosphere
Atmospheric water deposit
- temperatureMeasured heat intensity
- humidityMoisture in atmosphere
- cycloneRotating low-pressure storm system
- monsoonSeasonal tropical wind pattern
drought · thunderstorm · tornado · blizzard · hail · frost · windchill · barometric pressure
Density-driven ocean movement
- ocean currentsLarge-scale seawater movement
- gyresRotating circular movements
- upwellingDeep water rising surfaceward
- downwellingFluid sinking from surface
El Niño · La Niña · sea ice · salinity · heat sink · carbon sink · Gulf Stream · ocean acidification
Biogeochemical element circulation process
- vegetationPlant life collectively
- photosynthesisLight-to-sugar conversion in plants
- respirationGas exchange in organisms
- evapotranspirationWater loss from land surfaces
deforestation · permafrost · peatlands · rainforest · boreal forest · tundra · wetlands · biomass
Response amplifying original signal
- negative feedbackResponse indicating problems
- tipping pointsIrreversible change triggers
- forcingCompelling through pressure
- responseAnswer to stimulus
amplification · dampening · equilibrium · runaway effect · threshold · hysteresis · nonlinear
troposphere
Lowest atmospheric layer
- stratosphereSecond atmospheric layer up
- mesosphereAtmospheric layer, 50-85km up
- thermosphereHigh-temperature atmospheric zone
exosphere · ozone layer · jet stream · air pressure · convection · aerosols · albedo · ionosphere · magnetosphere · greenhouse gases
precipitation
Atmospheric water deposit
- temperatureMeasured heat intensity
- humidityMoisture in atmosphere
- cycloneRotating low-pressure storm system
monsoon · drought · thunderstorm · tornado · blizzard · hail · frost · windchill · barometric pressure · fronts
thermohaline
Density-driven ocean movement
- ocean currentsLarge-scale seawater movement
- gyresRotating circular movements
- upwellingDeep water rising surfaceward
downwelling · El Niño · La Niña · sea ice · salinity · heat sink · carbon sink · Gulf Stream · ocean acidification · thermal expansion
carbon cycle
Biogeochemical element circulation process
- vegetationPlant life collectively
- photosynthesisLight-to-sugar conversion in plants
- respirationGas exchange in organisms
evapotranspiration · deforestation · permafrost · peatlands · rainforest · boreal forest · tundra · wetlands · biomass · phenology
positive feedback
Response amplifying original signal
- negative feedbackResponse indicating problems
- tipping pointsIrreversible change triggers
- forcingCompelling through pressure
response · amplification · dampening · equilibrium · runaway effect · threshold · hysteresis · nonlinear
- earth scienceatmosphere, earthquake, geology, volcano, crust
- systemsecosystems, ecosystem, transportation network, neural network, neural networks
- Climate Controlthermostat, HVAC, air conditioning, heating, cooling
- Earth systemsbiosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, geosphere
- commonscommon land, common goods, shared resources, commons, town common
climate systemHVAC system
Heating, ventilation, air conditioning
climate, system, climatic, climatically, climates, climatology, climatological, climatologist, systems