What is the difference between weather and climate.edited

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What is the difference between weather and climate? Weather is the state of the atmosphere in a particular region over a short period; it could be minutes to hours or days to weeks. Such conditions include rain, snow, winds, sleet, wind direction, humidity, precipitation, cold, hot, foggy, sunny and cloudy. The Sun drives various types of weather by heating the air at varying rates. As warm air rises, the cold air rushes to fill its space, causing wind. The winds, together with water vapor in the air, influence the formation and movement of clouds, precipitation, and storms. The reason why the weather is ever-changing is because the atmospheric conditions that affect it are constantly fluctuating. On the other hand, climate is the atmospheric changes over a long period, usually 30 years or more. This explains why it is possible to have a cold spell in a particular region despite the global temperatures generally rising. Despite their differences, the two (weather and climate) are intertwined. Like the weather, climate also considers precipitation, wind speed, direction, and temperature changes. A shift in climate can lead to a shift in weather conditions and patterns (National Geographic, n.d). Describe how Earth's climate can change naturally. The Earth's climate has been changing many times. Both human activities and natural ways have contributed to this. On the latter (natural ways), it includes factors such as solar cycles. The sun’s magnetic field flips typically after every 11 years. This drives an 11-year cycle of solar brightening and dimming. Though a slight change variation, it still affects the Earth’s climate. For the last 50 years, the sun has been dimming slightly as the planet heats up. Another factor for natural climate is volcanic sulfur. For instance, the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991 injected sulfur into the stratosphere, thus cooling the planet for 15 months.

Another incidence is the Ilopango volcano in El Salvador in 540 A.D, which led to cold summers, famine, drought, and plague, affecting global ecosystems. Another cause is plate tectonics; as the plate tectonics move, they collide, thrusting up chemically reactive rock such as basalt and volcanic ash, which increases the rate of reaction and takes away CO2 from the atmosphere (Lee, 2020). Other factors that cause the climate to change naturally include large igneous provinces, evolutionary changes, asteroid impacts, Carbon Dioxide and the Weathering Thermostat, Faint Young Sun, Orbital Wobbles, and Short-Term Climate Fluctuations. How do humans contribute to climate change? Do you feel you have personally contributed to climate change? Most scientists globally agree that humans are the leading cause of climate change. The world has been undergoing a revolutionary change characterized by the industrial revolution and increased human population. Human activities release greenhouse gases into the air. As a result, the gases persist for long periods at high altitudes and absorb reflected sunlight. This warms the atmosphere, the land's surface, and the oceans (West, 2018). The leading cause is fossil fuel, which includes the emissions by vehicles and machinery humans utilize daily. Also, industrial activities have a similar impact as they produce electricity from gas, coal, or oil-burning plants, contributing to 20 percent of the overall emissions. Other human activities include deforestation, land clearing, and burning, which account for 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions (Environmental Defense Fund, n.d). References

Environmental Defense Fund (n.d). 9 ways we know humans caused climate change . Retrieved on November 1, 2023, from https://www.edf.org/climate/9-ways-we-know-humans- triggered-climate-change Lee, H. (2020, July 21). How Earth’s Climate Changes Naturally (and Why Things Are Different Now). Quantamagazine. Retrieved on November 1, 2023, from https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-earths-climate-changes-naturally-and-why-things-are- different-now-20200721/ National Geographic (n.d). Weather or Climate. What's the Difference? Retrieved on November 1, 2023, from https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/weather-or-climate- whats-difference/ West, L. (2018, March 4). How Do Humans Contribute to Global Climate Change ? Treehugger. Retrieved on November 1, 2023, from https://www.treehugger.com/how-humans- contribute-to-global-warming-1203788

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What is the difference between weather and climate.edited

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