Global warming refers to the long-term rise in the average temperature of the Earth's climate system. The effects include a rise in average global temperatures, especially affecting the Arctic region, and a rise in sea levels. Unless addressed, the consequences will include changes to weather patterns, threats to human and wildlife health, and melting of glaciers and ice sheets. The greenhouse effect, caused by gases that trap heat in the lower atmosphere, is the underlying process of global warming. Solutions require immediate action to reduce pollution and protect the planet for future generations.
Global warming is caused by increased concentrations of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide that accumulate heat in the atmosphere and increase global temperatures. This climate change leads to rising sea levels, increased precipitation, and reduced snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere. The negative effects of higher temperatures include increased mosquito-borne diseases, heat deaths, floods, droughts, famine, destruction of coastal lands and drinking water sources, and the potential disappearance of some coastal states under water.
Potential and realized consequences of climate change include: 1) Drought, melting ice, rising sea levels, and permafrost melt are already occurring as a result of climate change. 2) Additional potential consequences that some experts say may already be happening include altered ocean circulation patterns and more extreme weather events. 3) Further potential consequences include threats to biodiversity like coral bleaching and disrupted animal migration patterns, shifting agricultural production, and risks to human health from factors like heat waves.
The document discusses factors that influence climate. It describes how air circulation driven by differences in solar heating across the Earth's surface creates global wind patterns. Ocean currents distribute heat around the world and interact with atmospheric circulation. Surface features like mountains also impact climate by influencing precipitation. All of these factors together define the world's major biomes by controlling temperature and rainfall in different regions.