What Is Climate?

Climate is weather averaged over an extended period of time (30-year intervals are typically used in establishing baseline climatology).

During the Earth’s history, the climate has changed many times and has included ice ages and periods of warmth. Before the Industrial Revolution, natural factors such as volcanic eruptions, changes in the Earth’s orbit, and the amount of energy released from the sun were the primary factors affecting the Earth’s climate.

However, beginning late in the 18th century, human activities associated with the Industrial Revolution and burning fossil fuels began changing the composition of the atmosphere.

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