Climate change at different temporal and spatial scales
Résumé
Contemporary climate change refers to the period from 1850 to the present day and covers the period from the industrial revolution to the digital revolution. This chapter presents spatial distribution of Arctic warming for the period 1961–2014 for the cold season and warm season. It also presents temporal distribution of air temperature warming at Longyearbyen. Greenhouse gas emissions represent a major disruption in the evolution of the climate compared to pre-industrial natural evolution. Major periods of volcanic activity in the Earth's geological past, such as the one that allowed the Deccan traps in India to form, have resulted in climatic changes that have caused major environmental crises. The chapter illustrates the major components of the Earth's radiation budget, which is simplified by an average solar energy input of 342 watts per square meter to the Earth's surface.