In 1896, Svante Arrhenius published the first model of the effects of industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) on Earth’s climate. Since the days of Arrhenius, scientists have moved from pencils to supercomputers. Calculations take hours or days instead of months. Models include a dazzling array of variables, including evapotranspiration and oceanic heat transport. And perhaps most remarkable, scientists have data from multiple millennia and nearly every corner of the planet. This chapter discusses how scientists study climate change. It also will examine the types and causes of changes that have occurred in the last 100 years.
Details
Type Book ChapterPub Date 10/1/2008Stock # PB225X_2