Background infovocabulary

Forecasting Weather vs. Predicting Climate

We've explored how weather differs from climate, but what about differences in predicting the two? Meteorologists actually use similar tools, known as models, for both. 
The models used to forecast weather incorporate air pressure, temperature, humidity, and wind observations to produce the best estimate of the atmosphere's future conditions. A weather forecaster then looks at this model output data and adds in his personal forecasting know-how is able to figure out the most likely scenario.
Unlike weather forecast models, climate models cannot use observations because future conditions aren't known yet. Instead, climate predictions are made using global climate models that simulate how our atmosphere, oceans, and land surfaces might interact. 
Climate is the weather a certain place has over a long period of time. Climate has a very important influence on plants, animals and humans and is different in different parts of the world. Some scientists think that the world is becomming hotter. If you compare Moscow winter and summer temperatures at the beginning of our century and at its end you will see that climate has really changed. Winters have become warmer. Sometimes there is little snow in January, and there were winters when it rained on the New Year's Eve. Many people say that it is so because of the greenhouse effect. During the last 100 years people have produced a lot of carbon dioxide. This gas in the atmosphere works like glass in a greenhouse. It lets heat get in, but it doesn't let much heat get out. So the atmosphere becomes warmer. Where does the carbon dioxide come from? People and animals breathe in oxygen, and breathe out carbon dioxide. We produce carbon dioxide when we burn things. Trees take this gas from the air, and produce oxygen. But in the last few years, people have cut down and burn big areas of rainforest. This means there are fewer trees, and, of course, more carbon dioxide! As we see the climate in different parts of the world changes a little from year to year. These changes can be dangerous for our planet, which needs protection. Earth is millions of years old, much older than the humans. We know many of its secrets. Yet there is still much to learn.
In the present era, one of the major concerns for every individual on this planet is global warming. This drastic change in the earth’s temperature is affecting all living organisms on it. This problem has been increasing over the past few decades. Thus, now is the right time to unfold this matter and take proper measures to correct it.

To understand the changing climate condition better, here is how to distinguish between weather and climate.

Definition of Climate

Climate is the atmospheric condition of a particular location over a long-term period. The average summation of the atmospheric elements of a place is considered as the climate of that particular region.

These atmospheric elements include temperature, solar radiation, precipitation, humidity, wind, and atmospheric pressure. Depending on these elements and their variants, respective centers of a specific zone maintain climate records.

These records, like the amount of rainfall, the hottest day, the coldest day, etc. are helpful in forecasting the upcoming climate which is done by analyzing previously accumulated data. Based on the observation of these atmospheric elements’ records of above 30 years, the climate is deduced.

The Causes of climate change:

Many natural processes have contributed to this, including fluctuations in the sun, volcanic eruptions, variances in Earth's orbit, and co₂ concentration (CO₂).

Climate warming has often taken thousands or millions of years to occur. However, research indicates that the current climate is changing at a faster rate than previously thought based on geological data.

Since the Industrial Revolution, human activity has raised greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere, resulting in higher heat absorption and higher surface temperatures. Air pollutants in the atmosphere affect climate through scattering and absorbing solar and infrared energy, as well as changing cloud microphysical and chemical properties. Finally, changes in land use, such as deforestation, have affected the amount of sunlight reflected back into space.

Definition of Weather

Weather is the daily atmospheric conditions of a specific place. The study of weather is necessary to understand its effects on the everyday life and activities of humans. The atmospheric conditions like the brightness of sun, wind, visibility, humidity, cloudiness, temperature, etc. measure the weather of a particular day and time.

Weather can change within minutes, or hours, or even as per seasons. These changes mostly happen in the closest atmospheric layer to the ground called the troposphere. Nowadays, due to satellite observation, weather prediction has become easy.