Events of climate change and impact of climate change Essay

Events of climate change and impact of climate change - Essay Example (2007) describes climate change as the statistically substantial variation in the mean condition of climate (p.145). Climate change has also been described by Maunder (1992, p. 34) as a change in climate ascribed directly or indirectly to human activity that changes the global atmospheric composition observed over a period. Ocean variability, solar radiation variations, plate tectonics, volcanic explosions, human activities and orbital variations cause climate change. Oceans are vital and critical elements of the climate system (Christopherson, 1992, p.223). Short-term changes in oceanic oscillations cause climate variations. Modification to ocean processes plays a significant role in spreading heat through slow and deep water movement. Differences in earth’s orbit positions cause seasonal changes in sunlight distribution (Christopherson, 1992, p.222). There are three types of orbital variations i.e. earth’s eccentricity variation, variation of the tilt angle of earth’s axis of rotation and the earth’s axis precession. Climate change causes variations in sun radiation. It has triggered little ice age, and temperature increase observed in 1900’s to 1950’s. Volcanism is a significant factor that triggers climate change. Wignall (2001) asserts that volcanic erupti ons emit carbon dioxide causing immense effects on the climate (p. 21). Forest et al. (1999) assert that plate tectonics affects local and global patterns of climate and atmosphere-ocean circulation (p. 23). Solomon et al. (2009, p. 1705) asserts that human activities leading to increased carbon dioxide emission are the key factors contributing to climate change. Effects and Events of Climate change Climate change still remains to be a global hazard since the green house gases continue to increase across the world (McCathy, 2001, p. 124). Climate change has adverse effects on the environment, ecological systems and the social systems (Cline, 2007, p. 145). Climate change increases or