Climate Variations and Variability
(c) 2004 The Johns Hopkins University
Explore the world climate zones and the principal climate drivers (the Sun, greenhouse gases, albedo, feedbacks).
Access the topics below:
Climate Zone Tour - Climate zones illustrated by real-life synopses - Geography Department, University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointGeographical Climates - Climate zones of selected geographic points - Lutgens & Tarbuck Online
The Sun
Solarmax - 40-minute documentary on the Sun, Museum of Science and Industry
Sun Tour - Yohkoh Public Outreach Project, Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Lab, Montana State University
Variable Sun - Dynamic phenomena of the Sun -- Earth Observatory, NASA
Online Sun - Solar online activity resources -- Stanford Solar Center, Stanford University
Solar Irradiance - Measuring the solar constant -- World Radiation Center, Davos Physical Meteorology Observatory, CH
Earth's Albedo
Albedo Values - Summary of typical Earth albedo values, University of Arizona
Global Albedo - Measuring Earth's global albedo, Visible Earth, NASA
Greenhouse Gases
The Vital Climate - Introduction to the vital statistics of climate -- Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change
Greenhouse Gases - Scientific discussion of atmospheric chemistry and greenhouse gases -- Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change
Water Vapor - Introduction to Earth's atmospheric water -- Science and Society, American Geophysical Union
Global Radiation Balance
Energy Budget - Measuring the global radiation energy balance -- Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Space Science and Engineering Center
Atmosphere/Ocean Circulation - Coming Soon
Aerosols
Aerosols and Climate - What are aerosols? -- the Library of NASA Earth Observatory.
Tectonics -
Plate Tectonics and Evolution of Climate - Norm Sleep, AGU Reviews of Geophysics
Climate Diagnostics Center - Advancing the understanding and prediction of climate variability.
World Meteorological Organization - World Climate Data and Monitoring Program.
United States Geological Survey - Study of past conditions designed to distinguish anthropogenic change from natural climate variability.
World Climate Research Programme - Addresses issues concerning climate and the range of natural climate variability, and the basis for predictions of climatic variations and changes in the frequency and severity of extreme events.
US Global Change Research Program - Program to study global change, with major focus on elements of climate.
US Climate Change Science Program - Integrated federal research on global change and climate change.
Office of Global Programs - Scientific research aimed at understanding climate variability and its predictability.
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