Climate

Climate is the long-term average of the weather. It is observed over periods of many years, decades, and centuries. In many areas of the United States, the daily high temperature or the daily low temperature can vary by as much as 30 degrees F from day to day.

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A satellite image of the Earth. Image Credit: NASA

What is the difference between weather and climate?

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration‘s (NOAA) map of sea surface temperature anomalies shows warmer surface water temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean during El Niño. Image Credit: NOAA

What factors determine the climate?

Prickly Pear cactus

How does climate affect vegetation?

Stratocumulus clouds over Monument Valley, Arizona

How can local climates vary over very short distances?

Photograph of a coral reef. Corals are some of the most vulnerable organisms affected by ocean acidification, as more acidic ocean waters make it harder for corals to grow their skeletons. Photograph by Ilsa Kuffner, U.S. Geological Survey

What is a climate proxy?

How do scientists use ice cores to determine past climates?

Mercator relief world map

What are the causes of climate change?