LiveScience Topic:
Global Warming

Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth’s climate. While many view the effects of global warming to be more substantial and more rapidly occurring than others do, the scientific consensus on climatic changes related to global warming is that the average temperature of the Earth has risen between 0.4 and 0.8 °C over the past 100 years. The increased volumes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released by the burning of fossil fuels, land clearing, agriculture, and other human activities, are believed to be the primary sources of the global warming that has occurred over the past 50 years. Scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate carrying out global warming research have recently predicted that average global temperatures could increase between 1.4 and 5.8 °C by the year 2100. Changes resulting from global warming may include rising sea levels due to the melting of the polar ice caps, as well as an increase in occurrence and severity of storms and other severe weather events.

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A Graying Population Reduces Global Warming

We pollute less after retirement age, research ...

earth, environment, warming atlantic ocean, north atlantic oscillation, snow storms, extreme weather, severe weather, climate change and severe weather, global warming

Warm Oceans Can Cause Storms To Linger

Storms can dump more snow and rain, researchers...

a core of permafrost from Alaska, research explores how the microbes in permafrost respond to thawing and climate change

Frozen Microscopic Worlds Come Alive As Earth Warms

Microbes living in permafrost may accelerate gl...

NPP Launch Arc

NPP carries five science instruments, including four new state-of-the-art sensors.

Baby and mother polar bear on Arctic sea ice

Storms May Have Prevented Record Loss of Arctic Ice

Arctic storms prevent summer sea ice loss.

climate change, earth, environment, global warming, climate science, climate research, geological society of america, Michael Mann, climate skeptics

Sticking it to the Mann: Climate Science Sparks Protest

A postcard from the recent Geological Society of America meeting.

NASA Climate Satellite Faces Big Job After 'Absolutely Perfect' Launch

NASA's NPP satellite soared into the predawn California sky aboard a Delta 2 rocket.

Surprisingly, Hurricanes Offer Relief to Damaged Corals

Cool waters and clustered storms help corals bounce back faster from bleaching.

World Set a Flame: 2002 - 2011 Visualized

Using satellite data, NASA has comprised a view of each continent's wild and man-made fires that consume major portions of land each year. Nearly 10 years of data shows the path of these fires, helping scientists infer their impact on the climate.

Polar bears are getting smaller because of climate change, and many other organisms will too, scientists say.

Animals Shrink as Earth Warms

A warmer world means smaller organisms and, potentially, extinctions, scientists say.

behind the scenes, bts, national science foundation, nsf, HIPPO, carbon monoxide, carbon, carbon dioxide, black carbon, nitrous oxide, Steven Wofsy, Harvard University, Rachel Hauser, National Center for Atmospheric Research, greenhouse gas, atmosphere,

A HIPPO Takes to the Skies to Taste Earth's Atmosphere

The 5-phase HIPPO (HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observation) project generated the first detailed mapping — both vertically and across latitudes — of the global distribution of greenhouse gases, black carbon, and related chemical species in the atmosphere.