Climate research helps us understand how the Earth’s atmosphere affects oceans, rivers, forests, grasslands, and a wide range of ecosystems. It also provides critical information about the effects of climate change on human societies and natural resources. PNNL scientists use a range of tools and approaches to conduct climate research. These include direct measurements from weather instruments, indirect evidence from historical records and proxy data, and models of the Earth system to predict future changes in climate.
While many people equate “climate” with the weather, science defines it as a long-term average of atmospheric conditions over time, usually decades or more. Scientists have been tracking climate trends for 200 years, since French mathematician and physicist Joseph Fourier first suggested that the planet’s atmosphere could trap energy being radiated from Earth’s surface in the 1820s. Irish chemist John Tyndall and Swedish physicist Svante Arrhenius were among the first to demonstrate that carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere absorb and reradiate heat.
As a result of decades of research, there is now widespread scientific consensus that human activities are causing the world to warm. This conclusion forms the basis for international agreements like the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition to helping us understand the causes of climate change, climate research can also help us adapt to its impacts. From forecasting more frequent and intense hurricanes to predicting how plants and animals will respond to changing conditions, this research is vital to protecting lives, property, and economic prosperity.
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