Climate variability refers to short-term changes in weather patterns, such as floods, droughts, and temperature changes, which deviate from a region’s usual climate. Scientists study long-term climate by compiling statistics over several decades. One of the most discernible natural variations in climate is the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) circumstance, which creates global climatic deviations. Studying climate change is important to scientists because of its effects on people. If scientists can identify patterns or discern the effect on weather attributed to climate variability, people can usually acclimate.
Climate is the measure of weather patterns over a long period of time and inherent in climate are changes, both long and short term. Short-term climate change represents periodic or intermittent changes that occur and this is called “climate variability”. These short-term changes could include floods, droughts, temperature changes, or fluctuating weather patterns such as the effects of El Niño or La Niña. In a more general sense, climate variability is thought of as the deviations in climate statistics over a long period of time. Accurately identifying and understanding climate variations is important to recognizing and understanding their effect on humans.
The term “climate” is a term used to describe the average mix of weather conditions at a geographic location over the long term. Scientists determine the climate of a geographic location by compiling statistics over a long period of time, usually several decades or more. Those statistics include the value, variance, and probabilities associated with weather conditions such as temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind.
When scientists study long-term climate, they often find inconsistencies in time relative to the average. For example, climates that are normally humid could experience dry spells or even droughts due to a change in weather patterns. While these short-term changes are intrinsic, they don’t mean the climate has changed. Instead, they are simply a deviation from the region’s usual climate. Scientists assign the term “climate variability” to identify such anomalies, which usually last less than a decade.
There are many reasons why climates deviate from the norm. One of the most discernible natural variations in climate occurs with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) circumstance. ENSO explains the interaction of the Pacific Ocean with the atmosphere, creating global climatic deviations. Every few years, there are changes in ocean surface temperatures and other weather elements around the Pacific equator. Colder temperatures characterize La Niña, and warmer temperatures are the signature of the El Niño cycle. Different temperatures produce variations in tropical precipitation, shaking up climates around the world.
Studying climate change is important to scientists because of its effects on people. If scientists can identify patterns or discern the effect on weather attributed to climate variability, people can usually acclimate. To illustrate, the scientists have positioned an observation system in the tropical Pacific that allows them to predict the effects of El Niño several years before they manifest themselves in the global climate. This information can help you calculate in advance resulting conditions such as intensified storms or drought conditions.
Conversely, when scientists fail to understand climate variability, people usually suffer. For example, the 1930s Dustbowl is thought to have been caused by climate variability associated with warmer ocean temperatures over the Atlantic Ocean and the effects of La Niña in the Pacific Ocean. Had these effects been known in advance, rather than decades later, scientists might have warned of the resulting consequences.
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