Climatology

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Atmospheric sciences [cat.]
Meteorology [cat.] weather [cat.] tropical cyclones [cat.]
Climatology [cat.] climate [cat.] climate change [cat.]
Portal Atmospheric Sciences Portal Weather

Climatology is the study of climate, scientifically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of time,^[1] and is a branch of the atmospheric sciences.

Contents 1 Differences with meteorology 2 History of climatology 3 Different approaches 4 Famous climatologists 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Differences with meteorology

In contrast to meteorology, which studies short term weather systems lasting up to a few weeks, climatology studies the frequency with which these weather systems occurred in the past. It studies the periodicity of weather events over years to millennia, as well as changes in long-term average weather patterns, in relation to atmospheric conditions. Climatologists, those who practice climatology, study both the nature of climates - local, regional or global - and the natural or human-induced factors that cause climates to change. Climatology considers the past and can help predict future climate change.

Phenomena of climatological interest include the atmospheric boundary layer, circulation patterns, heat transfer (radiative, convective and latent), interactions between the atmosphere and the oceans and land surface (particularly vegetation, land use and topography), and the chemical and physical composition of the atmosphere. Related disciplines include astrophysics, chemistry, ecology, geology, geophysics, glaciology, hydrology, oceanography, and volcanology.

[edit] History of climatology

Early climate researchers include Edmund Halley, who published a map of the trade winds in 1686, after a voyage to the southern hemisphere. Benjamin Franklin, a renaissance man in the 18th century, was the first to map the course of the Gulf Stream for use in sending mail overseas from the United States to Europe. Francis Galton invented the term anticyclone [1]. Helmut Landsberg led to statistical analysis being used in climatology, which led to its evolution into a physical science.

[edit] Different approaches

Climatology is approached in a variety of ways. Paleoclimatology seeks to reconstruct past climates by examining records such as ice cores and tree rings (dendroclimatology). The study of contemporary climates incorporates meteorological data accumulated over many years, such as records of rainfall, temperature and atmospheric composition. Knowledge of the atmosphere and its dynamics is also embodied in models, either statistical or mathematical, which help by integrating different observations and testing how they fit together. Modeling is used for understanding past, present and potential future climates. Historical climatology is the study of climate as related to human history and thus focuses only on the last few thousand years.

Climate research is made difficult by the large scale, long time periods, and complex processes which govern climate. It is generally accepted that climate is governed by differential equations based on physical laws, but what, exactly, are these equations, and what can be concluded from them, is still subject to debate. Climate is sometimes modeled as a stochastic process but this is generally accepted as an approximation to processes that are otherwise too complicated to analyze.

[edit] Famous climatologists

• Francis Galton
• Edmund Halley
• Wladimir Köppen
• Helmut Landsberg
• Hubert Lamb
• Milutin Milanković
• John Russell Mather
• Tim Oke
• Syukoro Manabe
• James Hansen

[edit] See also

• Meteorology

[edit] References

1. ^ Climate Prediction Center. Climate Glossary. Retrieved on 2006-11-23.

[edit] External links

• Climatology News Daily publication with news in all areas of climatology plus free news feeds for webmasters.
• Climate Prediction Center
• IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: The IPCC assesses the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of the risk of human-induced climate change.

Physical geography v • d • e
	Biogeography · Climatology & paleoclimatology · Coastal/Marine studies · Geodesy · Geomorphology · Glaciology · Hydrology & Hydrography · Landscape ecology · Limnology · Oceanography · Palaeogeography · Pedology · Quaternary Studies