What is climate?
The word climate derives from the Greek word κλιμα, or inclination. Climate, in fact, is partly determined by the inclination of the sun’s rays on the Earth’s surface, which varies with the latitude and seasons. The term “climate” is often used as a synonym of meteorological “weather” even though their meanings are quite different. Meteorological weather is the set of meteorological elements that characterize the atmosphere at a precise moment. If we look out of the window we can immediately see what the weather is like. The climate, instead, is defined as the “set of meteorological phenomena (e.g. temperature, precipitation, winds, etc.) that characterize the average state of the atmosphere at a particular point of the Earth’s surface”, (according to the definition given by J. Hann an Austrian meteorologist). Due to the extreme variability of meteorological parameters, the World Meteorological Organization has established that, in order to identify climatic characteristics, and therefore the “average state of the atmosphere”, of a particular location, the minimum duration of the historical time-series of meteorological data must be at least 30 years. The discipline that studies the climate, its elements and its factors, and classifies the types of climate is called climatology.
Special reports
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29 April 2014
What will the climate be like?
Latest news regarding the Fifth Assessment Report (Part 1)...
30 May 2014
Latest news regarding the climate
Most salient news from the Fifth Assessment Report(Part 2)
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27 March 2012
Rio and the Conventions
In the past years we have heard and read a lot about climate change...
10 February 2014
Coral turns pale!
The coral reef is one of the ecosystems with the richest biodiversity...
13 May 2013
Small steps, great footprints
Have you ever wondered how much space is taken up by an apple or a steak?...
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5 May 2012
Rio and the battle against desertification
In Rio, two other great challenges for sustainable development...
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29 April 2014
What will the climate be like?
Latest news regarding the Fifth Assessment Report (Part 1)...
30 May 2014
Latest news regarding the climate
Most salient news from the Fifth Assessment Report(Part 2)
-
27 March 2012
Rio and the Conventions
In the past years we have heard and read a lot about climate change...
-
10 February 2014
Coral turns pale!
The coral reef is one of the ecosystems with the richest biodiversity...
13 May 2013
Small steps, great footprints
Have you ever wondered how much space is taken up by an apple or a steak?...
-
29 April 2014
What will the climate be like?
Latest news regarding the Fifth Assessment Report (Part 1)...
-
30 May 2014
Latest news regarding the climate
Most salient news from the Fifth Assessment Report(Part 2)
From the Multimedia section
Facts
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What about the permafrost?
In Sub Arctic Swedish regions, some scientists studied the changes of permafrost...
CO2 “eating” trees
If a tree “eats” CO2 and produces oxygen it is easy to understand the importance it has in reducing the…
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24 February 2011
What about the permafrost?
In Sub Arctic Swedish regions, some scientists studied the changes of permafrost...
23 February 2012
CO2 “eating” trees
If a tree “eats” CO2 and produces oxygen it is easy to understand the importance it has in reducing the…
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7 April 2011
Weather over the Mediterranean Sea
The weather in the Mediterranean areas is generally...
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24 February 2011
What about the permafrost?
In Sub Arctic Swedish regions, some scientists studied the changes of permafrost...
-
23 February 2012
CO2 “eating” trees
If a tree “eats” CO2 and produces oxygen it is easy to understand the importance it has in reducing the…