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Climate change causes a variety of physical impacts on the climate system. The physical impacts of climate change foremost include globally rising temperatures of the lower atmosphere, the land, and oceans. Temperature rise is not uniform, with land masses and the Arctic region warming faster than the global average. Effects on weather encompass increased heavy precipitation, reduced amounts of cold days, increase in heat waves and various effects on tropical cyclones. The enhanced greenhouse effect causes the higher part of the atmosphere, the stratosphere, to cool. Geochemical cycles are also impacted, with absorption of CO
2 causing ocean acidification, and rising ocean water decreasing the ocean's ability to absorb further carbon dioxide. Annual snow cover has decreased, sea ice is declining and widespread melting of glaciers is underway. Thermal expansion and glacial retreat cause sea levels to increase. Retreat of ice mass may impact various geological processes as well, such as volcanism and earthquakes. Increased temperatures and other human interference with the climate system can lead to tipping points to be crossed such as the collapse of the thermohaline circulation or the Amazon rainforest. Some of these physical impacts also affect social and economic systems.


The primary causes[1] and the wide-ranging impacts (effects)[2][3] of global warming and resulting climate change. Some effects constitute feedback mechanisms that intensify climate change and move it toward climate tipping points.[4]
Global surface temperatures
Effects on weather
Extreme events Edit
See also: Effects of climate change on humans § Social effects of extreme weather

The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (2021) projected multiplicative increases in the frequency of extreme events compared to the pre-industrial era for heat waves, droughts and heavy precipitation events, for various global warming scenarios.[17]
Fire Edit
Fire is a major agent for conversion of biomass and soil organic matter to CO2 (Denman et al., 2007:527).[18] There is a large potential for future alteration in the terrestrial carbon balance through altered fire regimes. With high confidence, Schneider et al. (2007:789) projected that:[19]

An increase in global mean temperature of about 0 to 2 °C by 2100 relative to the 1990–2000 period would result in increased fire frequency and intensity in many areas.
An increase in the region of 2 °C or above would lead to increased frequency and intensity of fires. Sensitivity to fires in areas that were already vulnerable has been steadily increasing. In high altitude temperate areas, increased temperature is causing snow pack to melt sooner and in greater quantities. The number of days that of higher stream flow caused by snowmelt in the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio rivers has been increasing in recent years.[20] The substantial amount of snow that remains atop mountains year around is also disappearing. This leads to the surrounding densely forested areas becoming more dry and staying dry for longer periods of time. In the 1970s, the length of a fire season, which is the period of the year fires are most likely to occur, was about five months. Today, the period is usually seven months, extending into the springtime mud season.[21] In addition, many areas are experiencing higher than normal droughts. Between 2011 and 2014, California experienced the driest period in its recorded history[22] and more than 100 million trees died in the drought, creating areas of dead, dry wood.[23] The decrease in rainfall is also going to increase the risk of wildfire by allowing the fire access to drier fuels. Dry foliage is more susceptible to a wildfire trigger. Wildfire specialists use foliar moisture content to determine how susceptible an area is to a wildfire.[24] In the United States, 2015 was the most destructive year on record for wildfires, with a total of 10,125,149 total acres destroyed by fires. 2017 was the second worst year on record with 10,026,086 acres destroyed.[25] The Thomas Fire occurred in 2017 and was the largest fire in California's history.[26]
The increasing frequency of wildfires as a result of climate change will also lead to an increase in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. This will, in turn, increase the temperature and the frequency of hot days, which will further increase fire danger. It was forecasted that double levels of CO2, would bring a greater risk of wildfires to Australia, especially the Australian outback. All of the eight sites tested projected an increase in fire danger as a result of CO2 level increase and all but one projected a longer fire season. The largest population center said to be affected is Alice Springs, a city deep in the Outback.Save the environment artwork children voice their concerns for animal welfare Bishopstown park Cork