Klimat

Klimat, or climate, is the long-term statistical description of the weather in a given area, encompassing average conditions, typical ranges, and the frequency of extreme events over multi-decadal timescales. It differs from weather, which describes short-term atmospheric conditions. Climate is shaped by interactions among the atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere, land surface, and biosphere, and it varies with latitude, altitude, proximity to oceans, and regional topography. Key drivers include solar radiation, greenhouse gas concentrations, atmospheric circulation, ocean currents, and land cover.

Measurement of climate relies on meteorological observations, climate normals (often 30-year averages), and paleoclimate proxies. Modern data combine ground stations, weather satellites, radiosondes, and advanced reanalysis products to produce spatially complete records and to reconstruct past climates.

Human activities are altering the climate system by increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, leading to warming and shifts in precipitation, evaporation, and extreme events. These changes interact with natural variability on multiple timescales, producing regional patterns of impact such as heatwaves, heavy rainfall, droughts, shifting ecosystems, and sea level rise. Climate science uses computational models, ranging from simple energy-balance representations to comprehensive general circulation models, to simulate past climates and project future conditions under different emission scenarios.

Climatic zones are commonly classified by characteristic temperature and precipitation patterns, including tropical, arid, temperate, and polar regions. Understanding climate supports weather forecasting, water resources planning, agriculture, public health, and policy decisions related to adaptation and mitigation.