Climate - Weather Averages 11.0

Climate is the statistics of weather over long periods of time. It is measured by assessing the patterns of variation in temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, precipitation, atmospheric particle count, and other meteorological variables in a given region over extended durations. Climate differs from weather as it solely describes the short-term conditions of these variables in specific regions.

A region's climate is generated by the climate system, composed of five components: atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere.

The climate of a location is influenced by its latitude, terrain, altitude, nearby water bodies, and their currents. Climates can be categorized based on the average and typical ranges of different variables, primarily temperature and precipitation. The Köppen climate classification system is widely used for this purpose. The Thornthwaite system, implemented since 1948, factors in evapotranspiration besides temperature and precipitation data to study biological diversity responses to climate change. The Bergeron and Spatial Synoptic Classification systems concentrate on the origin of air masses that define regional climates.

Paleoclimatology focuses on studying ancient climates. Since direct climate observations are unavailable before the 19th century, paleoclimates are inferred from proxy variables like sediments in lake beds and ice cores for non-biotic evidence or tree rings and coral for biotic evidence. Climate models are mathematical representations of past, present, and future climates. Climate change can occur over varied timescales due to multiple factors; ongoing warming is extensively discussed as global warming leading to redistributions.