How Climate Works
Energy from the Sun drives Earth’s climate system by creating temperature differences that move air and ocean currents around the planet. This textintroduces climate system components, the carbon cycle, greenhouse gases, ocean-atmosphere interactions, seasons, and the distinction between weather and climate.
References
The contents of this page are featured in the Climate Wall, a dynamic digital exhibit in the Museum’s David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth. Data from NASA, NOAA and other sources highlights our changing climate, and how it affects life on our planet. The Climate Wall is featured in our list of Highlights. Check out the rest of our must-see exhibits!
Topics
- climate system
- solar energy
- carbon cycle
- greenhouse effect
- carbon dioxide
- ocean currents
- atmospheric circulation
- weather vs climate
- Earth systems
- hydrosphere
- atmosphere
- biosphere
- lithosphere
- cryosphere
- heat transfer
- energy balance
- ocean heat storage
- seasons
- Earth's tilt
- climate regulation
- greenhouse gases
- climate feedbacks
- carbon reservoirs
- ocean-atmosphere interactions