Simple Nature and Beauty

  Climate change is a alteration in the statistical properties of the climate system, which include temperature, humidity, wind and rainfall. It can be influenced by the oceans, land surfaces, atmosphere and ice sheets over geological time scales (usually at least 30 years). Changes in climate occur as a result of both natural and human-induced causes. Natural causes include “ changes in the sun's intensity, volcanic eruptions, or slow changes in the Earth's orbit around the sun and other natural processes within the climate system such as changes in ocean current circulation .” These slow changes build up over decades or centuries and result in changes such as the recurring ice ages. Man-made climate changes involve increasing atmospheric concentrations of CO 2 , methane, water vapor and nitrous oxide, and other chemically manufactured greenhouse gases. These include halocarbons, aerosols in the atmosphere which trap incident sunlight (the greenhouse effect), cutting down carb

  hen it rains, it pours. Today’s rainstorms give new meaning to this age-old expression. Extreme precipitation has increased in nearly every region of the mainland United States since the start of the 20th century, according to the  Fourth National Climate Assessment , a comprehensive scientific report about climate change in the U.S. Source: U.S. Global Change Research Program The Southwest is the only region experiencing a decrease in heavy precipitation events. But even there, the intensity of rainfall during the region’s monsoon season has increased since the 1960s ,  according to a  study  in the peer-reviewed journal Geophysical Research Letters. One such intense monsoonal event occurred on July 15, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona, when  1.45 inches of rain fell in just one hour , an impressive total given that Tucson normally sees 2.25 inches of rainfall for the entire month of July. The same day, flash flooding caused by torrential rainfall north of Phoenix  killed  10 members of a fa

  A   season   is a period of the year that is distinguished by special   climate   conditions. The four seasons—spring,   summer , fall, and   winter —follow one another regularly. Each has its own light,   temperature , and   weather   patterns that repeat yearly. In the  Northern Hemisphere , winter generally begins on December 21 or 22. This is the  winter solstice , the day of the year with the shortest period of daylight. Summer begins on June 20 or 21, the  summer solstice , which has the most daylight of any day in the year. Spring and fall, or autumn, begin on equinoxes, days that have equal amounts of daylight and darkness. The vernal, or spring, equinox falls on March 20 or 21, and the  autumnal equinox  is on September 22 or 23. The seasons in the Northern Hemisphere are the opposite of those in the  Southern Hemisphere . This means that in Argentina and Australia, winter begins in June. The winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere is June 20 or 21, while the summer solst

  Diagram of the water cycle Precipitation is a vital component of how water moves through Earth’s water cycle, connecting the ocean, land, and  atmosphere . Knowing where it rains, how much it rains and the character of the falling rain, snow or  hail  allows scientists to better understand precipitation’s impact on streams, rivers, surface  runoff  and  groundwater . Frequent and detailed measurements help scientists make models of and determine changes in Earth’s water cycle. The water cycle describes how water evaporates from the surface of the earth, rises into the atmosphere, cools and condenses into rain or snow in clouds, and falls again to the surface as precipitation. The water falling on land collects in rivers and lakes, soil, and  porous  layers of rock, and much of it flows back into the oceans, where it will once more evaporate. The cycling of water in and out of the atmosphere is a significant aspect of the  weather  patterns on Earth.

  Most rivers begin their life high up in the mountains and hills of the world. There are heavy downpours of rain here and perhaps melting snow. Some of the rain soaks into the ground and the rest runs over the surface, collects in pools, then trickles downhill with the force of gravity. Small streams are formed, which get bigger as they collect more water and join up with other streams. The ever-increasing stream wears away the ground as it goes, carving out valleys and shaping the landscape. The speed of the flowing water and the hardness of the ground have an effect on the shape created. The ‘wearing away’ is called erosion. A mountain stream is sometimes called a youthful river and it is fast flowing, making deep valleys with steep sides. Once it begins to cut a valley it is trapped in it and will continue to carve out the same valley for perhaps thousands of years. As it tumbles downhill, the stream collects and carries rocks, stones and pebbles along with it. Progressing on its j

  “Climate change” and “global warming” are often used interchangeably but have distinct meanings. Similarly, the terms "weather" and "climate" are sometimes confused, though they refer to events with broadly different spatial- and timescales. Weather vs. Climate “If you don’t like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes.” - Mark Twain Weather refers to atmospheric conditions that occur locally over short periods of time—from minutes to hours or days. Familiar examples include rain, snow, clouds, winds, floods or thunderstorms. Climate, on the other hand, refers to the long-term regional or even global average of temperature, humidity and rainfall patterns over seasons, years or decades. What is Global Warming? This graph illustrates the change in global surface temperature relative to 1951-1980 average temperatures, with the year 2020 tying with 2016 for warmest on record (Source:  NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies ). Learn more about globa

  The importance of forests cannot be underestimated. We depend on forests for our survival, from the air we breathe to the wood we use. Besides providing habitats for animals and livelihoods for humans, forests also offer watershed protection, prevent soil erosion and mitigate climate change. Yet, despite our dependence on forests, we are still allowing them to disappear. © wwf How have forests affected your life today? Have you had your breakfast? Travelled to work in a bus or car? Sat on a chair? Made a shopping list? Got a parking ticket? Blown your nose into a tissue? Forest products are a vital part of our daily lives in more ways than we can imagine. © wwf Over 2 billion people rely on forests Forests provide us with shelter, livelihoods, water, food and fuel security. All these activities directly or indirectly involve forests. Some are easy to figure out - fruits, paper and wood from trees, and so on. Others are less obvious, such as by-products that go into everyday items lik

  Fresh water is vital to life and yet it is a finite resource. Of all the water on Earth, just 3% is fresh water. Although critical to natural and human communities, fresh water is threatened by a myriad of forces including overdevelopment, polluted runoff and global warming. With this in mind, WWF partners with communities, businesses and others to decrease pollution, increase water efficiency and protect natural areas to ensure enough clean water exists to conserve wildlife and provide a healthy future for all. Water is an amazing element. It is unique because it can be naturally found as a solid, liquid or gas. As lakes, oceans, rivers and streams increase in temperature, some water will change from liquid to gas, collecting together into clouds of moisture. As these clouds float over cooler seas or land, some of the moisture falls as rain or snow. Rain and snow that falls on the land either seeps into low places – feeding aquifers and groundwater tables –or flows down hill, formin

  Article objectives To define and give examples of biogeochemical cycles that recycle matter. To describe the water cycle and the processes by which water changes state. To summarize the organic and geological pathways of the carbon cycle. To outline the nitrogen cycle and state the roles of bacteria in the cycle. Unlike energy, elements are not lost and replaced as they pass through ecosystems. Instead, they are recycled repeatedly. All chemical elements that are needed by living things are recycled in ecosystems, including carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur. Water is also recycled. Biogeochemical Cycles A biogeochemical cycle is a closed loop through which a chemical element or water moves through ecosystems. In the term  biogeochemical ,  bio - refers to biotic components and  geo - to geological and other abiotic components. Chemicals cycle through both biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems. For example, an element might move from the atmosphere to oc