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Climate models are a vast simplification of the real thing, as it's currently impossible to perfectly reconstruct the complexities of the atmosphere. But that's not to say that the models aren't useful; they are the most powerful tools in our battle to understand how the atmosphere works.
It is a complicated business though. A small underestimation in a variable can lead to a gross magnification over time, greatly skewing the end result. Like a large orchestra, climate models need a great deal of fine-tuning in order to get a coherent result. To add to the complexity, many of the variables are difficult to quantify. The goalposts constantly shift as new information is received from a plethora of meteorological stations and satellites that diligently collect weather data 24/7 to feed to the hungry models. And when it comes to man-made variables, such as the pumping of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, you need a crystal ball to know what might happen in the future. These factors are why climate change prediction (and the consequences of the changes) is never cut and dried.
1. Introduction | Rising Temperatures | Predicting Global Warming | Complicating Factors | Predicting 2080 | Spring 2080 | Summer 2080 | Autumn 2080 | Winter 2080 |10. Quick Guides | 11. Find out more | 12. Credits
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