Future Climate Change

What will the climate on Earth be in the not so distant future? What factors influence climate change? How and why do these factors affect global warming?

This exercise analyzes the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) from the IPCC. Using data from the SRES, the future changes in global population, socio-economic development, and technology are examined as the driving forces that determine future emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane. The SRES represent the input for a computer-programmed climate model, developed by Dr. Ben Matthews, that runs to the year 2300. The output is a climate scenario - a plausible representation of future climate constructed specifically to study the impact of human activities on climate change.

Different comparisons can be observed by selecting a change or stabilization in emissions. The tools in the activity can generate data that examine predicted changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, global and regional temperatures, sea level, and flooding.