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Factors that Contribute to Changes in the Climate - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Greenhouse gases have a huge effect on glacier melting. It affects glacier melting in a couple ways. Firstly, because of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane, heat that would normally escape from the earth is trapped, causing global temperatures to increase. Greenhouse gas also causes precipitation to fall as rain instead of snow, which further affects glaciers.
  - - - Ice has a high albedo, which allows it to reflect the rays of the sun. This helps to keep the Earth cool. However, if ice starts to melt and the area that is covered by ice decreases, the amount of sun rays that is reflected reduces, causing rise in temperature which in turn melts more ice, repeating the cycle.
    - - Ocean levels
        
        While ice that is already floating on the sea are accounted for in the ocean levels, ice that is on land, such as glaciers, are not. This means that if ice from glaciers in the North and South were to melt, the excess water would flow into the ocean and increase ocean levels. This would cause the erosion of beaches, loss of wetlands and marshes, and potentially sinking villages and towns that are close to sea level.
- - - - Obliquity describes the angle of the Earth's tilt. It has variations between approximately 22.1° and 24.5°. The tilt changes between a cycle of 43,000 years. While short-term, the tilt does not severely affect the Earth's climate, the tilt however does affect the amount of sun that certain areas of the Earth receives. This causes differences in climate in the long run.
    - - The Precision of the Earth describes the wobble of the axis of the Earth. The cycle lasts 26,000 years, and has a little effect short-term on the planet. However, in the long-term, it is also a factor that contributes to changes in climate.
    - - Eccentricity describes the shape of Earth's rotation around the Sun, which is either circular or elliptical. The eccentricity cycle lasts around 100,000 years. During the peaks, the difference in distance causes a difference in radiation during seasons, which are potential causes of ice ages. Currently the Earth's eccentricity is approximately 0.0167.
- - - - During normal conditions, the Trade Winds blow from east to west. However, during La Nina, the trade winds become stronger. This causes warm water to be blown towards Australia and South Asia. Due to the increase in warm temperature water near South Asia, this causes their temperatures to increase. The lack of warm water in South America, however, causes the area to become cooler than normal.
        
        La Niña events also occur irregularly, often following an El Niño event, and typically lasts longer—up to two years or more.
    - - In normal conditions, Trade Winds typically blow from east to west. However, during El Nino, the trade winds slow or reverse. This causes warmer waters to gather near the Eastern Pacific
        oceans and South America. The change in heat distribution in the Pacific changes the atmospheric circulation, which affects weather systems worldwide.
        
        This event happens 2-7 years typically, and lasts 9-12 months
  - - - When volcanoes erupt, they emit ash and soot. The ash and soot that was emitted goes into the atmosphere, and blackens the sky. Because of the clouds, the sun's rays cannot get through which causes temporary cooling. The ashes also cause damage to vegetation. Along with the suit, Sulfuric dioxide is also released into the stratosphere, mixing with water vapor to create sulfuric aerosols, Which can cause one to three years of cooling due to its reflective properties.
        
        Year without summer