Climate research combines knowledge from several scientific disciplines, such as atmospheric science, oceanography and geology, to gain a more holistic view of Earth’s complex climate system. Researchers use data to examine past and current climate patterns and make predictions about future conditions. The field of climatology was founded on systematic recordkeeping, beginning with Edmund Halley’s mapping of the trade winds in 1686 following his voyage to the South Pacific and continuing through the Scientific Revolution with inventions like thermometers and barometers.
PNNL scientists work to understand the complexities of global climate systems and how humans and natural resources interact with them. Whether through long-term trends or short-term extreme events, climate science delivers valuable information that influences important human and environmental decisions.
As global warming continues, climate scientists anticipate many changes, including rising sea levels, increased frequency and intensity of heat waves, droughts and floods. A thorough understanding of how climate change may impact our lives will help us prepare for them.
The scientific consensus is clear: Human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, are the primary cause of the ongoing increase in the Earth’s average surface temperature. Climate change will affect every aspect of our economy and society, and citizens who are fluent in climate science will be better prepared to respond to both challenges and opportunities.
It wasn’t until the 1900s that scientists began to formally link climate changes and industrialization, with pioneers such as Svante Arrhenius and Guy Stewart Callendar establishing the greenhouse effect. Later, Charles Keeling’s famous carbon dioxide curve made a direct connection between human activity and global temperatures.
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