Climate science studies the physical processes that determine Earth's temperature and weather patterns. The greenhouse effect, first described by Joseph Fourier in 1824 and quantified by Svante Arrhenius in 1896, explains how certain gases trap outgoing infrared radiation, warming the planet's surface. Without the natural greenhouse effect, Earth's average temperature would be -18°C instead of +15°C.
Human activities — primarily burning fossil fuels and deforestation — have increased atmospheric CO₂ from 280 ppm (pre-industrial) to over 420 ppm today. This enhanced greenhouse effect has raised global temperatures by approximately 1.2°C since 1850, with consequences for sea level, ice sheets, weather extremes, and ecosystems.
These simulations let you manipulate the key variables of the climate system: adjust greenhouse gas concentrations and watch temperatures respond, trace carbon flows through the Earth system, see how ice-albedo feedback amplifies warming, and project sea level rise under different emission scenarios.