Open AccessAGU position statement on human impacts on climate
Author(s) -
AUTHOR_ID
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2003eo510005
Subject(s) - greenhouse gas , environmental science , carbon dioxide in earth's atmosphere , carbon dioxide , natural (archaeology) , methane , atmospheric carbon cycle , extraterrestrial life , atmospheric sciences , nitrous oxide , atmosphere (unit) , greenhouse effect , climate change , global warming , environmental chemistry , earth science , astrobiology , carbon sequestration , oceanography , chemistry , meteorology , geology , geography , paleontology , physics , organic chemistry
Human activities are increasingly altering the Earth's climate. These effects add to natural influences that have been present over Earth's history. Scientific evidence strongly indicates that natural influences cannot explain the rapid increase in global near‐surface temperatures observed during the second half of the 20th century. Human impacts on the climate system include increasing concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases (e.g., carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons and their substitutes, methane, nitrous oxide, etc.), air pollution, increasing concentrations of airborne particles, and land alteration. A particular concern is that atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide may be rising faster than at any time in Earth's history, except possibly following rare events like impacts from large extraterrestrial objects.