Climate Scientists

Climate scientists, also called climatologists, study how Earth's climate works and how it is changing. They look at temperature records, ice cores, and ocean data to understand weather patterns over many years. Their research helps the world prepare for and respond to climate change.

How They Study Climate

Climate scientists use many tools to study the climate. They launch weather balloons and use satellites to measure temperatures around the world. They drill deep into ice in Antarctica and Greenland to study air bubbles trapped thousands of years ago. They also use powerful computers to predict what the climate will be like in the future.

Sharing Their Findings

Climate scientists share their research so that leaders and communities can make smart decisions. They write reports about how much the planet has warmed and what might happen next. Their work helps cities plan for floods, droughts, and heat waves. Climate scientists also help develop clean energy solutions to slow warming.

Fun Facts

• Ice cores from Antarctica contain tiny air bubbles that show what Earth's atmosphere was like 800,000 years ago!
• Climate scientists use data from more than 10,000 weather stations around the world.
• The first person to suggest that carbon dioxide could warm the planet was a scientist named Svante Arrhenius in 1896.

Did You Know?

Climate scientists have found that the last decade was the warmest in at least 125,000 years!