Climate Forcing

Climate forcing refers to factors that influence the Earth's climate by altering the balance of incoming and outgoing energy. These factors, such as greenhouse gases, solar radiation, volcanic activity, and aerosols, can either trap more heat (warming effect) or reflect it away (cooling effect). Climate forcing helps us understand how different processes cause changes in global temperatures over time, leading to periods of warming or cooling. It is a useful concept for studying past climate variations and predicting future climate change by assessing the strength and direction of these influences.