Climate Sensitivity

Climate sensitivity refers to how much the Earth's average temperature is expected to increase when the carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in the atmosphere double from pre-industrial levels. It measures the Earth's response to greenhouse gases, reflecting the balance between factors that trap heat and those that cool the planet. A higher climate sensitivity means a greater temperature rise for a given increase in CO₂, which has important implications for future climate change. Scientists estimate this sensitivity to help predict and prepare for the extent of global warming resulting from ongoing greenhouse gas emissions.