12.1.8

Uncertainty About Future Climate Change

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Uncertainty About Future Climate Change

The number of factors that affect the Earth's climate is very large and they all interact. This is called a 'complex' system. Complex systems are very hard to predict.

Illustrative background for Uncertainty over emissionsIllustrative background for Uncertainty over emissions ?? "content

Uncertainty over emissions

  • We don't know what technologies could produce more efficient energy in the future.
  • 100 years is a long time to predict over.
  • We don't know what government agreements could happen.
  • We don't know if there could be a catastrophe that could kill billions of people.
Illustrative background for ComplexityIllustrative background for Complexity ?? "content

Complexity

  • The Earth's climate is an extremely complex system, with lots of interacting parts.
  • That is why the IPCC uses scenario analysis to illustrate what is possible.

Jump to other topics

1Geography Skills

2Geology of the UK

3Geography of the World

4Development

5Weather & Climate

6The World of Work

7Natural Resources

8Rivers

9Coasts

10Glaciers

11Tectonics

12Climate Change

13Global Population & Inequality

14Urbanisation

15Ecosystems

16Life in an Emerging Country

17Analysis of Africa

18Analysis of India

19Analysis of the Middle East

20Analysis of Bangladesh

21Analysis of Russia

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