'''Climate change''' is a [[change]] in the [[statistical]] distribution of [[weather]] patterns when that change lasts for an extended period of [[time]] (i.e., decades to millions of years). ''Climate change'' may refer to a change in [[average]] [[weather]] conditions, or in the time variation of weather around longer-term average conditions (i.e., more or fewer [[extreme]] weather events). ''Climate change'' is caused by factors such as biotic processes, variations in solar [[radiation]] received by [[Earth]], plate tectonics, and volcanic eruptions. Certain [[human]] activities have also been identified as significant [[causes]] of recent ''climate change'', often referred to as "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming global warming]". | '''Climate change''' is a [[change]] in the [[statistical]] distribution of [[weather]] patterns when that change lasts for an extended period of [[time]] (i.e., decades to millions of years). ''Climate change'' may refer to a change in [[average]] [[weather]] conditions, or in the time variation of weather around longer-term average conditions (i.e., more or fewer [[extreme]] weather events). ''Climate change'' is caused by factors such as biotic processes, variations in solar [[radiation]] received by [[Earth]], plate tectonics, and volcanic eruptions. Certain [[human]] activities have also been identified as significant [[causes]] of recent ''climate change'', often referred to as "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming global warming]". |