What's the correct term for when global warming causes colder temps and accompanying precipitation?

[bbernardini]

As we all know, there are some people who can't wrap their little brains around the concept that global warming can cause colder weather and the various precipitations that come with it, simply because of the use of the word "warming." But I can't remember what the correct term is for this phenomenon (phenomena? thing that happens that I previously described?). Can somebody help me out?

[skygazer]

1. Snow?

:P

[Alexander]

2. "Climate change". nt

[stuntcat]

3. or the droughts

Serious droughts are predicted in some places that are already dry.. this of course wouldn't make sense to someone who can't imagine the way weather works in the first place.
"climate change" is the best way to say it that I can think of right now too, but it doesn't sound technical enough to stand up in a fight maybe.

(HEY BTW I have a VHS tape of every State episode. I got it from someone online a few years ago, the quality isn't super-great but it's watchable. I don't have a way to copy it myself.. do you know how people get the old tapes copied? I'd mail you a copy but I will Not let go of mine!)

[mike_c]

4. global warming is not the main issue per se....

In truth, the amount of "warming" is likely to be relatively small, and within the range of temperature variation the earth has experienced many times before.

The real problem is one of energy. The earth's biosphere has a very high specific heat, largely because it's BIG and because it contains lots and lots of water. What this means is that it can absorb a LOT of energy with only small changes in average temperature. So the earth's biosphere is warming, but the warming is relatively small. What's HUGE though is the amount of energy that's being stored in the biosphere to accomplish that small degree of warming.

Weather is the atmosphere's and ocean's response to changes in energy storage. It's a heat engine running on a massive scale as energy is moved from one part of the biosphere to another. Although the overall temperature effect of all that extra energy being stored in the atmosphere and ocean is to raise temperature by a small amount, local weather can be all over the place-- some areas can experience colder temps, for example, when warm ocean currents change their flow patterns. They change their flows because of changes in ocean water density, salinity, and heat storage as energy distribution patterns shift.