Providing the ocean and atmospheric science needed for a sustainable, healthy, and well-prepared Australia as part of a global effort focused on climate, energy and air quality interactions, and climate, carbon and water feedbacks.
Climate change questions and answers
Here we address some of the common questions raised about the changing climate and the science involved in studying it.
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What is climate change?
Climate change refers to any long-term trends or shifts in climate over many decades.
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How has climate changed in the past?
There is a great deal of evidence that the Earth's climate has warmed over the past century.
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Why do sea levels change?
Sea levels can change for a variety of reasons over a range of different time scales.
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How is the composition of the atmosphere changing?
Greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere have risen rapidly during the past two centuries.
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How is climate likely to change in the future?
The Earth's future climate will depend on whether the world manages to slow or even reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but warming is likely to continue.
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How else are the oceans changing?
As well as rising sea levels, the oceans are getting warmer and more acidic.
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How is extreme weather changing?
A changing climate leads to changes in the frequency, intensity, spatial extent and duration of extreme weather and climate events.
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How does CSIRO study climate change?
Our climate researchers use climate simulations to project future climate decades in advance.
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What are the impacts of climate change?
Increases in extreme climate events will pose challenges for Australia in the future.
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How does research inform our response to climate change?
Scientific research can lead to the development of solutions to help us adapt to climate challenges and to cut our greenhouse gas emissions.
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Is the science settled?
A distinction needs to be made between science that is robust and science that is relatively uncertain. All conclusions should be based on peer-reviewed literature.
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Where can I find more information about climate change?
Peer-reviewed papers provide a reliable and quality-assured source of information on climate change science.