What is Climate, had been asked when

Roger A. Pielke Sr Research Group Weblog[1] started in July 2005

A great weblog closed down after two years in operation. Roger A. Pielke Sr. was highly praised for his objectivity, tenacity and patience [2]. ‘Whatisclimate.com’ fully endorse the appraisal. Because ‘Whatisclimate’ regards necessary to press for clarification: What is climate; or stop using this term as a political or scientific tool to avoid misunderstanding and confusion, it seems reasonable to pickup an issue with which the weblog ‘Climate Science’ started operation on 11 July 2005. The first sentence reads[3]:

The title of this weblog is “Climate Science,” so the first thing
we need to do is define “climate.” For many, the term refers to
long-term weather statistics.

Attention should also receive the following extracts from the opening Weblog:

• on this blog we are adopting the definition that is provided in the 2005 National Research Council (NRC) report where the climate is the system consisting of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere.
• As an example, at the G-8 meeting, the term “climate change” is used interchangeably with “global warming.”
• In the NRC report, climate forcings were extended beyond the radiative forcing of carbon dioxide to include the biogeochemical influence of carbon dioxide, …
• The term “global warming” is generally used to refer to an increase in the globally-averaged surface temperature in response to the increase of well-mixed greenhouse gases, particularly CO 2.
• If, however, we are interested in atmospheric and ocean circulation changes, which, after all is what creates our weather, we need to focus on how humans are altering these circulations. Ocean heat content changes are the much more appropriate metric than a globally-averaged surface temperature when evaluating “global warming” in any case
• Thus it matters how we define climate and climate forcing[4].
• Hopefully, this blog will stimulate discussion, as well as illuminate reasons why this broader perspective on climate variability and change has been mostly ignored.

The last excerpt shows clearly why it is so necessary for not letting Climate Science go without a comment. The primary approach had been interesting, emphasizing the role of the oceans is great, complaining about the use of ‘global warming’ with ‘climate change’ interchangeable is very appreciable, but what is climate? Surprisingly, the text offers no more than the reference to http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309095069 , which was consulted but in vain, climate was not defined, only six terms that include the word climate[5].

Maybe R. Pielke thought that making a reference to the 2005 National Research Council (NRC) report tells all about the term climate. But could it be that he indeed believed that “climate is the system consisting of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere? (see above). The NRC report (Glossary) defines only climate system[6], also the UNFCCC, by stating that: “Climate system” means the totality of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and geosphere and their interactions.[7] Each of these terms explains nothing. They are absolute useless as scientific terms. Their use must cause confusion. The totality of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and geosphere and their interactions represents the global natural system.

Unfortunately the Climate Science remained unspecific with regard to the meaning of climate. Actually only eight times the section “Definition of Climate” had been activated. In the subsequent posting: What is Climate Change? ,July 29, 2005, the concern was not ‘climate’, but climate change, and climate forcing[8]. There on followed:

• November 4, 2005, Reponse to a November 4, 2005 post on RealClimate
• April 4, 2006, Climate Science Weblog Summary
• October 30, 2006, Climate Science Summary
• November 16, 2006, Merger Of Air Quality Studies and Weather And Climate Research
• March 10, 2007, Human Impacts on Weather and Climate by W. R. Cotton and R. A. Pielke Sr. Published By Cambridge University Press
• September 2, 2007, Summary Conclusions of Climate Science

The core question on what is climate was practically never discussed. But this makes reading the placed subjects and the comments not necessarily less interesting even though the site has been closed. ‘Whatisclimate’ abstains of commenting as many contributions speak for themself. At least it illustrates hat there had been little interest to search and demand a reasonable climate definition.

The problematic with the term climate may be highlighted with another and final extract from Climate Science on 16 November, 2006, of which the last sentence reads:

• The report includes discussion on the merger of research between traditional air quality studies and climate, since atmospheric chemistry and the dispersion of natural and anthropogenic aerosols into the atmosphere are integral components of the climate system [e.g. see the 2005 National Research Council Report: Radiative forcing of climate change: Expanding the concept and addressing uncertainties].

How can serious science claim, “that the dispersion of natural and anthropogenic aerosols into the atmosphere are integral components of the climate system”, when such dispersion go into the atmospheric system and become part of the atmospheric system? Is the ‘switch’ to another name naïve or a trick? It is misleading to speak about a ‘climate system’ if one does not know what climate is.

Footnotes

[1] http://climatesci.colorado.edu/

[2] August 25, 2007, Climate Science Is Retiring; Comment 7

[3]http://climatesci.colorado.edu/category/definition-of-climate/

[4] A link is attached http://www.nap.edu/books/0309095069/html/15.html which provides no definition on ‘ climate’, but for ‘climate forcing’ and on ‘ Climate system’ as follows: The system consisting of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere, determining the Earth’s climate as the result of mutual interactions and responses to external influences (forcing). Physical, chemical, and biological processes are involved in the interactions among the components of the climate system.

[5] Climate feedback, Climate forcing, Climate model, Climate response, Climate sensitivity parameter or climate feedback parameter, Climate system

[6] Climate system: The system consisting of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere, determining the Earth’s climate as the result of mutual interactions and responses to external influences (forcing). Physical, chemical, and biological processes are involved in interactions among the components of the climate system.

[7] UNFCCC, Article 1, paragraph 3.

[8] http://climatesci.colorado.edu/2005/07/29/what-is-climate-change/#comments