Learning Objectives

This chapter has several goals and objectives:

• Explain the controlling factors of global climates.
• Describe the various global climates and biomes classified using the Koppen Classification System.
• Analyze Earth’s climatic past and how scientists measure and collect climate data.
• Describe the causes of short-term and long-term climate change.
• Determine why the overwhelming majority of scientists believe the current warming of the planet is because of
• human activity.