The warming of the Earth has been the subject of intense debate and concern for many scientists, policy-makers, and citizens for at least the past decade. Climate Change Science: An Analysis of Some Key Questions, a new report by a committee of the National Research Council, characterizes the global warming trend over the last 100 years, and examines what may be in store for the 21st century and the extent to which warming may be attributable to human activity.


Table of Contents


Front Matter
Summary
1. Climate, Climate Forcings, Climate Sensitivity, and Transient
Climate Change
2. Natural Climatic Variations
3. Human Caused Forcings
4. Climate System Models
5. Observed Climate Change During the Industrial Era
6. Future Climate Change
7. Assessing Progress in Climate Science
Appendix A: Letter from the White House
Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Staff