Attribution Science: Linking Climate Change to Extreme Weather
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Provided by: Columbia Climate School|Published on: April 27, 2021
Articles/WebsitesScientist Reviewed
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Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this article, the author describes the term "attribution science" in relation to the connections between climate change and intensifying and/or increasing numbers of extreme weather events.
- The article describes how attribution science consists of using models to attempt to quantify climate change's contribution to an extreme weather event.
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Computer Science
Authors: Renee Cho
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The short article clearly introduces the concept of attribution science and thoroughly explains the methods behind this practice.
- The explanation of attribution science effectively details the nuances of providing evidence that supports claims but does not necessarily prove a causal relationship.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should understand the difference between climate and weather, and be familiar with explaining the relationship between two variables.
Differentiation
- Students can read and annotate the article in pairs and then work together to summarize their understanding of the concept of attribution science.
- Students can independently research other fields where attribution science is used and then have a discussion about how attribution science can be used as evidence for a claim, and its limitations.
- Other recommended resources include the e-book Extreme Weather and the Climate Crisis: What you Need to Know and this Table of Solutions to climate change by Project Drawdown.
Scientist Notes
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Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
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