Climate change is a change in the pattern of weather, and related changes in

oceans, land surfaces and ice sheets, occurring over time scales of decades or longer.
Climate change occurs when changes in Earth's climate system result in new weather
patterns that remain in place for an extended period of time. This length of time can
be as short as a few decades to as long as millions of years. The climate system
comprises five interacting parts, the atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), cryosphere
(ice and permafrost), biosphere (living things), and lithosphere (earth's crust and
upper mantle). The climate system receives nearly all of its energy from the sun, with
a relatively tiny amount from earth's interior. The climate system also gives off
energy to outer space. The balance of incoming and outgoing energy, and the passage
of the energy through the climate system, determines Earth's energy budget. When the
incoming energy is greater than the outgoing energy, earth's energy budget is positive
and the climate system is warming. If more energy goes out, the energy budget is
negative and earth experiences cooling. Human activities can also change climate, and
are presently driving climate change through global warming. There is no general
agreement in scientific, media, or policy documents as to the precise term to be used
to refer to anthropogenic forced change; either "global warming" or "climate change"
may be used. The first describes the average effect on a global scale, whilst the
second describes how different geographical regions are affected differently.

Science has shown that climate change touches every corner of our planet’s
ecosystem, and the water cycle is no exception. Because the processes involved are
highly dependent on temperature, changes in one have consequences on the other.
Specifically, as global temperatures have steadily increased at their fastest rates in
millions of years, it’s directly affected things like water vapor concentrations, clouds,
precipitation patterns, and stream flow patterns, which are all related to the water
cycle. So how does climate change impact the water cycle? Put simply, water
evaporates from the land and sea, which eventually returns to Earth as rain and snow.
Climate change intensifies this cycle because as air temperatures increase, more water
evaporates into the air. Warmer air can hold more water vapor, which can lead to
more intense rainstorms, causing major problems like extreme flooding in coastal
communities around the world. But it doesn’t end there. At the same time that some
areas are experiencing stronger storms, others are experiencing more dry air and even
drought. Like we mentioned above, as temperatures rise, evaporation increases and
soils dry out. Then when rain does come, much of the water runs off the hard ground
into rivers and streams, and the soil remains dry. The result? Still more evaporation
from the soil and an increased risk of drought.

Global precipitation changes and runoff. Precipitation changes at the

global level display a complex pattern, without a clear-cut average trend in the last
century but with an apparent tendency to the intensification of the hydrological cycle
in many areas of the world. Using observations and (global to hydrological) model
simulations, this research task studies current and expected changes of precipitation at
the global and European scale, with a specific focus on extreme episodes and their
effects on mean runoff and intense flooding and drought events. Interaction between
climate and hydrological/land surface processes. Modifications of the water cycle
significantly affect land surface properties and ecosystem functioning and are at the
same time driven by changes in vegetation and land surface changes. In order to better
understand these complex interactions, this CP uses a hierarchy of models working at
different spatial and temporal resolutions, compared to/validated against in-situ and
EO data.

Climate hot spot regions at Mediterranean region and Global Mountains.

The Mediterranean basin and mountains areas are among the regions which are
referred to as “climate change hot-spots”. In these regions climate change signals are
amplified, as are their possible effects. Studying these areas would allow to develop
appropriate adaptation and mitigation measures in the coming decades. Societal
challenges related to impact of changes in the hydrological cycle. Among the
expected impacts of observed and projected changes in the hydrological cycle are the
lack of water for drinking, agriculture, industry and energy production, which imposes
risks for civil security. Impact-oriented research aims at effectively responding to
crucial societal challenges resulting from changes in different components the
hydrological cycle and to support adaptation and risk mitigation strategies.
 We can conclude that climate change has already begun to impact our
planet in many ways. The temperatures continue to rise throughout the planet and we
are experiencing changes in precipitation patterns as we have never seen before. The
main cause of these catastrophic effects on our planet is pollution. Fortunately, there
are always things that we can do to fight against climate change. Saving the
environment starts with us and it is our responsibility to act against these terrible
changes to preserve the planet for future generations. Becoming more energy efficient
is a great way to prevent pollution. It causes the power plants to expend less energy
that can lead to the production of greenhouse gasses. One of the best ways to improve
climate change to is to help those who will fight against it get into office. This means
voting for legislation and politicians that aid against the detrimental effects of climate
change. Focusing your efforts to spread awareness about renewable energy is the best
way to create a positive impact in your community. By informing others about how
renewable energy is better than utilizing fossil fuels.