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Main article:

Causes of climate change⁠

⁠

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⁠

Physical drivers⁠

of global warming that has happened so far. Future

global warming potential⁠

for long lived drivers like carbon dioxide emissions is not represented. Whiskers on each bar show the possible

error range⁠

.

The climate system experiences various cycles on its own which can last for years, decades or even centuries. For example,

El Niño⁠

events cause short-term spikes in surface temperature while

La Niña⁠

events cause short term cooling.[104] Their relative frequency can affect global temperature trends on a decadal timescale.[105] Other changes are caused by an

imbalance of energy⁠

from

external forcings⁠

.[106] Examples of these include changes in the concentrations of

greenhouse gases⁠

,

solar luminosity⁠

,

volcanic⁠

eruptions, and

variations in the Earth's orbit⁠

around the Sun.[107]

To determine the human contribution to climate change, unique "fingerprints" for all potential causes are developed and compared with both observed patterns and known internal

climate variability⁠

.[108] For example, solar forcing—whose fingerprint involves warming the entire atmosphere—is ruled out because only the lower atmosphere has warmed.[109] Atmospheric aerosols produce a smaller, cooling effect. Other drivers, such as changes in

albedo⁠

, are less impactful.[110]To determine the human contribution to climate change, unique "fingerprints" for all potential causes are developed and compared with both observed patterns and known internal

climate variability⁠

.[108] For

example, solar forcing—whose fingerprint involves warming the entire atmosphere—is ruled out because only the lower atmosphere has warmed.[109] Atmospheric aerosols produce a smaller, cooling effect. Other drivers, such as changes in

albedo⁠

, are less impactful.[110]To determine the human contribution to climate change, unique "fingerprints" for all potential causes are developed and compared with both observed patterns and known inttg

ernal

climate variability⁠

.[108] For example, solar forcing—whose fingerprint involves warming the entire atmosphere—is ruled out because only the lower atmosphere has warmed.[109] Atmospheric aerosols produce a smaller, cooling effect. Other drivers, such as changes in

albedo⁠

, are less impactful.[110]To determine the human contribution to climate change, unique "fingerprints" for all potential causes are developed and compared with both observed patterns and known internal

climate variability⁠

.[108] For example, solar forcing—whose fingerprint involves warming the entire atmosphere—is ruled out because only the lower atmosphere has warmed.[109] Atmos

pheric aerosols produce a smaller, cooling effect. Other drivers, such as changes in

albedo⁠

, are less impactful.[110]To determine the human contribution to climate change, unique "fingerprints" for all potential causes are developed and compared with both observed patterns and known internal

climate variability⁠

.[108] For example, solar forcing—whose fingerprint involves warming the entire atmosphere—is ruled out because only the lower atmosphere has warmed.[109] Atmospheric aerosols produce a smaller, cooling effect. Other drivers, such as changes in

albedo⁠

, are less impactful.[110]To determine the human contribution to climate change, unique "fingerprints" for all potential causes are developed and compared with both observed patterns and known inter

nal

climate variability⁠

.[108] For example, solar forcing—whose fingerprint involves warming the entire atmosphere—is ruled out because only the lower atmosphere has warmed.[109] Atmospheric aerosols produce a smaller, cooling effect. Other drivers, such as changes in

albedo⁠

, are less impactful.[110]To determine the human contribution to climate change, unique "fingerprints" for all potential causes are developed and compared with both observed patterns and known internal

climate variability⁠

.[108] For example, solar forcing—whose fingerprint involves warming the entire atmosphere—is ruled out because only the lower atmosphere has warmed.[109] Atmospheric aerosols produce a smaller, cooling effect. Other drivers, such as changes in

albedo⁠

, are less impactful.[110]

Causes of recent global temperature rise