Some scientists believe that the changes which have occurred in the current climate are not changes but it is climate variation, because we've had cold and hot and glacial or inter-glacial periods during the great geological period. And now we're in a hot era, but in this period, the climate has some fluctuation. Some of years are dry and some wet.
In essence, climate variability looks at changes that occur within smaller timeframes, such as a month, a season or a year, and climate change considers changes that occur over a longer period of time, typically over decades or longer.
https://www.michiganseagrant.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/11-703-Climate-Variability-and-Climate-Change-2013update.pdf
https://www.air-worldwide.com/Blog/Climate-Variability-vs--Climate-Change—What’s-the-Difference-/
Regards
Its a question of time.. Variation refers to shorter scale, while Climate change refers to longer duration
Generally climate change is considered to be a geological event and climatic variation is typical is of shorter duration as it is well realized in areas of semi-arid tropical climate of the world.
In essence Climate change is a phenomenon on a geological scale and climate variability are changes that occur over shorter time
Please also take a look at this similar RG discussion thread.
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Dufference_between_climate_change_and_climate_variation
The difference lies in the vocabularies: Change and variation. Variations are short-lived fluctuations and changes are just what they are; changes. When something changes, it means the old has given way to the new and the old is no more but a memory. Since there is really no new thing under the sun, the old could return after a very long time when its memory as a pre-existent phenomenon had paled. The terminologies are therefore functions of time. Climate change: over a long period of time, and climate variation: over short periods of time.
Dear Prof Bachir Achour
thank you very much for your participation in this discussion. I think the word "oscillation or fluctuation " is more appropriate for you idea about variation.
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of course your attach about "Climate Variability and Climate Change" that you sent me is very good and will help me and thank you again.
Dear Abhijit Mitra
Many thanks, of course the time of period is very important, but i see the "climate variation" is applied for longer duration.
Dear Prof Dilip Kumar Pal
thank you so much for your reply, if it is possible tell me more please, about the second part of you paragraph " it is well realized in areas of semi-arid tropical climate of the world". thank you again.
Dear Mis Dr Samira Zandifar
thank you very much for your reply. but about the second part of your response: what's a meaning "shorter time" month, season, year, decade.... ?
Dear Prof Arvind Singh.
thank you so much for your reply especially for your address.
Dear Dr Maurice Ekpenyong
Thank you for your literary answer. so, can we say change: has positive or negative without trend, but variation has fluctuation with trend?.
1. According to the the World Meteorological Organization (WMO):
- Climate change refers to a statistically significant variation either in the mean state of the climate or in its variability, persisting for an extended period (typically decades or longer).
- Climate change may be due to natural internal processes or external forcings, or to persistent anthropogenic changes in the composition of the atmosphere or in land use.
2. According to the the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC):
- A change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.
- clear distinction between climate change attributable to anthropogenic activities altering the atmospheric composition, and climate variability attributable to natural causes was made by UNFCCC.
Dear Boutaghane Hamouda
thank you for your detail reply. it' was interesting for me and i see for the first time this difference related to anthropogenic activities and atmospheric composition.
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