The physical science basis of climate change

Abstract

Frequently Asked Questions are an integral part of the Working Group I contribution to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. The full Working Group I Report provides a compre- hensive assessment of the physical science basis of climate change, amounting to 1535 pages. The assessment considers new evidence of past, present and projected future climate change based on many inde- pendent scientific analyses from observations of the climate system, paleoclimate archives, theoretical studies of climate processes and simulations using climate models. We are very grateful for the expertise, hard work, commitment to excellence and integrity shown throughout by the Coordinating Lead Authors and Lead Authors with important help by the Review Editors and the many Contributing Authors. The contribution of the expert and government reviewers is also gratefully acknowledged. Our particular appreciation goes to the Working Group I Technical Support Unit and the Working Group I Bureau for their dedication to, and service for, this complex process since late 2008. Preface Following the successful introduction in the previous Working Group I assessment in 2007, all 14 chapters include Frequently Asked Ques- tions (FAQs). In these 29 FAQs, the authors provide scientific answers to a range of general questions in a form that is accessible to a broad readership and serves as a resource for teaching purposes. The mate- rial in the FAQs was based on the authors’ assessment of the state of knowledge in their respective fields and was subject to the same mul- ti-stage review by experts and governments as the rest of the mate- rial in the chapters. The contribution of David Hansford who provided editorial assistance with the Frequently Asked Questions is gratefully acknowledged. We greatly appreciated the assistance of IPCC Working Group I Vice-Chair David Wratt in helping the WGI Co-Chairs and Tech- nical Support Unit to organize and edit the FAQs. Qin Dahe IPCC WGI Co-Chair Thomas F. Stocker IPCC WGI Co-Chair The