Weather Words Are Not Enough

A Proposal to Improve the Communication of Climatic Information
By Trevor Wicks 

Proposed new terminology will help to quantify and describe climatic conditions and the multiple influences on weather and climate, in layman's terms. The causes and effects of climatic events will be more easily explained with new words and expressions. Innovative terms will help to define the interrelationship, scale and complexity of climatic activity at a local, continental and global scale.

Currently there are few words or terms that explain how and why the climate is influenced by multiple phenomenon. The words 'climate' and 'weather' are the only two words that describe the overall state of the atmosphere with regard to temperature, cloudiness, rainfall, wind, and other meteorological conditions. Over simplified expressions like ‘global warming’ and ‘greenhouse effect’, misrepresent the facts, cause unnecessary confusion and skepticism.

The following new terminology would more clearly define conditions of the atmosphere, water and other earthly components in combination with physiological influences like temperature, atmospheric pressure or humidity.