Global warming vs climate change
The two terms are related but not identical. Global warming refers to the rise in Earth's average temperature. Climate change refers to the broader shifts that follow, including rainfall, sea level and extremes.
Two related ideas
Global warming is the long-term increase in the planet\'s average surface temperature. Climate change is the wider set of changes that result, such as shifting rainfall patterns, rising seas, retreating ice and changes in the odds of some extreme events.
Both terms are in common use. Scientists often prefer climate change because warming is only one part of the picture, even though rising temperature is the engine behind the rest.
Avoiding a common trap
The distinction matters because a single cold spell is sometimes used to dismiss the whole idea. Global warming is about the long-term global average, not whether one place is cold this week. A warmer world can still have cold days.
That specific point is covered on does cold weather disprove warming?
Frequently asked
Global warming is the rise in average global temperature. Climate change is the broader set of effects, including rainfall, sea level and extremes, that follow from that warming.
Both are used. Climate change is broader, because warming drives many other changes, but global warming describes the core temperature rise.