The sun's energy is ultimately responsible for creating Earth's weather and climate. This week you learned about some of Earth's extreme weather phenomenon. You explored tornadoes and hurricanes - their formation and damage. You discovered more information about how Earth's climate has changed over time and explored the evidence scientists use to support the theory of global warming, including ice cores and biological indicators, like diatoms. You also discovered the effects global warming and changes in solar radiation have on Earth's climate system. Keeping Earth's radiation budget balanced is key to keeping our planet habitable, without damaging sensitive ecosystems such as the Arctic. You also learned the difference between weather and climate; weather is short term and climate is long term. Weather includes the daily, weekly, monthly precipitation and temperature, whereas climate is the average weather of an area over a period of 30+ years.