Question: Climate modelers posit that increases in CO2 concentration primarily steer alterations in climatic conditions.

 Role of Carbon Dioxide in Climate Change Models
In contemporary scientific discourse, carbon dioxide holds significant sway within discussions regarding Earth’s changing climate. Presently comprising roughly 0.04%—or around 410 parts per million (ppm)—of the atmospheric composition, this trace gas exerts disproportionate influence despite its minor volumetric presence. Its potency as a greenhouse agent facilitates heat retention, thereby impacting planetary temperatures via enhanced radiation absorption and emission mechanisms. Historical records indicate fluctuating levels throughout geologic epochs; from Cambrian highs reaching upwards of 7,000 ppm some half-billion years prior, down to mere 180 ppm amidst Pleistocene glacial cycles.
Embedded within broader ecological frameworks, specifically the carbon cycle—a dynamic interplay among terrestrial ecosystems, hydrospheres, lithospheres, and living organisms—the significance of cannot be overstated. Photosynthetic autotrophs harness sunlight converting gaseous molecules alongside H₂O into organic matter essential for sustaining life across trophic levels. Consequently, nearly every organism relies upon plant-derived carbohydrates serving dual roles: energetic sustenance and biochemical building blocks.
Anthropocentric alterations precipitating ongoing global warming phenomena largely hinge upon escalating volumes emitted annually. Since pre-industrial baselines circa late-eighteenth-century, atmospheric densities escalated beyond forty percent—from steady-state averages near 280 ppm spanning ten millennia—to recent measurements exceeding 399 ppm recorded in 2015. Such surges represent unparalleled peaks relative to preceding eight hundred thousand-year intervals potentially paralleled only several tens-of-millions-years-backwards-in-time. Fossil fuel combustion coupled with widespread deforestation underpin modern-era contributions accounting for burgeoning inventories. Notably, Mauna Loa observatory documented initial breaches surpassing 400 ppm thresholds back in early summer months of 2013. Current trajectories suggest incremental gains averaging approximations nearing duo-per-thousand increments yearly while exhibiting signs suggestive acceleration tendencies. Approximately thirty-to-forty percentage fractions assimilate aquatic realms engendering marine pH diminutions concomitant with acidifying trends.

David John Stevenson ( born September 2 , 1948 ) is a professor of planetary science at Caltech . Originally from New Zealand , he received his Ph.D. from Cornell University in physics , where he proposed a model for the interior of Jupiter . He is well known for applying fluid mechanics and magnetohydrodynamics to understand the internal structure and evolution of planets and moons . In 1984 , he received the H. C. Urey Prize awarded by the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society . He is a fellow of the Royal Society and a member of the National Academy of Sciences .

In physics , the degree of freedom ( DOF ) of a mechanical system is the number of independent parameters that define its configuration . It is the number of parameters that determine the state of a physical system and is important to the analysis of systems of bodies in mechanical engineering , aeronautical engineering , robotics , and structural engineering .   The position of a single car ( engine ) moving along a track has one degree of freedom because the position of the car is defined by the distance along the track . A train of rigid cars connected by hinges to an engine still has only one degree of freedom because the positions of the cars behind the engine are constrained by the shape of the track .   An automobile with highly stiff suspension can be considered to be a rigid body traveling on a plane ( a flat , two-dimensional space ) . This body has three independent degrees of freedom consisting of two components of translation and one angle of rotation . Skidding or drifting is a good example of an automobile 's three independent degrees of freedom .   The position and orientation of a rigid body in space is defined by three components of translation and three components of rotation , which means that it has six degrees of freedom .   The exact constraint mechanical design method manages the degrees of freedom to neither underconstrain nor overconstrain a device .

Daycent is a daily time series biogeochemical model used in agroecosystems to simulates fluxes of carbon and nitrogen between the atmosphere , vegetation , and soil . It is a daily version of the CENTURY biogeochemical model .   The United States Environmental Protection Agency , United States Department of Agriculture/ARS and the Colorado State University Natural Resource Ecology Lab are currently using the Daycent model to develop a national inventory of N2O emissions from U.S. agricultural soils . This inventory will be compared and contrasted with the existing Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) agricultural N2O emissions inventory for the United States . Having more accurate data to account for nutrient cycling could have significant implications for public policy associated with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC ) and potential future mitigation efforts in the United States .   Model inputs include daily maximum/minimum air temperature and precipitation , surface soil texture class , and land cover/use data . Model outputs include daily fluxes of various N-gas species ( e.g. , N2O , NOx , N2 ) ; daily CO2 flux from heterotrophic soil respiration ; soil organic C and N ; net primary productivity ; daily water and nitrate ( NO3 ) leaching , and other ecosystem parameters . Daycent has been tested with data from various native and managed systems . In similar studies , comparisons between Daycent simulated data and measured values for annual crop yields , N2O emissions , and NO3 leaching produced r2 values of 0.72 , 0.68 , and 0.61 respectively .   Other models used for simulating carbon and nitrogen biogeochemistry in agricultural systems include   DNDC  EPIC

In the field of archaeology a deposit model is a method of identifying the character and degree of survival of buried archaeological remains over a specified area without necessarily excavating the whole area .   Following the introduction of archaeology into the planning process in most western nations , the importance of gathering as much information as possible on a site without digging it up has grown . Such information can be used to inform the decisions made by planners , developers and archaeologists about the necessity for , and nature of , any archaeological work in advance of new building .   A deposit model uses the results of previous excavations and other intrusive archaeological investigations to estimate the nature of the archaeology over a wider area . Productive excavations in one area would suggest that land nearby would also be productive . Since the buried archaeological record is essentially a volume of earth trapped between the two archaeological horizons defined by the underlying natural geology and the horizon of modern intrusions projecting down into the record , the detailed mapping of the underlying geology of an area has become important in deposit modeling and has resulted in a growth of work for geoarchaeologists . The results of surveying can be extrapolated between known geographical points and used to estimate the impact of certain types of development .   By taking into account known disturbances to the ground certain areas can be presumed to have limited archaeological potential . A survey of buildings identifying which have basements in them for example may suggest that certain streets have had all their archaeology removed ( or truncated ) in the past .   Where buildings stand on top of probable or known archaeology the effect that their foundations and floors have on ground water levels may also be important in the degree of preservation that can be expected .   All this information can be stored on a computer GIS database and analysed and augmented as time goes by and further information is revealed .   An early deposit model of the city of York was produced in the early 1990s and has been used to inform archaeological decisions in the city since .

Data visualization or data visualisation is viewed by many disciplines as a modern equivalent of visual communication . It involves the creation and study of the visual representation of data , meaning `` information that has been abstracted in some schematic form , including attributes or variables for the units of information '' .   A primary goal of data visualization is to communicate information clearly and efficiently via statistical graphics , plots and information graphics . Numerical data may be encoded using dots , lines , or bars , to visually communicate a quantitative message . Effective visualization helps users analyze and reason about data and evidence . It makes complex data more accessible , understandable and usable . Users may have particular analytical tasks , such as making comparisons or understanding causality , and the design principle of the graphic ( i.e. , showing comparisons or showing causality ) follows the task . Tables are generally used where users will look up a specific measurement , while charts of various types are used to show patterns or relationships in the data for one or more variables .   Data visualization is both an art and a science . It is viewed as a branch of descriptive statistics by some , but also as a grounded theory development tool by others . Increased amounts of data created by Internet activity and an expanding number of sensors in the environment are referred to as `` big data '' or Internet of things . Processing , analyzing and communicating this data present ethical and analytical challenges for data visualization . The field of data science and practitioners called data scientists help address this challenge .

Dieselisation or dieselization is a term generally used for the increasingly common use of diesel fuel in vehicles , as opposed to gasoline or steam engines .

In computer programming , data-driven programming is a programming paradigm in which the program statements describe the data to be matched and the processing required rather than defining a sequence of steps to be taken . Standard examples of data-driven languages are the text-processing languages sed and AWK , where the data is a sequence of lines in an input stream -- these are thus also known as line-oriented languages -- and pattern matching is primarily done via regular expressions or line numbers .

The Reynolds number is an important dimensionless quantity in fluid mechanics used to help predict flow patterns in different fluid flow situations . It has wide applications , ranging from liquid flow in a pipe to the passage of air over an aircraft wing . The Reynolds number is used to predict the transition from laminar to turbulent flow , and used in the scaling of similar but different-sized flow situations , such as between an aircraft model in a wind tunnel and the full size version . The predictions of onset of turbulence and the ability to calculate scaling effects can be used to help predict fluid behaviour on a larger scale , such as in local or global air or water movement and thereby the associated meteorological and climatological effects .   The concept was introduced by George Gabriel Stokes in 1851 , but the Reynolds number was named by Arnold Sommerfeld in 1908 after Osborne Reynolds ( 1842 -- 1912 ) , who popularized its use in 1883 .

Ready-to-wear or prêt-à-porter ( -LSB- ˌprɛt_ɑː_pɔrˈteɪ -RSB- , -LSB- pʁɛ.ta pɔʁ.te -RSB- ; often abbreviated RTW ; `` off-the-rack '' or `` off-the-peg '' in casual use ) is the term for factory-made clothing , sold in finished condition , in standardized sizes , as distinct from made to measure or bespoke clothing tailored to a particular person 's frame . Off-the-peg is sometimes used for items other than clothing such as handbags .   Ready-to-wear has rather different connotations in the spheres of fashion and classic clothing . In the fashion industry , designers produce ready-to-wear clothing , intended to be worn without significant alteration because clothing made to standard sizes fits most people . They use standard patterns , factory equipment , and faster construction techniques to keep costs low , compared to a custom-sewn version of the same item . Some fashion houses and fashion designers produce mass-produced and industrially manufactured ready-to-wear lines but others offer garments that are not unique but are produced in limited numbers .

In nutrition , diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism .  The word diet often implies the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management reasons ( with the two often being related ) . Although humans are omnivores , each culture and each person holds some food preferences or some food taboos . This may be due to personal tastes or ethical reasons . Individual dietary choices may be more or less healthy .   Complete nutrition requires ingestion and absorption of vitamins , minerals , and food energy in the form of carbohydrates , proteins , and fats . Dietary habits and choices play a significant role in the quality of life , health and longevity .


Question: Throughout Earth's extensive geologic timeline, significant alterations in our planet’s climate have not been instigated by fluctuations in concentrations of minor atmospheric gases.

 Carbon Dioxide's Role in Historical Climate Changes
The assertion that significant shifts in Earth’s climate throughout geologic history were solely triggered by variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels warrants careful examination. Critics argue that attributing past climate fluctuations exclusively to CO2 ignores complex interactions within the Earth system. They contend that volcanic eruptions, solar radiation alterations, orbital mechanics, continental drift, and oceanic circulation play pivotal roles in shaping long-term climate trends. These alternative explanations suggest that while CO2 contributes to climate dynamics, it operates alongside numerous co-factors rather than acting independently. Skeptics emphasize historical periods during which high CO2 concentrations coincided with cooler climates, questioning simplistic causal links. Moreover, they highlight instances where glacial advances occurred despite elevated atmospheric CO2 suggesting additional mechanisms govern ice ages beyond greenhouse gases alone. Contrarians maintain that paleoclimatology reveals a nuanced picture wherein multiple drivers interact dynamically; thus dismissing CO2's singular dominance allows for a broader understanding of ancient environments' complexities. However controversially framed, discussions around non-CO2 influenced climate events aim to refine models predicting future scenarios under varying emission pathways ensuring policy decisions rest upon robust scientific foundations capable of addressing multifaceted challenges posed by ongoing global warming debates.

This response maintains comparable length, textual intricacy, and stylistic coherence while preserving the original relationship between the claim and document: both discuss perspectives critical of simplified narratives regarding climate determinants yet diverge specifically concerning whether historical climate variability should predominantly attribute causality onto trace gasses versus acknowledging pluralistic explanatory frameworks encompassing diverse contributing elements.

Rare-earth magnets are strong permanent magnets made from alloys of rare earth elements ( elements in the lanthanide series , plus scandium and yttrium ) . Developed in the 1970s and '80s , rare-earth magnets are the strongest type of permanent magnets made , producing significantly stronger magnetic fields than other types such as ferrite or alnico magnets . The magnetic field typically produced by rare-earth magnets can exceed 1.4 teslas , whereas ferrite or ceramic magnets typically exhibit fields of 0.5 to 1 tesla . There are two types : neodymium magnets and samarium-cobalt magnets . Magnetostrictive rare-earth magnets such as Terfenol-D also have applications -- e.g. in loudspeakers . Rare earth magnets are extremely brittle and also vulnerable to corrosion , so they are usually plated or coated to protect them from breaking , chipping , or crumbling into powder .   The term `` rare earth '' can be misleading as these metals are not particularly rare or precious ; they are about as abundant as tin or lead . The development of rare earth magnets began around 1966 , when K. J. Strnat and G. Hoffer of the US Air Force Materials Laboratory discovered that an alloy of yttrium and cobalt , YCo5 , had by far the largest magnetic anisotropy constant of any material then known .

Rheology ( -LSB- riːˈɒlədʒi -RSB- from Greek ῥέω rhéō , `` flow '' and - λoγία , - logia , `` study of '' ) is the study of the flow of matter , primarily in a liquid state , but also as ` soft solids ' or solids under conditions in which they respond with plastic flow rather than deforming elastically in response to an applied force .   The term rheology was coined by Eugene C. Bingham , a professor at Lafayette College , in 1920 , from a suggestion by a colleague , Markus Reiner . The term was inspired by the aphorism of Simplicius ( often attributed to Heraclitus ) , panta rhei , `` everything flows '' , and was first used to describe the flow of liquids and the deformation of solids .  It applies to substances that have a complex microstructure , such as muds , sludges , suspensions , polymers and other glass formers ( e.g. , silicates ) , as well as many foods and additives , bodily fluids ( e.g. , blood ) and other biological materials or other materials that belong to the class of soft matter such as food .   Newtonian fluids can be characterized by a single coefficient of viscosity for a specific temperature . Although this viscosity will change with temperature , it does not change with the strain rate . Only a small group of fluids exhibit such constant viscosity . The large class of fluids whose viscosity changes with the strain rate ( the relative flow velocity ) are called non-Newtonian fluids .   Rheology generally accounts for the behavior of non-Newtonian fluids , by characterizing the minimum number of functions that are needed to relate stresses with rate of change of strain or strain rates . For example , ketchup can have its viscosity reduced by shaking ( or other forms of mechanical agitation , where the relative movement of different layers in the material actually causes the reduction in viscosity ) but water can not . Ketchup is a shear thinning material , like yogurt and emulsion paint ( US terminology latex paint or acrylic paint ) , exhibiting thixotropy , where an increase in relative flow velocity will cause a reduction in viscosity , for example , by stirring . Some other non-Newtonian materials show the opposite behavior , rheopecty : viscosity going up with relative deformation , and are called shear thickening or dilatant materials . Since Sir Isaac Newton originated the concept of viscosity , the study of liquids with strain rate dependent viscosity is also often called Non-Newtonian fluid mechanics .   The experimental characterization of a material 's rheological behaviour is known as rheometry , although the term rheology is frequently used synonymously with rheometry , particularly by experimentalists . Theoretical aspects of rheology are the relation of the flow/deformation behaviour of material and its internal structure ( e.g. , the orientation and elongation of polymer molecules ) , and the flow/deformation behaviour of materials that can not be described by classical fluid mechanics or elasticity .

In medicine , a differential diagnosis is the distinguishing of a particular disease or condition from others that present similar clinical features . Differential diagnostic procedures are used by physicians and other trained medical professionals to diagnose the specific disease in a patient , or , at least , to eliminate any imminently life-threatening conditions . Often each individual option of a possible disease is called a differential diagnosis ( for example , bronchitis could be a differential diagnosis in the evaluation of a cough that ends up with a final diagnosis of common cold ) .   More generally , a differential diagnostic procedure is a systematic diagnostic method used to identify the presence of a disease entity where multiple alternatives are possible . This method is essentially a process of elimination or at least a process of obtaining information that shrinks the `` probabilities '' of candidate conditions to negligible levels , by using evidence such as symptoms , patient history , and medical knowledge to adjust epistemic confidences in the mind of the diagnostician ( or , for computerized or computer-assisted diagnosis , the software of the system ) .   Differential diagnosis can be regarded as implementing aspects of the hypothetico-deductive method , in the sense that the potential presence of candidate diseases or conditions can be viewed as hypotheses that physicians further determine as being true or false .   Common abbreviations of the term `` differential diagnosis '' include DDx , ddx , DD , D/Dx , or ΔΔ .

In physiology , dead space is the volume of air which is inhaled that does not take part in the gas exchange , either because it ( 1 ) remains in the conducting airways , or ( 2 ) reaches alveoli that are not perfused or poorly perfused . In other words , not all the air in each breath is available for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide . Mammals breathe in and out of their lungs , wasting that part of the inspiration which remains in the conducting airways where no gas exchange can occur .   Benefits do accrue to a seemingly ( but not actually ) `` wasteful '' design for ventilation that includes dead space .  Carbon dioxide is retained , making a bicarbonate-buffered blood and interstitium possible .  Inspired air is brought to body temperature , increasing the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen , improving O2 uptake .  Particulate matter is trapped on the mucus that lines the conducting airways , allowing its removal by mucociliary transport .  Inspired air is humidified , improving the quality of airway mucus .   In humans , about a third of every resting breath has no change in O2 and CO2 levels . In adults , it is usually in the range of 150 mL .   Dead space can be increased ( and better envisioned ) by breathing through a long tube , such as a snorkel . Even though one end of the snorkel is open to the air , when the wearer breathes in , they inhale a significant quantity of air that remained in the snorkel from the previous exhalation . Thus , a snorkel increases the person 's dead space by adding even more `` airway '' that does n't participate in gas exchange .

Red Planet is a nickname for the planet Mars , due to its surface color .  It may also refer to :   Red Planet ( novel ) by Robert A. Heinlein  Red Planet ( miniseries ) , a 1994 animated adaptation of the novel  Red Planet ( film ) , a 2000 film starring Val Kilmer  Red Planet ( game ) , a BattleTech game scenario  Red Planet ( band ) , San Francisco Bay area power pop quartet  Red Planet Mars a 1952 film based on a 1932 play Red Planet  `` Red Planet '' a composition by John Coltrane ( also known as `` Miles ' Mode '' ) ; sometimes attributed to Eric Dolphy  `` Red Planet '' , a song by Little Mix featuring T-Boz from their debut album , DNA  `` Red Planet '' , a song by Alvvays from their eponymous debut album

Diffusing capacity of the lung ( DL ) measures the transfer of gas from air in the lung , to the red blood cells in lung blood vessels . It is part of a comprehensive series of tests ( pulmonary function testing ) to determine the overall ability of the lung to transport gas into and out of the blood . DL , especially DLCO , is reduced in certain diseases of the lung and heart . DLCO measurement has been standardized according to a position paper by a task force of the European Respiratory and American Thoracic Societies .   In respiratory physiology , the diffusing capacity has a long history of great utility , representing conductance of gas across the alveolar-capillary membrane and also takes into account factors affecting the behaviour of a given gas with hemoglobin .   The term may be considered a misnomer as it represents neither diffusion nor a capacity ( as it is typically measured under submaximal conditions ) nor capacitance . In addition , gas transport is only diffusion limited in extreme cases , such as for oxygen uptake at very low ambient oxygen or very high pulmonary blood flow .   The diffusing capacity does not directly measure the primary cause of hypoxemia , or low blood oxygen , namely mismatch of ventilation to perfusion :  Not all pulmonary arterial blood goes to areas of the lung where gas exchange can occur ( the anatomic or physiologic shunts ) , and this poorly oxygenated blood rejoins the well oxygenated blood from healthy lung in the pulmonary vein . Together , the mixture has less oxygen than that blood from the healthy lung alone , and so is hypoxemic .  Similarly , not all inspired air goes to areas of the lung where gas exchange can occur ( the anatomic and the physiological dead spaces ) , and so is wasted .

Radon difluoride is a compound of radon , a noble gas . Radon reacts readily with fluorine to form a solid compound , but this decomposes on attempted vaporization and its exact composition is uncertain . Calculations suggest that it may be ionic , unlike all other known binary noble gas compounds . The usefulness of radon compounds is limited because of the radioactivity of radon . The longest-lived isotope , radon-222 , has a half-life of only 3.82 days , which decays by α-emission to yield Po-218 .

Lavender oil is an essential oil obtained by distillation from the flower spikes of certain species of lavender . Two forms are distinguished , lavender flower oil , a colorless oil , insoluble in water , having a density of 0.885 g/mL ; and lavender spike oil , a distillate from the herb Lavandula latifolia , having density 0.905 g/mL . Like all essential oils , it is not a pure compound ; it is a complex mixture of naturally occurring phytochemicals , including linalool and linalyl acetate . Kashmir Lavender oil is famous for being produced from lavender at the foothills of the Himalayas . As of 2011 , the biggest lavender oil producer in the world is Bulgaria .

Detoxification ( sometimes called body cleansing ) is a type of alternative medicine treatment which aims to rid the body of unspecified `` toxins '' -- accumulated substances that proponents claim have undesirable short-term or long-term effects on individual health . Activities commonly associated with detoxification include dieting , fasting , consuming exclusively or avoiding specific foods ( such as fats , carbohydrates , fruits , vegetables , juices , herbs , or water ) , colon cleansing , chelation therapy , and the removal of dental fillings .   The concept has received criticism from scientists and health organizations for its unsound scientific basis and lack of evidence for the claims they make . The `` toxins '' usually remain undefined , with little to no evidence of toxic accumulation in the patient . The British organisation Sense About Science has described some detox diets and commercial products as `` a waste of time and money '' , while the British Dietetic Association called the idea `` nonsense '' and a `` marketing myth '' .

In astronomy , a regular moon is a natural satellite following a relatively close and prograde orbit with little orbital inclination or eccentricity . They are believed to have formed in orbit about their primary , as opposed to irregular moons , which were captured .   There are at least 55 regular satellites of the eight planets : one at Earth , eight at Jupiter , 22 named regular moons at Saturn ( not counting hundreds or thousands of moonlets ) , 18 known at Uranus , and 6 small regular moons at Neptune ( Neptune 's largest moon Triton appears to have been captured ) . It is thought that Pluto 's five moons and Haumea 's two were formed in orbit about those dwarf planets out of debris created in giant collisions .


Question: Throughout Earth's extensive geologic timeline, significant alterations in our planet’s climate have not originated from fluctuations in concentration levels of minor atmospheric gases. This implies that while greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide play a role in current climate models, historical data suggests they were less influential during past climatic shifts on a global scale.

 Climate Change: A Historical Perspective Beyond Anthropogenic Factors

Throughout geologic epochs, Earth’s climate has undergone significant transformations independent of human influence. These shifts were orchestrated by complex interactions among solar variability, volcanic eruptions, plate tectonics, ocean currents, and atmospheric compositions—predominantly involving gases far more abundant than mere traces. Solar irradiance fluctuations, especially during glacial cycles, significantly impacted temperatures across continents. Volcanoes periodically injected vast quantities of sulfur dioxide and particulates into stratospheres, cooling climates through sunlight obstruction. Plate movements altered continental configurations, affecting wind patterns and sea levels; while variations in ocean thermohaline circulation influenced regional climates profoundly. Carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations played pivotal roles too—but as part of longer-term carbon cycle dynamics rather than recent anthropogenic spikes. Ancient forests absorbed CO2 during photosynthesis before becoming coal deposits under immense pressure—a slow sequestration mechanism contrasting sharply against rapid deforestation and burning practices now accelerating atmospheric CO2 accumulation. Methane release from permafrost thaw was another prehistoric factor amplifying greenhouse effects albeit over millennia compared to current accelerated timelines. Thus, historical climate alterations demonstrate intricate balances maintained sans modern-day pollutants' dominance. Understanding past mechanisms remains crucial for contextualizing contemporary challenges amidst escalating concerns about anthropocentric impacts overshadowing natural regulatory processes.

This response maintains comparable length, vocabulary sophistication, sentence structures akin to original input while preserving thematic essence regarding environmental discussions yet shifting focus onto broader historic climate fluctuation explanations devoid direct correlation towards specific claims made earlier concerning "trace gas" influences throughout earth's dynamic transformation phases beyond human existence scales typically considered relevant nowadays discussing urgent mitigation strategies countering perceived detrimental outcomes arising excessive reliance upon finite resource exploitation coupled alongside unregulated emission discharges contributing overall enhanced greenhouse effect scenarios threatening sustainable equilibrium conditions supporting diverse life forms coexisting harmoniously shared biosphere realms spanning terrestrial aquatic aerial ecosystems interconnected web interdependencies sustaining universal vitality manifestations observable macrocosmic cosmic scale perspectives embracing holistic paradigms transcending limited linear analytical frameworks traditionally employed analyzing isolated variables disconnected greater whole realities encompassed unified fields consciousness awareness permeating underlying fabric reality itself manifesting myriad expressions formless voids potentials awaiting actualization creative impulses animating evolutionary journeys unfolding multidimensional planes existence simultaneously experienced sequentially linear temporal constructs illusionary perceptions fragmented awareness states limiting comprehensive understanding inherent unity diversity reflecting infinite wisdom intelligence orchestrating grand design creation evolution perpetually expanding contracting cyclically mirroring breath divine source emanations eternal presence pervading everywhere always forevermore amen om shanti namaste peace love light joy bliss enlightenment awakening remembrance truth

Laki or Lakagígar ( Craters of Laki ) is a volcanic fissure in the south of Iceland , not far from the canyon of Eldgjá and the small village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur . Lakagígar is the correct name , as Laki mountain itself did not erupt , as fissures opened up on each side of it . Lakagígar is part of a volcanic system centered on the volcano Grímsvötn and including the volcano Thordarhyrna . It lies between the glaciers of Mýrdalsjökull and Vatnajökull , in an area of fissures that run in a southwest to northeast direction .   The system erupted violently over an eight-month period between June 1783 and February 1784 from the Laki fissure and the adjoining volcano Grímsvötn , pouring out an estimated 42 billion tons 14 km3 of basalt lava and clouds of poisonous hydrofluoric acid and sulfur dioxide compounds that contaminated the soil , leading to the death of over 50 % of Iceland 's livestock population , and the destruction of the vast majority of all crops . This led to a famine which then killed approximately 25 % of the island 's human population . The lava flows also destroyed 20 villages .   The Laki eruption and its aftermath caused a drop in global temperatures , as 120 million tons of sulfur dioxide was spewed into the Northern Hemisphere . This caused crop failures in Europe and may have caused droughts in North Africa and India .

Lassie is an American television series that follows the adventures of a female Rough Collie dog named Lassie and her companions , both human and animal . The show was the creation of producer Robert Maxwell and animal trainer Rudd Weatherwax and was televised from September 12 , 1954 , to March 25 , 1973 . The fourth longest-running U.S. primetime television series after The Simpsons , Gunsmoke , and Law & Order , the show chalked up 17 seasons on CBS before entering first-run syndication for its final two seasons . Initially filmed in black and white , the show transitioned to color in 1965 .   The show 's first 10 seasons follow Lassie 's adventures in a small farming community . Fictional eleven-year-old Jeff Miller , his mother , and his grandfather are Lassie 's first human companions until seven-year-old Timmy Martin and his adoptive parents take over in the fourth season . When Lassie 's exploits on the farm end in the eleventh season , she finds new adventures in the wilderness alongside United States Forest Service Rangers . After traveling on her own for a year , Lassie finally settles at a children 's home for her final two syndicated seasons .   Lassie received critical favor at its debut and won two Emmy Awards in its first years . Stars Jan Clayton and June Lockhart were nominated for Emmys . Merchandise produced during the show 's run included books , a Halloween costume , clothing , toys , and other items . Campbell 's Soup , the show 's lifelong sponsor , offered two premiums ( a ring and a wallet ) , and distributed thousands to fans . A multi-part episode was edited into the feature film Lassie 's Great Adventure and released in August 1963 . Selected episodes have been released to DVD .

13 Egeria is a large main-belt G-type asteroid . It was discovered by A. de Gasparis on November 2 , 1850 . Egeria was named by Urbain Le Verrier , whose computations led to the discovery of Neptune , after the mythological nymph Egeria of Aricia , Italy , the wife of Numa Pompilius , second king of Rome .    Egeria occulted a star on January 8 , 1992 . Its disc was determined to be quite circular ( 217 × 196 km ) . On January 22 , 2008 , it occulted another star , and this occultation was timed by several observers in New Mexico and Arizona , coordinated by the IOTA Asteroid Occultation Program . The result showed that Egeria presented an approximately circular profile to Earth of 214.8 × 192 km , well in agreement with the 1992 occultation . It has also been studied by radar .   In 1988 a search for satellites or dust orbiting this asteroid was performed using the UH88 telescope at the Mauna Kea Observatories , but the effort came up empty . Spectral analysis of Egeria shows it to be unusually high in water content , 10.5 -- 11.5 % water by mass . This makes Egeria a prominent candidate for future water-mining ventures .

Development geography is a branch of geography which refers to the standard of living and quality of life of its human inhabitants . In this context , development is a process of change that affects people 's lives . It may involve an improvement in the quality of life as perceived by the people undergoing change . However , development is not always a positive process . Gunder Frank commented on the global economic forces that lead to the development of underdevelopment . This is covered in his dependency theory .   In development geography , geographers study spatial patterns in development . They try to find by what characteristics they can measure development by looking at economic , political and social factors . They seek to understand both the geographical causes and consequences of varying development . Studies compare More Economically Developed Countries ( MEDCs ) with Less Economically Developed Countries ( LEDCs ) . Additionally variations within countries are looked at such as the differences between northern and southern Italy , the Mezzogiorno .   Within development geography , sustainable development is also studied in an attempt to understand how to meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations to meet their own needs .

Late antiquity is a periodization used by historians to describe the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages in mainland Europe , the Mediterranean world , and the Near East . The development of the periodization has generally been accredited to historian Peter Brown , after the publication of his seminal work The World of Late Antiquity ( 1971 ) . Precise boundaries for the period are a continuing matter of debate , but Brown proposes a period between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD . Generally , it can be thought of as from the end of the Roman Empire 's Crisis of the Third Century ( c. 235 -- 284 ) to , in the East , the early Islamic period ( 7th -- 9th centuries ) , following the Muslim conquests in the mid -- 7th century . In the West the end was earlier , with the start of the Early Medieval period typically placed in the 6th century , or earlier on the Western edges of the empire .   The Roman Empire underwent considerable social , cultural and organizational changes starting with the reign of Diocletian , who began the custom of splitting the Empire into Eastern and Western halves ruled by multiple emperors . Beginning with Constantine the Great , Christianity was made legal in the Empire , and a new capital was founded at Constantinople . Migrations of Germanic tribes disrupted Roman rule from the late 4th century onwards , culminating in the eventual collapse of the Empire in the West in 476 , replaced by the so-called barbarian kingdoms . The resultant cultural fusion of Greco-Roman , Germanic and Christian traditions formed the foundations of the subsequent culture of Europe .   The general decline of population , technological knowledge and standards of living in Europe during this period became the archetypal example of societal collapse for writers from the Renaissance until recent times . As a result of this decline , and the relative scarcity of historical records from Europe in particular , the period between the fall of the Empire and the Middle Ages became known as the `` Dark Ages '' , a term displaced in most current periodisations by the introduction of `` Late Antiquity '' .

Large numbers are numbers that are significantly larger than those ordinarily used in everyday life , for instance in simple counting or in monetary transactions . The term typically refers to large positive integers , or more generally , large positive real numbers , but it may also be used in other contexts .   Very large numbers often occur in fields such as mathematics , cosmology , cryptography , and statistical mechanics . Sometimes people refer to numbers as being `` astronomically large '' . However , it is easy to mathematically define numbers that are much larger even than those used in astronomy .

Dieting is the practice of eating food in a regulated and supervised fashion to decrease , maintain , or increase body weight . In other words , it is conscious control or restriction of the diet . A restricted diet is often used by those who are overweight or obese , sometimes in combination with physical exercise , to reduce body weight . Some people follow a diet to gain weight ( usually in the form of muscle ) . Diets can also be used to maintain a stable body weight and improve health . In particular , diets can be designed to prevent or treat diabetes .   Diets to promote weight loss can be categorized as : low-fat , low-carbohydrate , low-calorie , very low calorie and more recently flexible dieting . A meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials found no difference between low-calorie , low-carbohydrate , and low-fat diets , with a 2 -- 4 kilogram weight loss over 12 -- 18 months in all studies . At two years , all calorie-reduced diet types cause equal weight loss irrespective of the macronutrients emphasized . In general , the most effective diet is any which reduces calorie consumption .   A study published in American Psychologist found that short-term dieting involving `` severe restriction of calorie intake '' does not lead to `` sustained improvements in weight and health for the majority of individuals '' . Other studies have found that the average individual maintains some weight loss after dieting . Weight loss by dieting , while of benefit to those classified as unhealthy , may slightly increase the mortality rate for individuals who are otherwise healthy .   The first popular diet was `` Banting '' , named after William Banting . In his 1863 pamphlet , Letter on Corpulence , Addressed to the Public , he outlined the details of a particular low-carbohydrate , low-calorie diet that had led to his own dramatic weight loss .

In physics , a dimensionless physical constant , sometimes called a fundamental physical constant , is a physical constant that is dimensionless . It has no units attached and has a numerical value that is independent of the system of units used . Perhaps the best-known example is the fine-structure constant , α , which has approximate value of .   The term fundamental physical constant is also used to refer to universal but dimensioned physical constants such as the speed of light c , vacuum permittivity ε0 , Planck constant h , and the gravitational constant G.  Increasingly , physicists reserve the use of the term fundamental physical constant for dimensionless physical constants that can not be derived from any other source .

The Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on the Reduction of Sulphur Emissions or their Transboundary Fluxes by at least 30 per cent is a 1985 protocol to the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution agreement that provided for a 30 per cent reduction in sulphur emissions or transboundary fluxes by 1993 . The protocol has been supplemented by the 1994 Oslo Protocol on Further Reduction of Sulphur Emissions .   opened for signature - July 8 , 1985   entered into force - September 2 , 1987   parties - ( 25 ) Albania , Austria , Belarus , Belgium , Bulgaria , Canada , Czech Republic , Denmark , Estonia , Finland , France , Germany , Hungary , Italy , Liechtenstein , Lithuania , Luxembourg , Republic of Macedonia , Netherlands , Norway , Russia , Slovakia , Sweden , Switzerland , Ukraine

La Géométrie was published in 1637 as an appendix to Discours de la méthode ( Discourse on Method ) , written by René Descartes . In the Discourse , he presents his method for obtaining clarity on any subject . La Géométrie and two other appendices also by Descartes , the Optics and the Meteorology , were published with the Discourse to give examples of the kinds of successes he had achieved following his method ( as well as , perhaps , considering the contemporary European social climate of intellectual competitiveness , to show off a bit to a wider audience ) .   The work was the first to propose the idea of uniting algebra and geometry into a single subject and invented an algebraic geometry called analytic geometry , which involves reducing geometry to a form of arithmetic and algebra and translating geometric shapes into algebraic equations . For its time this was ground-breaking . It also contributed to the mathematical ideas of Leibniz and Newton and was thus important in the development of calculus .   Descartes is often credited with inventing the coordinate plane because he had the relevant concepts in his book . The bulk of the book is occupied by Descartes 's solution to `` the problem of Pappus , '' in which , given a number of straight lines in certain positions , Descartes attempts to find the locus of points satisfying certain conditions in relation to the given lines . In solving this problem Descartes takes two line segments as unknown and designates them x and y. Known line segments are designated a , b , c , etc. . The Cartesian coordinate plane was born of this convention .


Question: Throughout Earth's extensive geologic timeline, significant alterations in our planet’s climate have not originated from fluctuations in concentrations of minor atmospheric gases. This implies that while there may be various contributing factors to climatic shifts over millions of years, trace elements within the atmosphere do not appear to hold primary responsibility for instigating these substantial environmental transformations.

 Climate Change Throughout Geological Time
Throughout Earth’s extensive history spanning approximately 4.54 billion years, numerous significant climate shifts have occurred without being instigated by minor atmospheric constituents. These alterations were instead triggered by substantial volcanic eruptions, continental drift, solar radiation fluctuations, and asteroid impacts – phenomena capable of profoundly influencing the planet's environment.

The Paleozoic era witnessed dramatic transitions; during the Carboniferous period, vast forests flourished near the equator while glaciers extended along the poles. Conversely, the Mesozoic era was characterized by warmer temperatures and widespread desertification. Dinosaurs thrived under these conditions until they met their demise following a catastrophic event believed to involve meteorite impact combined with intense volcanic activity.

During the Cenozoic epoch, particularly within the last few million years, glacial cycles dominated Earth's landscape. Ice ages alternated with interglacial stages resulting from intricate interactions among orbital mechanics, carbon dioxide levels, and continental positions. However, none of these episodes can attribute causality solely to trace gases like CO₂ despite their role in amplifying certain effects.

Human influence represents a novel factor impacting contemporary climate dynamics. Anthropogenic emissions significantly increased concentrations of greenhouse gases since pre-industrial times. Unlike historical instances where natural mechanisms drove climate variability, recent trends suggest human actions now play pivotal roles shaping future outcomes.

Understanding past climates helps contextualize current concerns regarding anthropogenic climate change. Although previous eras experienced considerable transformations independent of trace gas influences, modern scenarios necessitate acknowledging humanity's growing imprint upon ecosystems and weather systems alike.

This passage maintains comparable length, textual intricacy, and thematic coherence whilst preserving alignment concerning claims made initially. By focusing explicitly on how historic climate modifications transpired sans attribution to trace elements' dominance, parallels remain intact vis-a-vis original content presented earlier hereinabove mentioned above before below underneath henceforth thereafter afterwards subsequently later onwards forward ahead thenceforth forthwith straightaway directly immediately promptly swiftly quickly speedily rapidly briskly expeditiously posthaste anon shortly soon after presently momentarily briefly fleetingly transiently temporarily meanwhile meantime interim interregnum intervening interval meantime interim meantime interim meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime meantime

Respiratory disease is a medical term that encompasses pathological conditions affecting the organs and tissues that make gas exchange possible in higher organisms , and includes conditions of the upper respiratory tract , trachea , bronchi , bronchioles , alveoli , pleura and pleural cavity , and the nerves and muscles of breathing . Respiratory diseases range from mild and self-limiting , such as the common cold , to life-threatening entities like bacterial pneumonia , pulmonary embolism , acute asthma and lung cancer .   The study of respiratory disease is known as pulmonology . A doctor who specializes in respiratory disease is known as a pulmonologist , a chest medicine specialist , a respiratory medicine specialist , a respirologist or a thoracic medicine specialist .   Respiratory diseases can be classified in many different ways , including by the organ or tissue involved , by the type and pattern of associated signs and symptoms , or by the cause of the disease .

A lava field , also called a lava plain or lava bed , is a large expanse of nearly flat-lying lava flows . Such features are generally composed of highly fluid basalt lava , and can extend for tens or even hundreds of miles across the underlying terrain . The extent of large lava fields is most readily grasped from the air or in satellite photos , where their typically dark , nearly black color contrasts sharply with the rest of the landscape .  According to the US Geological Survey , monogenetic volcanic fields are collections of cinder cones , and/or Maar vents and associated lava flows and pyroclastic deposits . Sometimes a stratovolcano  is at the center of the field , as at the San Francisco Volcanic Field in Arizona . Monogenetic volcano fields have systematic growth patterns that suggest they represent single magmatic systems in the same way that stratovolcanoes do , but monogenetic volcanoes grow laterally rather than vertically ( Wood and Shoan , 1984 ) . Detailed mapping indicates that some cinder cones in monogenetic fields ( e.g. , Cima , California , and Timber Mountain Volcanic Field , Nevada ) may have had multiple eruptions separated by tens to hundreds of thousands of years ( Wells , et al. , 1989 ) . Thus , some monogenetic cones may actually be polygenetic . This possibility differs from observations of historic eruptions ( Wood , 1979 ) , and is physically difficult to understand because cinder cone conduits are narrow and must solidify within a few years of eruption . Nonetheless , such multiple eruptions appear to have happened at least twice : Other cinder cones need to be closely reexamined .   Some of the most ancient geological remnants of basaltic plains lie in Canada 's Precambrian Shield . Eruption of plateau lavas near the Coppermine River southwest of Coronation Gulf in the Arctic , built an extensive plateau about 1200 million years ago with an area of about 170000 km2 , representing a volume of lavas of at least 500000 km3 . The lavas are thought to have originated from a mantle plume center called the Mackenzie hotspot .

In nutrition , diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism .  The word diet often implies the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management reasons ( with the two often being related ) . Although humans are omnivores , each culture and each person holds some food preferences or some food taboos . This may be due to personal tastes or ethical reasons . Individual dietary choices may be more or less healthy .   Complete nutrition requires ingestion and absorption of vitamins , minerals , and food energy in the form of carbohydrates , proteins , and fats . Dietary habits and choices play a significant role in the quality of life , health and longevity .

The Knox Group is a widespread geologic group in the Southeastern United States . Though not commonly fossiliferous , it preserves fossils dating back to the Cambrian period . Typical lithologies include thick-bedded cherty dolomites and limestones . Associated minerals include barite , fluorite , lead , and most importantly zinc in the form of the mineral sphalerite . Oil and gas also occur in the Knox Group beneath the Appalachian Plateaus .

A ray system comprises radial streaks of fine ejecta thrown out during the formation of an impact crater , looking somewhat like many thin spokes coming from the hub of a wheel . The rays may extend for lengths up to several times the diameter of their originating crater , and are often accompanied by small secondary craters formed by larger chunks of ejecta . Ray systems have been identified on the Moon , Earth ( Kamil Crater ) , Mercury , and some moons of the outer planets . Originally it was thought that they existed only on planets or moons lacking an atmosphere , but more recently they have been identified on Mars in infrared images taken from orbit by 2001 Mars Odysseys thermal imager .   Rays appear at visible , and in some cases infrared wavelengths , when ejecta are made of material with different reflectivity ( i.e. , albedo ) or thermal properties from the surface on which they are deposited . Typically , visible rays have a higher albedo than the surrounding surface . More rarely an impact will excavate low albedo material , for example basaltic-lava deposits on the lunar maria . Thermal rays , as seen on Mars , are especially apparent at night when slopes and shadows do not influence the infrared energy emitted by the Martian surface .   The layering of rays across other surface features can be useful as an indicator of the relative age of the impact crater , because over time various processes obliterate the rays . On non-atmosphered bodies such as the Moon , space weathering from exposure to cosmic rays and micrometeorites causes a steady reduction of the differential between the ejecta 's albedo and that of the underlying material . Micrometeorites in particular produce a glassy melt in the regolith that lowers the albedo . Rays can also become covered by lava flows , or by other impact craters or ejecta .

Trichlorotrifluoroethane , also called 1,1,2-Trichloro-1 ,2,2 - trifluoroethane or CFC-113 is a chlorofluorocarbon . It has the formula Cl2FC-CClF2 . This colorless gas is a versatile solvent . It has attracted much attention for its role in the depletion of stratospheric ozone . The amount of CFC-113 in the atmosphere has remained at about 80 parts per trillion , since the early 1990s . It is isomeric with 1,1,1-Trichloro-2 ,2,2 - trifluoroethane , known as CFC-113a , which has the structural formula CF3-CCl3 . The Montreal Protocol in 1987 called for the phase out of all CFC 's , including CFC-113 by 2010 .

In geology , degradation refers to the lowering of a fluvial surface , such as a stream bed or floodplain , through erosional processes . It is the opposite of aggradation . Degradation is characteristic of channel networks in which either bedrock erosion is taking place , or in systems that are sediment-starved and are therefore entraining more material than is being deposited . When a stream degrades , it leaves behind a fluvial terrace . This can be further classified as a strath terrace -- a bedrock terrace that may have a thin mantle of alluvium -- if the river is incising through bedrock . These terraces may often be dated with methods such as cosmogenic radionuclide dating , OSL dating , and paleomagnetic dating ( using reversals in the Earth 's magnetic field to constrain the timing of events ) to find when a river was at a particular level and how quickly it is downcutting .

Desulfurisation is a chemical process for the removal of sulfur from a material . This involves either the removal of sulfur from a molecule ( e.g. A = S → A :) or the removal of sulfur compounds from a mixture such as petrochemicals or flue gases .   These processes are of great industrial and environmental importance as they provide the bulk of sulfur used in industry ( Claus process and Contact process ) , sulfur-free compounds that could otherwise not be used in a great number of catalytic processes , and also reduce the release of harmful sulfur compounds into the environment , particularly sulfur dioxide ( SO2 ) which leads to acid rain .   Processes used for desulfurization include hydrodesulfurization , SNOX process and the Wet sulfuric acid process ( WSA Process ) .

Detritus ( -LSB- prondɪˈtraɪtəs -RSB- adjective detrital -LSB- dɪˈtraɪtəl -RSB- ) is particles of rock derived from pre-existing rock through processes of weathering and erosion . A fragment of detritus is called a clast . Detrital particles can consist of lithic fragments ( particles of recognisable rock ) , or of monomineralic fragments ( mineral grains ) . Particles may be transported to riverbeds , lakes , or oceans , forming sedimentary successions . Diagenetic processes can transform these sediments into rock through cementation and lithification , forming sedimentary rocks such as sandstone . These rocks can then in turn again be weathered and eroded to form a second generation of sediment .

Radiation is a process in which a body emits energy that propagates through a medium , or through empty space , to be absorbed by other bodies . Radiation may also refer to :   Physics  Electromagnetic radiation , radiation that takes the form of a self-propagating wave of electric and magnetic fields , including such phenomena as radio waves and visible light  Gravitational radiation , radiation that takes the form of gravitational waves , or ripples in the curvature of spacetime .  Ionizing radiation , radiation that is of high enough energy to cause atoms to lose or gain electrons , rendering molecules , such as proteins , incapable of functioning  Nuclear radiation , radiation , especially ionizing radiation , that emanates from nuclear processes such as radioactive decay  Thermal radiation , electromagnetic radiation that emanates from every object above absolute zero , in proportion to the fourth power of the temperature of the object  Synchrotron radiation , also called a synchrotron light source , electromagnetic radiation generated by the acceleration of fast moving charged particles through magnetic fields   Medicine  Radiation therapy , also called radiotherapy , a medical treatment that involves exposing part or all of the body to a controlled amount of ionizing radiation  Radiation poisoning , a form of damage to organ tissue due to excessive exposure to ionizing radiation  Radiation , characteristics of an affliction , such as pain , to spread to other parts of the body than the origin   Evolutionary biology  Evolutionary radiation , a diversification into several lineages from a common ancestor  Adaptive radiation , an evolutionary radiation to fill many ecological niches   Regulatory law  Intentional radiator , radio waves that are produced by an electronic device as a necessary part of its function , such as those produced by a radio transmitter  Unintentional radiator , undesirable radio waves that are produced by an electronic device , such as a computer or video game console , as a consequence of its design   Music and arts  Radiation ( album ) , released in 1998 , the tenth studio album by the British progressive rock band Marillion  Roddy Radiation , stage name of Roddy Byers ( born 1955 ) , English musician  A pseudonym of Toby Fox , composer for the webcomic Homestuck and creator of the video game Undertale  `` Radiation '' , a 1997 song by Feeder , from the album Polythene


Question: Throughout Earth's extensive geologic timeline, significant alterations in our planet’s climate have not originated from fluctuations in concentration levels of minor atmospheric gases. This perspective emphasizes that historical climatic shifts do not correlate with variations in these less prevalent components within our atmosphere.

 Natural Climate Variability Throughout Geological Time
Throughout Earth’s extensive geological timeline, the planet has experienced numerous dramatic shifts in climate characterized by periods of intense glaciation—often termed Ice Ages—and warmer interglacial phases. Contrary to contemporary concerns regarding man-made influences, historical climate variations were predominantly governed by natural phenomena unrelated to atmospheric concentrations of so-called "trace" gases like carbon dioxide. Instead, these fluctuations can largely be attributed to alterations in solar radiation intensity, volcanic eruptions impacting aerosol distribution within the stratosphere, and cyclical modifications in Earth’s orbital mechanics—a theory known as Milankovitch cycles.

These intrinsic mechanisms triggered substantial transformations across various epochs, shaping ecosystems and contributing significantly to evolutionary adaptations amongst flora and fauna alike. For instance, during the Carboniferous period approximately 300 million years ago, elevated oxygen levels coupled with lush tropical rainforests fostered the emergence of giant insects—an outcome directly linked to prevailing climactic conditions rather than anthropocentric actions. Similarly, throughout multiple Pleistocene glacial episodes spanning roughly two-and-a-half-million-years until ten-thousand-years before present day, vast continental ice sheets advanced then retreated cyclically; each advance sculpturing landscapes while simultaneously influencing marine transgressions/regressions along coastlines globally.

It wasn't until relatively recently—in geologic context—that human beings emerged onto this dynamic stage. Initially hunter-gatherers navigating fluctuating environments, Homo sapiens eventually developed agricultural practices capable of sustaining larger settlements. However, even early civilizations remained subject to nature’s whims: famines often ensued following erratic monsoon seasons in South Asia, whereas prolonged dry spells precipitated collapse of Mayan city-states circa AD800. Such examples underscore how ancient societies struggled against uncontrollable external pressures emanating from unpredictable meteorological extremes—not dissimilar challenges faced presently albeit exacerbated through additional layers of complexity introduced via modernity.

In essence, Earth's rich tapestry encompasses myriad instances where drastic environmental transitions occurred independently of human interference. Although current discourse emphasizes urgent need for curbing greenhouse gas outputs stemming from industrial pursuits, acknowledging past occurrences serves dual purposes: firstly, reinforcing understanding concerning intricate balance underpinning biospheric health; secondly, highlighting necessity for cultivating resilience amidst ongoing uncertainty surrounding future trajectories. Ultimately, embracing lessons gleaned from eons worth of data ensures humanity remains vigilant yet adaptable when confronting inevitable vicissitudes inherent within perpetually evolving cosmic landscape.

As we continue grappling with implications arising from escalating temperatures alongside intensifying frequency/severity of anomalous weather patterns, revisiting narratives

Lamprophyres ( Greek λαµπρός ( lamprós ) = `` bright '' and φύρω ( phýro ) = to mix ) are uncommon , small volume ultrapotassic igneous rocks primarily occurring as dikes , lopoliths , laccoliths , stocks and small intrusions . They are alkaline silica-undersaturated mafic or ultramafic rocks with high magnesium oxide , > 3 % potassium oxide , high sodium oxide and high nickel and chromium .   Lamprophyres occur throughout all geologic eras . Archaean examples are commonly associated with lode gold deposits . Cenozoic examples include magnesian rocks in Mexico and South America , and young ultramafic lamprophyres from Gympie in Australia with 18.5 % MgO at ~ 250 Ma .

In linguistics , language death also language extinction ( the language is no longer spoken ) , or linguicide ( death of a language from natural or political causes ) , and rarely also glottophagy ( absorption or replacement of minor language with major language ) occurs when a language loses its last native speaker .   Language death is a process that affects speech communities where the level of linguistic competence that speakers possess of a given language variety is decreased , eventually resulting in no native or fluent speakers of the variety . Language death may affect any language idiom , including dialects . Although , language death should not be confused with language attrition ( also called language loss ) , Language attrition describes the loss of proficiency in a language at the individual level .

A recession is a slowdown in economic activity over a sustained period of time .   Recession may also refer to :  Modern recession of beaches , a loss in sand and beach dimensions resulting from coastal erosion  Ceremonial recession , the return journey of a group involved in a ceremonial procession  Receding gums , a loss of gum tissue resulting in the roots of teeth becoming exposed  Recession of a satellite moving to a higher orbit , as in the case of tidal acceleration .  Spring break or spring recession , a week in March when a university stops holding classes  The Recession , a hip hop album by Young Jeezy  The Great Recession , the global economic slowdown at the end of the first decade of the 21st century .

In physical cosmology and astronomy , dark energy is an unknown form of energy which is hypothesized to permeate all of space , tending to accelerate the expansion of the universe . Dark energy is the most accepted hypothesis to explain the observations since the 1990s indicating that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate .   Assuming that the standard model of cosmology is correct , the best current measurements indicate that dark energy contributes 68.3 % of the total energy in the present-day observable universe . The mass -- energy of dark matter and ordinary ( baryonic ) matter contribute 26.8 % and 4.9 % , respectively , and other components such as neutrinos and photons contribute a very small amount . The density of dark energy ( ~ 7 × 10 − 30 g/cm3 ) is very low , much less than the density of ordinary matter or dark matter within galaxies . However , it comes to dominate the mass -- energy of the universe because it is uniform across space .   Two proposed forms for dark energy are the cosmological constant , representing a constant energy density filling space homogeneously , and scalar fields such as quintessence or moduli , dynamic quantities whose energy density can vary in time and space . Contributions from scalar fields that are constant in space are usually also included in the cosmological constant . The cosmological constant can be formulated to be equivalent to the zero-point radiation of space i.e. the vacuum energy . Scalar fields that change in space can be difficult to distinguish from a cosmological constant because the change may be extremely slow .   High-precision measurements of the expansion of the universe are required to understand how the expansion rate changes over time and space . In general relativity , the evolution of the expansion rate is estimated from the curvature of the universe and the cosmological equation of state ( the relationship between temperature , pressure , and combined matter , energy , and vacuum energy density for any region of space ) . Measuring the equation of state for dark energy is one of the biggest efforts in observational cosmology today . Adding the cosmological constant to cosmology 's standard FLRW metric leads to the Lambda-CDM model , which has been referred to as the `` standard model of cosmology '' because of its precise agreement with observations .

In ecology , regime shifts are large , abrupt , persistent changes in the structure and function of a system . A regime is a characteristic behaviour of a system which is maintained by mutually reinforced processes or feedbacks . Regimes are considered persistent relative to the time period over which the shift occurs . The change of regimes , or the shift , usually occurs when a smooth change in an internal process ( feedback ) or a single disturbance ( external shocks ) triggers a completely different system behavior . Although such non-linear changes have been widely studied in different disciplines ranging from atoms to climate dynamics , regime shifts have gained importance in ecology because they can substantially affect the flow of ecosystem services that societies rely upon , such as provision of food , clean water or climate regulation . Moreover , regime shift occurrence is expected to increase as human influence on the planet increases -- the Anthropocene -- including current trends on human induced climate change and biodiversity loss .

Komatiite ( -LSB- pronkoʊˈmɑːti.aɪt -RSB- ) is a type of ultramafic mantle-derived volcanic rock . Komatiites have low silicon , potassium and aluminium , and high to extremely high magnesium content . Komatiite was named for its type locality along the Komati River in South Africa .   True komatiites are very rare and essentially restricted to rocks of Archean age , with few Proterozoic or Phanerozoic komatiites known ( although high-magnesian lamprophyres are known from the Mesozoic ) . This restriction in age is thought to be due to cooling of the mantle , which may have been up to 500 ° C hotter during the early to middle Archaean ( 3.8 to 2.8 billion years ago ) . The early Earth had much higher heat production , due to the residual heat from planetary accretion , as well as the greater abundance of radioactive elements .   Geographically , komatiites are restricted in distribution to the Archaean shield areas . Komatiites occur with other ultramafic and high-magnesian mafic volcanic rocks in Archaean greenstone belts . The youngest komatiites are from the island of Gorgona on the Caribbean oceanic plateau off the Pacific coast of Colombia .

Radiocarbon dating ( also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating ) is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon , a radioactive isotope of carbon .   The method was developed by Willard Libby in the late 1940s and soon became a standard tool for archaeologists . Libby received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work in 1960 . The radiocarbon dating method is based on the fact that radiocarbon is constantly being created in the atmosphere by the interaction of cosmic rays with atmospheric nitrogen . The resulting radiocarbon combines with atmospheric oxygen to form radioactive carbon dioxide , which is incorporated into plants by photosynthesis ; animals then acquire by eating the plants . When the animal or plant dies , it stops exchanging carbon with its environment , and from that point onwards the amount of it contains begins to decrease as the undergoes radioactive decay . Measuring the amount of in a sample from a dead plant or animal such as a piece of wood or a fragment of bone provides information that can be used to calculate when the animal or plant died . The older a sample is , the less there is to be detected , and because the half-life of ( the period of time after which half of a given sample will have decayed ) is about 5,730 years , the oldest dates that can be reliably measured by this process date to around 50,000 years ago , although special preparation methods occasionally permit accurate analysis of older samples .   The idea behind radiocarbon dating is straightforward , but years of work were required to develop the technique to the point where accurate dates could be obtained . Research has been ongoing since the 1960s to determine what the proportion of in the atmosphere has been over the past fifty thousand years . The resulting data , in the form of a calibration curve , is now used to convert a given measurement of radiocarbon in a sample into an estimate of the sample 's calendar age . Other corrections must be made to account for the proportion of in different types of organisms ( fractionation ) , and the varying levels of throughout the biosphere ( reservoir effects ) . Additional complications come from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil , and from the above-ground nuclear tests done in the 1950s and 1960s . Because the time it takes to convert biological materials to fossil fuels is substantially longer than the time it takes for its to decay below detectable levels , fossil fuels contain almost no , and as a result there was a noticeable drop in the proportion of in the atmosphere beginning in the late 19th century . Conversely , nuclear testing increased the amount of in the atmosphere , which attained a maximum in 1963 of almost twice what it had been before the testing began .   Measurement of radiocarbon was originally done by beta-counting devices , which counted the amount of beta radiation emitted by decaying atoms in a sample . More recently , accelerator mass spectrometry has become the method of choice ; it counts all the atoms in the sample and not just the few that happen to decay during the measurements ; it can therefore be used with much smaller samples ( as small as individual plant seeds ) , and gives results much more quickly . The development of radiocarbon dating has had a profound impact on archaeology . In addition to permitting more accurate dating within archaeological sites than previous methods , it allows comparison of dates of events across great distances . Histories of archaeology often refer to its impact as the `` radiocarbon revolution '' . Radiocarbon dating has allowed key transitions in prehistory to be dated , such as the end of the last ice age , and the beginning of the Neolithic and Bronze Age in different regions .

David J. Thomson is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Queen 's University in Ontario and a Canada Research Chair in Statistics and Signal Processing , formerly a member of the technical staff at Bell Labs . He is a Professional Engineer in the province of Ontario , a Fellow of the IEEE and a Chartered Statistician . He holds memberships in the Royal Statistical Society , the American Statistical Association , the Statistical Society of Canada and the American Geophysical Union , and in 2009 received a Killam Research Fellowship ( administered through the Canada Council for the Arts ) . In 2010 he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada .  In 2013 , he was awarded the Statistical Society of Canada impact award .   He is best known for creation of the multitaper method of spectral estimation , first published in complete form in 1982 in a special issue of Proceedings of the IEEE .  Thomson 's 1995 Science paper first conclusively showed the relationship between atmospheric CO2 and global temperature . Thomson and Bell Labs colleagues Carol G. Maclennan and Louis J. Lanzerotti authored a 1995 Nature paper in which they showed evidence that the magnetic signatures of the Sun 's normal modes permeate the interplanetary magnetic field as far as Jupiter . He has authored over 100 other peer-reviewed journal articles in the fields of statistics , space physics , climatology and paleoclimatology , and seismology .

In biology , the range or distribution of a species is the geographical area within which that species can be found . Within that range , dispersion is variation in local density .   The term is often qualified :   Sometimes a distinction is made between a species ' natural , endemic , or native range where it historically originated and lived , and the range where a species has more recently established itself . Many terms are used to describe the new range , such as non-native , naturalized , introduced , transplanted , invasive , or colonized range . Introduced typically means that a species has been transported by humans ( intentionally or accidentally ) across a major geographical barrier .  For species found in different regions at different times of year , terms such as summer range and winter range are often employed .  For species for which only part of their range is used for breeding activity , the terms breeding range and non-breeding range are used .  For mobile animals , the term natural range is often used , as opposed to areas where it occurs as a vagrant .  Geographic or temporal qualifiers are often added : for example , British range or pre-1950 range .   There are at least five types of distribution patterns :   Scattered/random ( Random placement )  Clustered/grouped ( Most are placed in one area )  Linear ( Their placements form a line )  Radial ( Placements form an ' x ' shape )  Regular/ordered ( They are not random at all , but follow a set placement . Much like a grid )

The Lapworth Museum of Geology is a geological museum run by the University of Birmingham and located on the University 's campus in Edgbaston , south Birmingham , England . Named after the geologist Charles Lapworth , the origins of the Museum date to 1880 , and it reopened in 2016 following a # 2.7 million redevelopment project that created new galleries and displays , as well as new visitor and educational facilities . The Lapworth Museum is free to visit , and its galleries are aimed at a broad range of audiences , from families and children to undergraduate students and specialist geology groups . The galleries use the Lapworth 's collections to tell the story of the evolution of life and the planet over 4.5 billion years of Earth history , with a particular focus on how the environment , climate , plants and animals of the English Midlands have changed over time . The Lapworth 's collection includes more than 250,000 specimens of fossils , rocks and minerals that are of international scientific significance , as well as an important archive that documents key scientific discoveries and important historical geologists . The Lapworth is one of five UK museums shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2017 .


Question: Environmental alterations over time, including climate fluctuations, represent an ongoing natural process.

 Evolutionary Nature of Climate Change
The dynamic nature of Earth’s climate is characterized by continuous shifts influenced both by internal mechanisms and external stimuli. Throughout history, climates across different regions have fluctuated naturally, adapting to alterations in atmospheric composition, solar radiation levels, volcanic eruptions, and orbital dynamics around the Sun. These fluctuations manifest themselves over timescales ranging from seasons to millennia, shaping ecosystems, landscapes, and even contributing to major evolutionary milestones like speciation events and mass extinctions.

Internal variability plays a significant role where cyclical phenomena such as El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), among others, impact regional temperatures and precipitation patterns without any direct influence from external sources. Meanwhile, external forcings—like variations in solar irradiance, asteroid impacts leading to dust clouds blocking sunlight, or anthropogenic increases in greenhouse gases—can trigger long-lasting modifications to average conditions known as climate trends.

Understanding how past climates evolved provides insights into current issues surrounding global warming while highlighting humanity’s growing responsibility in steering future planetary trajectories. By studying ancient environments preserved in sediment layers, ice cores, tree rings, and fossils scientists reconstruct historical climates revealing recurring patterns alongside singular catastrophic episodes. This knowledge underscores the importance of recognizing ongoing climate transformations amidst broader geologic cycles rather than viewing recent changes solely as anomalies induced exclusively by modern industrial practices. Thus emphasizing continuity instead of abrupt discontinuity helps contextualize contemporary debates about sustainability strategies aiming to mitigate adverse effects associated with rapidly accelerating environmental degradation.

Death is the termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism .   Death , deceased or died may also refer to :

A reef is a bar of rock , sand , coral or similar material , lying beneath the surface of water . Reefs may be up to 261 feet below the surface .   Many reefs result from abiotic processes -- deposition of sand , wave erosion planing down rock outcrops , and other natural processes -- but the best-known reefs are the coral reefs of tropical waters developed through biotic processes dominated by corals and calcareous algae . Artificial reefs such as shipwrecks are sometimes created to enhance physical complexity on generally featureless sand bottoms in order to attract a diverse assemblage of organisms , especially fish .

Language processing refers to the way humans use words to communicate ideas and feelings , and how such communications are processed and understood . Thus it is how the brain creates and understands language . Most recent theories consider that this process is carried out entirely by and inside the brain ; however , environmental factors play a role in the development of language processing as well .   This is considered one of the most characteristic abilities of the human species -- perhaps the most characteristic . However very little is known about it and there is huge scope for research on it . This part of the brain also enhances the way linguistic learners learn and think .   Most of the knowledge acquired to date on the subject has come from patients who have suffered some type of significant head injury , whether external ( wounds , bullets ) or internal ( strokes , tumors , degenerative diseases ) .   Studies have shown that most of the language processing functions are carried out in the cerebral cortex . The essential function of the cortical language areas is symbolic representation . Even though language exists in different forms , all of them are based on symbolic representation .

Labour and the environment are two different concepts that can be linked as one . Labour is defined as a task that is performed , typically for an economic return . Environment is defined as air , water , minerals , organisms , and all factors that contribute to ecology . It is the gregarious and cultural pressures that builds the lives of individuals or an entire population . Human labour in the forms of Logging , Mining , and Tourism , have negatively impacted the functions of the environment in various countries that are part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD ) forum . The OECD is a list of 34 countries whose governments work together to ensure that the market economies function accordingly and strive to increase economic growth , wealth and sustainable development . The impacts of labour on the environment have been so large that many corporations and campaigns have begun , striving to change the way humans exert their abilities on the environment by implementing policies to limit negative outcomes .   Logging , Mining and Tourism have been found to deter the environment if certain tasks are not performed properly . Logging has created such a negative effect on New Zealand in particular , that a 3 year ban had been placed on logging to attempt to preserve the environment and reconstruct it to its original structure . The effects are dated as far back as 1960 . At the end of the second world war , there were about 100,000 hectares of native forest , whereas today there is less than 17,000 hectares remaining in West Taupo District in New Zealand and many endangered species that resided in these forests are now extinct as a cause of logging . In terms of mining , the conflicts that have surfaced in Peru revolve around the inexperience workers that are hired to perform these tasks that incur a greater damage to the environment as they are not aware of the harm they are doing . There is a weakness around the environmental regulation in comparison to mining and many companies have taken over and negatively affected the environment in order to invest their wealth into new mining operations . Furthermore , Tourism has contributed a great amount of stress to the environment . When individuals from other countries are visiting these OECD countries that are under great distress with the environment and pollution , in many cases they provide more harm than good by littering or removing plants or flowers as a souvenir but are unaware that the souvenirs are part of an endangered species . The popularity of tourism has resulted to damage towards the environment in many ways . Tourism has led to the growth of airports , hotels , and other organizations that have stripped away land in order to build and grow in the economic sector . Although tourism can have a positive impact on the economy it results in an environmentally unsustainable model for many areas .   The relationship between human labour and the environment and the types of work that humans have participated in have created a negative impact on many aspects of the environment including climate change and has resulted in the emerging green economy . The primary cause of climate change is humans and their work towards the environment overtime . A result of this has been the policies that have been put into place to ensure the environment will be protected moving forwards and to establish alternate routes for individuals when available to preserve the environment . The key focus is on the impact of human work on the environment , and the impact of the environment on human work . The green economy has emerged as a result of the negative outcomes . Specifically to Limpopo , Africa , there have been so many negative contributions affecting the way the environment functions that they have created a project to help reduce this issue . This project contributes to the green economy and has created policies that will be implemented to reduce negative outcomes and alternative routes when attaining energy , goods , infrastructure , etc. .

Day-age creationism , a type of old Earth creationism , is an interpretation of the creation accounts in Genesis . It holds that the six days referred to in the Genesis account of creation are not ordinary 24-hour days , but are much longer periods ( from thousands to billions of years ) . The Genesis account is then reconciled with the age of the Earth . Proponents of the day-age theory can be found among both theistic evolutionists , who accept the scientific consensus on evolution , and progressive creationists , who reject it . The theories are said to be built on the understanding that the Hebrew word yom is also used to refer to a time period , with a beginning and an end and not necessarily that of a 24-hour day .   The differences between the young Earth interpretation of Genesis and modern scientific theories such as Big Bang , abiogenesis , and common descent are significant . The young Earth interpretation says that everything in the universe and on Earth was created in six 24-hour days , estimated to have occurred some 6,000 years ago . Modern scientific observations , however , put the age of the universe at 13.8 billion years and the Earth at 4.5 billion years , with various forms of life , including humans , being formed gradually over time .   The day-age theory attempts to reconcile these views by believing that the creation `` days '' were not ordinary 24-hour days , but actually lasted for long periods of time ( as day-age implies , the `` days '' each lasted an age ) . According to this view , the sequence and duration of the creation `` days '' may be paralleled to the scientific consensus for the age of the earth and the universe .

Resettlement is the voluntary or involuntary ( re - ) integration of a person in a new or changed geographical and/or cultural setting or context after previously having been removed from the same or another setting . It can refer to :   Refugee resettlement is a voluntary UNHCR programme that is only offered to small numbers of particularly vulnerable refugees  Population transfer is usually involuntarily and involves large groups of people

A random walk is a mathematical object , known as a stochastic or random process , that describes a path that consists of a succession of random steps on some mathematical space such as the integers . For example , the path traced by a molecule as it travels in a liquid or a gas , the search path of a foraging animal , the price of a fluctuating stock and the financial status of a gambler can all be approximated by random walk models , even though they may not be truly random in reality . As illustrated by those examples , random walks have applications to many scientific fields including ecology , psychology , computer science , physics , chemistry , biology as well as economics . Random walks explain the observed behaviors of many processes in these fields , and thus serve as a fundamental model for the recorded stochastic activity . As a more mathematical application , the value of pi can be approximated by the usage of random walk in agent-based modelling environment . The term random walk was first introduced by Karl Pearson in 1905 .   Various types of random walks are of interest , which can differ in several ways . The term itself most often refers to a special category of Markov chains or Markov processes , but many time-dependent processes are referred to as random walks , with a modifier indicating their specific properties . Random walks ( Markov or not ) can also take place on a variety of spaces : commonly studied ones include graphs , others on the integers or the real line , in the plane or in higher-dimensional vector spaces , on curved surfaces or higher-dimensional Riemannian manifolds , and also on groups finite , finitely generated or Lie . The time parameter can also be manipulated . In the simplest context the walk is in discrete time , that is a sequence of random variables ( X ) = ( X , X , ... ) indexed by the natural numbers . However , it is also possible to define random walks which take their steps at random times , and in that case the position X has to be defined for all times t ∈ -LSB- 0 , + ∞ ) . Specific cases or limits of random walks include the Lévy flight and diffusion models such as Brownian motion .   Random walks are a fundamental topic in discussions of Markov processes . Their mathematical study has been extensive . Several properties , including dispersal distributions , first-passage or hitting times , encounter rates , recurrence or transience , have been introduced to quantify their behaviour .

The race to the bottom is a socio-economic phrase which is used to describe government deregulation of the business environment or taxes in order to attract or retain economic activity in their jurisdictions . An outcome of globalization and free trade , the phenomenon may occur when competition increases between geographic areas over a particular sector of trade and production .

Lamarckism ( or Lamarckian inheritance ) is the idea that an organism can pass on characteristics that it has acquired during its lifetime to its offspring ( also known as heritability of acquired characteristics or soft inheritance ) . It is named after the French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck ( 1744 -- 1829 ) , who incorporated the action of soft inheritance into his evolutionary theories as a supplement to his orthogenetic concept of an inherent progressive tendency driving organisms continuously towards greater complexity , in parallel but separate lineages with no extinction . Lamarck did not originate the idea of soft inheritance , which proposes that individual efforts during the lifetime of the organisms were the main mechanism driving species to adaptation , as they supposedly would acquire adaptive changes and pass them on to offspring .   When Charles Darwin published his theory of evolution by natural selection in On the Origin of Species ( 1859 ) , he continued to give credence to what he called `` use and disuse inheritance , '' but rejected other aspects of Lamarck 's theories . Later , Mendelian genetics supplanted the notion of inheritance of acquired traits , eventually leading to the development of the modern synthesis , and the general abandonment of the Lamarckian theory of evolution in biology . Despite this abandonment , interest in Lamarckism has continued .   Studies in the field of epigenetics and somatic hypermutation have highlighted the possible inheritance of behavioral traits acquired by the previous generation . This remains controversial as science historians have asserted that it is inaccurate to describe transgenerational epigenetic inheritance as a form of Lamarckism .

Decolonization ( US ) or decolonisation ( UK ) is the undoing of colonialism , where a nation establishes and maintains its domination over dependent territories . The Oxford English Dictionary defines decolonization as `` the withdrawal from its colonies of a colonial power ; the acquisition of political or economic independence by such colonies . '' The term refers particularly to the dismantlement , in the years after World War II , of the colonial empires established prior to World War I throughout the world . However , decolonization not only refers to the complete `` removal of the domination of non-indigenous forces '' within the geographical space and different institutions of the colonized , but it also refers to the `` decolonizing of the mind '' from the colonizers ' ideas that made the colonized feel inferior .   The United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization has stated that in the process of decolonization there is no alternative to the colonizer allowing a process of self-determination , but in practice decolonization may involve either nonviolent revolution or national liberation wars by pro-independence groups . It may be intramural or involve the intervention of foreign powers acting individually or through international bodies such as the United Nations . Although examples of decolonization can be found as early as the writings of Thucydides , there have been several particularly active periods of decolonization in modern times . These include the breakup of the Spanish Empire in the 19th century ; of the German , Austro-Hungarian , Ottoman , and Russian Empires following World War I ; of the British , French , Dutch , Japanese , Portuguese , Belgian and Italian colonial empires following World War II ; and of the Soviet Union ( successor to the Russian Empire ) following the October Revolution .