What phenomenon is associated with changes in global weather patterns?

The phenomenon associated with changes in global weather patterns is global climate change. This term encompasses significant and lasting alterations in temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and other elements of the Earth's climate system. Typically, this change is driven by various factors, including human activities like fossil fuel combustion and deforestation, which increase greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.

These changes can lead to extreme weather events, shifting climate zones, and disruptions in ecosystems, thereby impacting agriculture, water supplies, and even human health. The emphasis on "global" indicates that these patterns are not just localized but observed on a worldwide scale, affecting many regions simultaneously. This comprehensive view highlights the interconnectedness of Earth's systems and human activity, making global climate change a critical topic of discussion and research in environmental science and policy.

While global cooling refers to a decrease in Earth's average temperatures, climate stability implies no significant changes in weather patterns, and natural climate variation denotes fluctuations that occur over time through natural processes, these concepts do not capture the broader, ongoing transformations in climate characteristics linked to recent human influence, which is why global climate change is the appropriate choice.