Climate change is a significant change in weather patterns over long periods of time that can be caused by both natural factors and human activities like greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists study climate change by analyzing physical evidence from various climate proxies like ice cores, sediment records, and historical documents to understand past climates and make projections about future climate change. Global warming due to increased greenhouse gases is causing sea levels to rise through thermal expansion of the oceans and melting of glaciers and ice sheets, threatening coastal areas with flooding and erosion.