Although these events shade Earth from solar radiation by releasing large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, those same greenhouse gases contribute to global warming. However, much of the climate change that climatologists study is tied to human activity, particularly humans’ use of fossil fuels, which are the main contributor to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere today. Studying the impact of these gases allows scientists to understand not only how Earth’s climate has changed as a result of human activity, but also how it might continue to change if humans continue to release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.