Final answer:
Global warming is the term referring to the sustained increase in Earth's atmosphere's average temperature, leading to broader environmental impacts known as climate change. Climate change covers changes in temperature, weather patterns, and sea levels, resulting from increased greenhouse gases from human activities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term for an increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere, especially a sustained increase that causes climatic changes, is called global warming. Global warming refers to the recent and ongoing rise in global average temperature near Earth's surface, mostly due to the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from human activities, such as fossil fuel burning. This increase in temperature has led to climate change, which includes not only global warming but also a broader range of environmental impacts such as changes in weather patterns, storm activity, sea levels, and other effects that can last for decades or centuries.
While global warming signifies the rise in Earth's temperature, climate change is the more encompassing term that acknowledges both higher and lower temperature variations, despite the overall trend towards warming. The effects of climate change are profound, ranging from altered agricultural production due to shifting temperature and rainfall patterns to the melting of glaciers and ice caps, contributing to rising sea levels. The implications of climate changes are extensive, impacting ecosystems, biodiversity, and human societies across the world.