Final answer:
The adiabatic lapse rate is not a key variable when considering climate change, which typically focuses on changes in sea ice, temperature, and atmospheric moisture that influence overall climate patterns and have significant impacts on the environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering climate change, the key variables that are typically studied include sea ice, temperature, and atmospheric moisture. However, the adiabatic lapse rate is not typically considered a key variable in climate change discussions.
The adiabatic lapse rate is the rate at which the air temperature changes with altitude under adiabatic conditions (when no heat is exchanged with the surroundings). While it is an important concept in atmospheric sciences, it does not directly influence the broad-scale trends and patterns typically associated with climate change, such as increased temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, and the melting of ice sheets.
Climate change is influenced by a variety of factors including temperature, precipitation patterns, shifts in species distributions such as the sugar maple and the Baltimore oriole, changes in ecosystems like the plankton and eel grass communities, and ice loss from major ice sheets. These changes can lead to significant impacts on human and natural systems, such as the spread of insect-borne diseases and rising sea levels.