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== Basic idea ==
If a [[wiktionary:perturbation|perturbation]] - such as an increase in greenhouse gases or [[solar variation|solar activity]] - is applied to the [[climate system]] the response will not be immediate, principally because of the large [[heat capacity]] (i.e., [[Volumetric heat capacity#Thermal inertia|thermal inertia]]) of the [[ocean]]s.
:''As an analogue, consider the heating of a thin metal plate (by the sun or by a flame): the plate will warm relatively quickly. If a thick metal block is heated instead, it will take much longer for the entire block to reach [[Thermodynamic equilibrium|equilibrium]] with the imposed heating because of its higher heat capacity.''
Land only stores [[heat]] in the top few meters.
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