7.2 Climate Change - Causes and Impacts Flashcards
Climate vs Weather
Climate: The long-term average of weather patterns in a specific area over decades.
Weather: The short-term atmospheric conditions at a particular time and place.
Global Warming
The long-term rise in Earth’s average surface temperature due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning.
Greenhouse Effect
The trapping of heat in Earth’s atmosphere by greenhouse gases, which keeps the planet warm enough to sustain life
Climate Change
Significant changes in global or regional climate patterns over time, including global warming and its effects like sea-level rise, extreme weather events, and ecosystem shifts.
Short-wave vs longwave radiation (in terms of the greenhouse effect)
Shortwave Radiation: Solar radiation that reaches Earth’s surface, including visible light, which is absorbed and converted to heat.
Longwave Radiation: Infrared radiation emitted by Earth’s surface, which is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases, warming the atmosphere.
Paris Agreement
A 2015 global treaty where nations commit to limiting global temperature rise to below 2°C, with efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C.
Albedo
The reflectivity of Earth’s surface; surfaces with high albedo (like ice) reflect more sunlight, while those with low albedo (like forests) absorb more heat.
Albedo-related positive feedback global warming loop
Melting ice reducing albedo, leading to more warming.
Increased plant growth as a negative feedback mechanism for greenhouse gases
Increased plant growth absorbing more CO2 as temperatures rise.
Climate tipping points
Critical thresholds where small changes can lead to drastic shifts, like the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet leading to significant sea level rise.
Greenhouse Gases
Trap (reflect) long-wave infrared radiation in the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide (0.3% of atmosphere), methane, water vapor, nitrous oxide, ozone (in the troposphere), CFCs
GWP
Global Warming Potential
A measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere over a specific time compared to CO2.
Methane has a higher GWP than CO2, which means it is a worse greenhouse gas. However, methane has a much shorter atmospheric lifespan than CO2.
Carbon Emissions
The release of carbon, particularly CO2 (but including methane and carbon monoxide), into the atmosphere from human activities like burning fossil fuels.
Net zero
A politicized term relating to temporal targets and timeframes.
Achieving a balance between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere.
Also referred to as carbon neutrality.
Carbon neutral
Achieving net zero carbon emissions, often through a combination of reducing emissions and carbon offsetting.
1.5 degree threshold.
The critical limit of global warming above pre-industrial levels, beyond which severe climate impacts are expected.
Used as a nominal target in the drafting of global treaties and international agreements, in which countries pledge to work together towards exceeding this.
Solar insolation
The amount of solar radiation reaching a given area of Earth’s surface.
Outcomes of radiation hitting the Earth
Reflection: Solar radiation bouncing off surfaces like ice and clouds back into space.
Absorption: Solar radiation absorbed by Earth’s surface, warming it.
