9. Atmosphere and change

Question 1

Climate change

Answer 1

long-term sustained change in the average global climate.

Question 2

Natural greenhouse effect

Answer 2

the property of the Earth’s atmosphere by which long wavelength heat rays form the Earth’s surface are trapped or reflected back by the atmosphere.

Question 3

Enhanced greenhouse effect

Answer 3

this results from human activities which increase the concentration of naturally occurring greenhouse gases and leads to global warming and climate change.

Question 4

Global warming

Answer 4

the increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s near-surface air in the 20th and early 21st centuries and its projected continuation.

Question 5

Tipping point

Answer 5

the point at which the damage caused to global systems by climate change becomes irreversible.

Question 6

Insolation

Answer 6

the heat energy from the sun consisting of the visible spectrum together with ultraviolet and infrared rays.

Question 7

Energy balance

Answer 7

the balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing terrestrial radiation.

Question 8

Solar constant

Answer 8

the amount of solar energy received per unit area, per unit time and on a surface at right-angles to the sun’s beam at the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere.

Question 9

Sensible heat

Answer 9

the heat energy that causes a change in temperature of a substance but does not contribute to a change in state.

Question 10

Conduction

Answer 10

the transfer of heat by contact.

Question 11

Convection

Answer 11

the transfer of heat by the movement of a gas or a liquid.

Question 12

Latent heat

Answer 12

the quantity of heat absorbed or released by a substance undergoing a change of state, such as water vapour condensing into water droplets.

Question 13

Evaporation

Answer 13

the change in state from a liquid into a vapour.

Question 14

Condensation

Answer 14

the change instate form a gas to a liquid.

Question 15

Ground heat

Answer 15

the warming of the subsurface of the Earth.

Question 16

Albedo

Answer 16

the proportion of solar radiation that is reflected by a particular body or surface.

Question 17

External forcings

Answer 17

processes both outside and within the atmosphere that can force changes in climate.

Question 18

Solar forcing

Answer 18

radiative forcing caused by changes in incoming solar radiation.

Question 19

Global dimming

Answer 19

a worldwide decline of the intensity of the sunlight reaching the Earth’s surface, caused by particulate air pollution and natural events, for example volcanic ash.

Question 20

Global brightening

Answer 20

an increasing amount of sunlight reaching the Earth’s surface caused by an intensification of solar radiation.

Question 21

Ice sheet

Answer 21

a thick layer of ice covering extensive regions of the world, notably Antarctica and Greenland.

Question 22

Troposphere

Answer 22

the lowest layer of the atmosphere.

Question 23

Tropospheric ozone

Answer 23

human produced ozone, a result of air pollution.

Question 24

Positive feedback

Answer 24

when an increase of one phenomenon results in an increase in another.

Question 25

Heatwave

Answer 25

a prolonged period of excessively hot weather.

Question 26

Thermal expansion

Answer 26

as sea and ocean temperatures increase, the water molecules near the surface move further apart, so the water volume increases and the sea level rises.

Question 27

Low-carbon economy

Answer 27

where significant measures have been taken to reduce carbon emissions in all sectors of the economy.

Question 28

Community energy

Answer 28

energy produced close to the point of consumption.