BIO 103 SimUText Section 3

Question 1

Hindcasting

Answer 1

A process where models are seeded with data about past conditions and drivers (volcanic eruptions, initial climatic conditions, etc) and then used to recreate past climate changes

Question 2

Forecasting

Answer 2

The process where models are used to make predictions about how Earth’s climate might change in the future under different scenarios

Question 3

Spatial Variation

Answer 3

Differences that result from observations made in different locations, but at the same time

Question 4

Temporal Variation

Answer 4

Differences in observations that were made at the same location, but at different points in time

Question 5

General Circulation Model (GCM)

Answer 5

Three-dimensional models of Earth’s climate

Question 6

Trend

Answer 6

A long-term change in the value of a variable

Question 7

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Answer 7

The range of all types of electromagnetic radiation

Question 8

Black Body

Answer 8

An idealized object that absorbs all electromagnetic radiation it intercepts, reradiates energy in all directions, emits a wavelength of radiation that is a function of its temperature, and reradiate energy with respect to its temperature

Question 9

Solar Radiation

Answer 9

Electromagnetic radiation

Question 10

Equilibrium

Answer 10

No net change or movement in the quantity of interest

Question 11

Total Solar Irradience

Answer 11

The total amount of solar radiation striking a surface perpendicular to the Sun, per unit time per unit area

Question 12

Inverse-Square Laws

Answer 12

A physical law stating that some physical quantity is proportional to the square of the distance from its source

Question 13

Astronomical Unit (AU)

Answer 13

The approximate mean distance between the Earth and the Sun

Question 14

Eccentricity

Answer 14

The extent to which an orbit of an object (such as a planet) around another object (such as a star) differs from a perfect circle

Question 15

Albedo

Answer 15

Reflectivity to incident light

Question 16

Greenhouse Gases

Answer 16

Gases in the atmosphere that are transparent to incoming solar radiation but absorb outgoing longwave radiation emitted from Earth’s surface

Question 17

Residence Time

Answer 17

The average amount of time a substance or chemical is in a given system

Question 18

Greenhouse Effect

Answer 18

The process by which certain components of the atmosphere (greenhouse gases) “trap” heat close to Earth’s surface

Question 19

Feedback

Answer 19

The process by which a system is changed or controlled by the output or product it produces

Question 20

Forcings

Answer 20

Factors that can affect Earth’s climate

Question 21

Positive Feedback

Answer 21

When the process involved is accelerated or amplified by the product or output of that process

Question 22

Negative Feedback

Answer 22

When he process involved is slowed or stabilized by the product or output of the process

Question 23

Longwave Radiation

Answer 23

Electromagnetic radiation with “longer” wavelengths, usually 3 to 100 um

Question 24

Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity (ECS)

Answer 24

The equilibrium change in global annual mean surface air temperature resulting from a doubling of the atmospheric CO2 concentration relative to pre-industrial levels

Question 25

Energy Budget

Answer 25

An accounting of energy received by and radiated from a system

Question 26

Thermal

Answer 26

Of or relating to heat

Question 27

Evapotranspiration

Answer 27

The sum of transpiration and evaporation

Question 28

Global Energy Imbalance

Answer 28

Earth absorbs more energy than it consumes

Question 29

Topography

Answer 29

The configuration of a planet’s surface including relief and the position of features, such as mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes and coast-lines

Question 30

Biogeochemical Cycles

Answer 30

The cycling of matter through an ecosystem

Question 31

Validate

Answer 31

The process by which something is tested and confirmed

Question 32

Pre-Industrial Period

Answer 32

The span of time before the Industrial Revolution

Question 33

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Answer 33

Summarizes the current state of climate-change science, as well as the potential effects of climate change on environmental and socio-economic systems

Question 34

Emergent Property

Answer 34

One that arises from the interaction of the component parts of a more complex system or structure

Question 35

Coupled Model Intercomparison Project

Answer 35

A set of experiments designed to help assess the mechanisms responsible for differences between different climate change models

Question 36

Multi-Model Mean

Answer 36

An average value some model output, such as global surface temperature, across a variety of different but related climate models