Climate Change Cue Cards Flashcards
what is Weather
Atmospheric conditions (temp, precipitation, wind, humidity) in a particular location over a short period of time
what is Climate
it is the usual pattern of weather in a region over a long period of time
what is Altitude
the height above sea level
what is Latitude
the distance from the equator
what is Temperature
the measure of warmth and coldness of an object, substance or place
what is Thermal expansion of water
the process when water level rises as the global temperature increases
what is Greenhouse Gases
a greenhouse gas is a gas which absorbs and emits radiant energy (heat)
what is Fossil Fuels
a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed from remains of living organisms over a long period of time
what is Ozone
has a strong, sharp odour, It is a highly reactive (strong oxidizer)
what is Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC)
a compound containing carbon, chlorine and fluorine which is harmful to the ozone layer.
what is Carbon “sink”
an ocean, forest or other natural environment that absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
what is Carbon “footprint”
a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide produced by an individual, organization or location over a period of time
what is Greenhouse gas effect
when heat from the sun gets trapped into the atmosphere because of gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and water vapour
what is CO2
chemical name for carbon dioxide, makes up 0.0400% (400pmm) of the atmosphere but causes up to a quarter of the natural greenhouse effect
what is Methane (CH4)
1 molecule of methane can absorb way more thermal energy than CO2
what is Nitrous Oxide (NO2)
Is more than 300x more effective than CO2
what is Effects of Climate change (give 5)
- the melting of ice sheets and glaciers
- Intense summer weather
- Droughts affecting crops
- Water level rising because of thermal expansion
- Increase in temperature
what is Proxy Record
sources of climate information from natural archives (ice cores) to estimate what climate was like in the past
what is Feedback Loop
is the equivalent of a vicious or virtuous circle – something that accelerates or decelerates a warming trend
what is Mountain Pine Beetle
are a species of beetles found in the forests of Western North America. They attack and kill pine trees causing a positive feedback loop in the increase of temperature
what is Ice core
a sample removed from an ice sheet or high mountain glacier. These samples contain ice formed in the past and are used for proxy records
what is Anthropogenic
carbon dioxide caused by human activity such as the burning of fuel and land use
