Climate Glossary

Question 1

Climate change

Answer 1

any long-term trend or movement in climate detected by a sustained shift in the average value for any climatic element (for example, rainfall, drought, hurricanes).

Question 2

Greenhouse gases

Answer 2

The atmospheric gases that absorb infrared radiation and make world temperatures much warmer than they would otherwise be

Question 3

External forcing

Answer 3

processes that impact the earth’s climate system that originate from outside the climate system itself. Eg solar variations

Question 4

global dimming

Answer 4

suspended particulate matter in the air that reflects solar energy back into space and has a net cooling effect. Can happen from natural events like volcanic eruptions but also pollution

Question 5

Permafrost

Answer 5

Ground or soil that stays a temps below 0 celsius for at least 2 consecutive years

Question 6

Albedo

Answer 6

amount of incoming solar energy reflected back into the atmosphere by the earth’s surface

Question 7

Carbon footprint per capita

Answer 7

amount of co2 emissions an average person in a country is responsible for as they go about their daily life

Question 8

Anthropogenic carbon flow

Answer 8

current amount of carbon emissions released by a country annually.

Question 9

Anthropogenic

Answer 9

Human related processes and/or impacts

Question 10

Anthropogenic carbon stock

Answer 10

the total size of the store of anthro carbon emissions released into the atmosphere since 1750 (industrialisation)

Question 11

Deindustrialisation

Answer 11

loss of traditional manufacturing industries in HICs due to relocation elsewhere or closure

Question 12

Renewable energy

Answer 12

Wind, solar, tidal energy that are a result of the flow of energy form the sun

Question 13

El Nino Southern Oscillation

Answer 13

Sustained sea surface temperature anomaly that lasts around 2 to 7 years in the central tropical Pacific ocean

Question 14

Greenhouse effect

Answer 14

the process by which certain gases allow short wave radiation from the sun to pass through the atmosphere and heat up the earth, but trap an increasing proportion of longwave radiation from the earth, leading to warming of the atmosphere

Question 15

Global warming

Answer 15

increase in temperatures around the world, noticed since the 1960s

Question 16

enhanced GG effect

Answer 16

increasing amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to human activity and their impact on the atmospheric systems, including global warming

Question 17

Cryosphere

Answer 17

portions of the earth where water is in solid form

Question 18

Eustatic

Answer 18

worldwide change in sea levels resulting from a warming/cooling climate affecting volume and/or depth of volume in water

Question 19

Biomes

Answer 19

large planetary-scale communities of plants and animals covering vast areas of the earth’s continents

Question 20

Tree line

Answer 20

The boundary between coniferous forest and the tundra biomes

Question 21

Food insecurity

Answer 21

When people cannot grow/buy the food they need to meet basic needs

Question 22

Resilience

Answer 22

The capacity of individuals or organisations to resume with ‘business as usual ‘ after a hazard or system shock

Question 23

Mitigation

Answer 23

Any action that is taken to reduce GHG emissions, helping to slow down and ultimately stop climate change. This can be from multiple stakeholders on different scales. Eg - Citizens switching off a light to govt investing in renewables

Question 24

Adaptation

Answer 24

Any action taken to protect people from the harmful, impacts of climate change but not tackling the underlying problem of climate change

Question 25

Cap and trade

Answer 25

an environmental policy aimed at limiting the use of a natural resource, by identifying the users, splitting a limited amount of resource into shares and allowing users to sell the share if they will not use it directly.

Question 26

Geoengineering

Answer 26

Deliberate, large-scale manipulation of planetary environment to counteract the anthropogenic climate change

Question 27

Vulnerability

Answer 27

the degree to which a human or natural system is susceptible to and unable to cope with the impacts of climate change