D4.3 - climate change Flashcards
anthropogenic
originating in human activity
climate change
long term changes in patterns of temperature and precipitation
bud setting
process where a plant uses current stores of energy to prepare leaves and flowers for the next season
budburst
when a leaf or flower petal unfolds
carbon sequestration
removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it as carbon
causation
indicates that one event is the result of another event occuring
correlation
statistical way of describing relationships between factors from the extent at which they change together at a constant rate
landfast
attached to the shore or land
permafrost
permanently frozen layer of soil under the Earth’s surface
photoperiod
number if hours the sun shines in a day
temperate
a region characterised by mild temperatures
what is the relationship between greenhouse gases and temperature?
correlation between rising concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane since the start of the industrial revolution and rising global temperatures
what is the enhanced greenhouse effect?
- UV light (shortwave) passes from the sun through the atmosphere where it is absorbed by the earth
- Infrared radiation (long-wave) is emitted back out
- Greenhouse gases absorb the infrared waves and re-emit this back into the Earth
how have humans increased the concentration of carbon dioxide and methane?
carbon dioxide - combustion of fossil fuels
methane - cattle and rice agriculture
what evidence is there for correlation of climate change?
Antarctic ice core data shows a positive correlation between temperature and carbon dioxide concentration over thousands of years
what evidence is there for causal links of climate change?
setting up bottles with different carbon dioxide concentrations and measuring temperature change inside the bottles when a light is applied