Definitions Flashcards
Anomalies
Changes relative to some particular reference period
Climate sensitivity
Change in climate for a given forcing
Climate proxy
A recorded quantity from which some aspect of the climate at a particular time in history can be inferred
Radiative forcing
The change in radiation balance at the top of the atmosphere that results from a change in the climate system, assuming that all other components of the system are unaffected
Climate feedback factor
The ratio of temperature change including feedbacks to the temperature change with no feedbacks
Response
A change in the climate system due to an imposed forcing
Feedback
A response that amplifies or damps the effect of the original forcing
El Niño Southern Oscillation
A continual but irregular cycle of shifts in ocean and atmospheric conditions in the equatorial Pacific with a period of about 4 years (2-7 years)
Aerosol Direct Effect
Scattering and Absorption of solar radiation by the aerosol particles
Detection
Demonstrating that an observed change is significantly different (in a statistical sense) from that which can be explained by natural internal climate variability. It does not imply an understanding of the causes
Attribution
The isolation of cause and effect
Was the Medieval Climate Anomaly global?
No. Europe and the Northern Hemisphere
