Exam Flashcards
What is atmosphere?
The envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet.
What is hydrosphere?
All the water is on earth surface, such as lakes and seas, and sometimes including water over the earth’s surface, such as clouds.
What is lithosphere?
The rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.
What is biosphere?
All living things.
What is natural greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the earths surface. When the suns energy reaches the earths atmosphere, some of it is re-reflected back to space and the rest is absorbed and radiated by greenhouse gases.
What is carbon, heat sinks?
A reservoir, such as the ocean, that absorb some stores thermal energy.
What are feedback loops?
In climate change a feedback loop is the equivalent of a vicious or virtuous circle something that accelerates or decelerates a warming trend. A positive feedback and accelerates the temperature rise, where as a negative feedback decelerates it
What is latitude
North or south of equator
What is altitude
Above sea level
Factors that affect climate change within proximity to a large body of water
Ocean, coastal, snow squalls over Lake Ontario
Land formations
Mountains
What is the albedo effect
Reflection of sun on earth or ice/snow
A measure of how much of the suns radiation is reflected by Surface
What is El Nino
A reoccurring change in the Pacific wins and ocean currents that brings warm, moist air to the west coast of South America
