global climate change Flashcards
the time during which humans have had a substantial impact on our planet
Anthropocene
The balance of energy coming into Earth (from the sun) and the energy leaving Earth back into space
Terran energy budget
the long-term effects of changes in Earth’s movements on its climate
Milankovitch cycles
the shape of the earths orbit
eccentricity
angle that Earth’s axis is tilted with respect to Earth’s orbital plane
obliquity
the direction that Earth’s spin axis is pointed
precession
the study of the timing and cyclical patterns of events in the natural world, particularly those related to the annual life cycles of plants, animals, and other living things.
phenology
As glaciers move across a landscape, they alter the terrain and carve out unique formations, is responsible for many of the most recognizable landscapes on Earth
glaciation
Cylinders of ice drilled from glaciers and ice sheets that provide direct information about the past climate
Ice cores
Sediment cores collected from the ocean floor that provide indirect information about the past climate
Ocean cores
Global Ice loss
Ubiquitous
Found everywhere
Ubiquitous
the fraction of light that a surface reflects
Albedo
occurs in nature when the product of a reaction leads to an increase in that reaction
Positive feedback loop
melting sea ice exposes more dark ocean, which in turn absorbs more heat and causes more ice to melt
Ice-Albedo feedback loop
