Paper 1: Climate change Flashcards
Quaternary period
current period of Earth’s history
climate
average temp and precipitation over a long period of time
weather
atmospheric conditions at one time period
climate change
-change in climatic patterns across globe
-average temp rise + change in rainfall patterns
solar output
energy given out by sun
orbital change
-when earth’s orbit temporarily changes from a circle to an ellipse
fossil fuel
-found under Earth’s surface
used for gas + electricity
deforestation
cutting down of trees on a large scale
agriculture
-farming
-arable (crops)
-or cattle
arable farming
crops
subsistence farming
growing crops and raising livestock sufficient only for one’s own use
sea level rise
higher volume of water in ocean due to glacial melt or thermal expansion
glacial melt
ice caps or sheets melting
thermal expansion
warm water particles take up more space than cooler particles
famine
shortage of food for a long period of time
-often coincides with drought
drought
when fresh water supplies dry up