The causes of global climate change Definitions Flashcards
Adaptation
initiatives and measures to reduce the vulnerability of human and natural systems to climate change
Albedo
the amount of incoming solar energy reflected by a surface
Anthropogenic
referring to human-related processes and/or impacts
Enhanced greenhouse effect
the increasing amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, as a result of human activities, and their impact on atmospheric systems(including global warming)
Global warming
the increase in temperatures around the world that have been noticed since the 1960s, and in particular since the 1980s
Greenhouse effect
the process by which greenhouse gases allow short-wave radiation from the sun to pass through the atmosphere and heat up the Earth, but trap an increasing proportion of long-wave radiation from the Earth(this leads to a warming of the atmosphere)
Resilience
the ability of a population or a human or natural system to absorb change without having to fundamentally alter itself
Vulnerability
the degree to which a human or natural system is susceptible to, and unable to cope with, the adverse impacts of climate change
Altitude
the height of a point in relation to sea level
Insolation
the amount of solar radiation that reaches the Earth
Radiation
the emission of electromagnetic waves(e.g. X-rays, short waves. etc.)
Convection
the transfer of heat by the movement of a gas or liquid
Conduction
the transfer of heat by contact
Re-radiation
the process by which the Earth absorbs solar radiation and then emits back into the atmosphere as infrared radiation
Planetary albedo
the amount of incoming solar energy reflected back into the atmosphere by the Earth’s(or another planet’s) surface
Long-wave radiation
the radiation of energy from the Earth(a cold body) into the atmosphere, and, for some of it, eventually into space
Short-wave radiation
high-energy radiation emitted by the Sun
Chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs)
synthetic chemicals that destroy ozone as well as absorbing long-wave radiation
Global dimming
a reduction in the amount of solar radiation(sunlight) reaching the Earth’s surface(caused by air pollution)
Positive feedback loop
a process in which an initial change or effect is amplified by subsequent changes, leading to an increasing response in the same direction
Negative feedback loop
a process in which a change in a system triggers a response that counteracts or dampens that change
Enhanced greenhouse effect
the impact of increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere as a result of human activities
Climate change
long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns
Atmosphere
a mixture of solids, liquids and gases that envelop and are held near to the Earth by gravitational force
Aerosols
small particles suspended in the atmosphere
Latitude
the angular distance north or south from the equator of a point on the Earth’s surface
