Global Climate Change Vocabulary

Flashcards about Global Climate Change

Biosphere

All ecosystems

Atmosphere

Air

Hydrosphere

Water

Lithosphere

Land, also called the geosphere

Biosphere

Zone on earth in which all life exists

Biosphere

All living things are found in the __.

Atmosphere

Gas layer surrounding Earth. It protects life on Earth from harmful radiation and debris from space

Hydrosphere

Contains all water on Earth

Lithosphere

The Earth’s rocky crust (consisting of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks) and soil

Precipitation

Rain, snow, fog, hail

Carbon Cycle

Shows how carbon moves through the biosphere

Nitrogen Cycle

Represents how nitrogen moves through the biosphere

Phosphorus Cycle

Represents how phosphorus moves from the lithosphere to the hydrosphere, through food chains and back

Deforestation

Clearing forests resulting in the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

Mining

Requires land to be cleared, destroying the natural landscape and waste material is produced

CFCs

Were used extensively in refrigeration and aerosols, which resulted in the destruction of the ozone layer

Methane

A greenhouse gas that traps more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide

Climate Patterns

Are the cyclical pattern of seasons, weather conditions, rainfall and temperatures in a region over time.

23.5⁰

The Earth is on a tilt of __ as it orbits around the sun.

Land

During daylight hours, __ absorbs radiant heat from the Sun more quickly than water.

Greenhouse Effect

The maintenance of Earth’s temperatures by these atmospheric gases

Global warming

Observed rise in the average near-surface temperature of Earth

Climate model

Models the circulation of air in the atmosphere and water in the oceans to make predictions about climate change

Biodiversity

Total of all living organisms which make up the web of life on Earth

Genetic Diversity

Variation within a species

Species Diversity

Variety of species on Earth – it includes the number of species and the populations of individuals within each species

Geosequestration

Process that involves separating carbon dioxide from other flue gases in fossil fuel power stations, compressing it and piping it to suitable sites

Carbon sinks

Natural sites that absorb high levels of carbon, and so remove it from the atmosphere

Renewable resources

Energy derived from natural sources that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed.

Afforestation

Involves planting trees in areas that were not previously covered with forests

Reforestation

Focuses on replanting trees in areas where forests used to exist but were lost due to activities like logging or wildfires

Mitigation strategies

Aim to limit the severity of climate change impacts and avoid further damage to ecosystems