IB DP Geography Unit 2: Global Climate - Vulnerability and Resilience

Global Warming (Cooke & Nagle)

The increase in temperatures around the world that have been noticed over the last 50 years or so, and in particular since the 1980s.

The Greenhouse Effect (Cooke & Nagle)

The process by which certain gases (water vapour, CO2, methane and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) allow short-wave radiation from the sun to pass through the atmosphere and heat up the earth, but absorb a proportion of long-wave radiation from the earth. This radiation leads to a warming of the atmosphere.

The Enhanced Greenhouse Effect (Cooke & Nagle)

The increasing amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere as a result of human activities, and their impact on atmospheric systems, including global warming.

Insolation (in full form)

Incoming Solar Radiation

Planetary Albedo (Cooke & Nagle)

Reflection from the earth's surface

Global Climate Change (Cooke & Nagle)

The changes in the global patterns in rainfall and temperature, sea level, habitats and the incidence of droughts, floods and storms, resulting from changes in the earth's atmosphere, believed to be mainly caused by the enhanced greenhouse effect.

Atmospheric energy budget

Balance between incoming and outgoing solar radiation

Adaptation

Initiatives and measures to reduce vulnerability of human and natural systems to climate change

Anthropogenic

Human-related processes and/or ipacts

Mitigation

Attempts to reduce the causes of climate change

Resilience

The ability of a population or a human or natural system to absorb change without having to make fundamental change

Vulnerability

The degree to which a human or natural system is susceptible to, and unable to cope with, the adverse impacts of climate change

Radiation

The emission of electromagnetic waves such as X-rays. Higher temperatures have shorter wavelengths

Convection

transfer of heat by the movement of a gas or liquid (fluid)

Conduction

Transfer of heat by contact

Global Dimming

Air pollution from volcanoes and anthropogenic sources that leads to more reflective clouds. More reflective clouds cools the atmosphere

Glacier

A slowly moving mass of ice formed by the accumulation and compaction of snow in mountainous and polar regions

Atmosphere

the envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet

Biosphere

The regions of the surface and atmosphere where organisms are able to live

Hydrosphere

All the waters on the earth's surface and in the atmosphere

Storm surge

a rising of sea levels locally as a result of wind and atmospheric pressure changes associated with a storm.

Exposure

The degree to which people are exposed to climate

Sensitivity

the degree to which people could be harmed from exposure

Adaptive capacity

the degree to which people can mitigate potential harm by taking action to reduce exposure or sensitivity

Kyoto Protocol

Multi national agreement, spanning from 2005 to 2015, where countries were given carbon dioxide quotas (how much they were allowed to emit)

COP21

2015 UN Climate Change Conference held in Paris

Decarbonisation

Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions (usually used for the energy sector) by becoming more energy efficient, reducing carbon dioxide emission per MWh of electricity and fuel shifts (combustion engines to electricity)

Carbon Capture and sequestration (CCS)

Capturing carbon dioxide from the point of emission or the atmosphere and storing it under ground

Carbon taxes

Taxes applied to the burning of fossil fueles

Carbon trading

Permits issued to organisations that produce carbon dioxide can be traded

Carbon offset schemes

Allowing the emission of carbon dioxide but minimising the impact by investing in projects that cut emissions elsewhere e.g. planting trees