Introduction to Climate Change

Vocabulary flashcards defining key terms and facts related to weather, climate, the greenhouse effect, and modern climate change.

Climate

The average weather conditions in a place over 30 years or more (what you expect, like a very hot summer).

Weather

A specific event that happens over a few hours, days, or weeks that can change from minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour, day-to-day, and season-to-season (what you get, like a hot day with pop-up thunderstorms).

Greenhouse Gases

Gases in Earth's atmosphere—including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, and water vapour—that trap heat close to the surface of the Earth.

Natural Greenhouse Effect

The natural process where atmospheric greenhouse gases trap heat close to the surface of the Earth, making it possible to live on Earth.

Climate Change

Long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns; while shifts may be natural, human activities since the 1800s have been the main driver primarily due to burning fossil fuels.

Fossil Fuels

Energy sources like coal, oil, and gas whose burning releases greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, artificially increasing the greenhouse effect.

Global Temperature Increase

The warming of Earth by about $1.1\,^\circ\text{C}$ compared to its average temperature in the late 1800s.

2011-2020

The last decade that was declared the warmest on record.