EAR 111 Test 1

Climate

broad composite
of the average condition of a region, measured by its
temperature, amount of rainfall or snowfall, snow
and ice cover, wind direction and strength, and other
factors.

weather

short term changes in atmospheric conditions in a specific area

Fahrenheit

developed by the German physicist Gabriel Fahrenheit, measures temperatures , with
the freezing point of water at sea level set at 32 F and the boiling point at 212 F.

Celsius

the
scale set so that the freezing point of water is 08C and the
boiling point of water is 1008C.

Kelvin

This scale is divided into units of Kelvins (not degrees
Kelvin). The lowest point on the Kelvin scale (absolute
zero, or 0K) is the coldest temperature possible, the tem-
perature at which motions of atomic particles effectively
cease. The Kelvin scale does not have negative tempera-
tures because no temperatures colder than 0K exist

resolution

a recorded change in the amount of detail
that can be retrieved from climatic records

Earth system

many parts of Earth’s climate system are intercon-
nected, and that investigators of climate must look at
all of the parts in order to understand the whole.

climate science

study of the Earth’s climate system

plate tectonics,

the idea of different plates which slow
motions of the continents across Earth’s surface
through time, as well as associated phenomena such
as volcanoes, earthquakes, and mountain ranges.

forcing

refers to those factors that drive or cause changes; the
responses are the resulting climatic shifts

evolution

Understanding of the
origin of the long sequence of life-forms that have
appeared and disappeared during the history of this
planet that they evolve from each other. Developed by Darwin and other scientists

hypothesis

An explanation of observations based on
physical principles.

theory

A hypothesis that has survived repeated testing

response

Any change in the climate system caused by a
change in climate forcing.

anthropogenic forcing

All human-related factors that
cause climate change

greenhouse gases

Gases such as water vapor (H 2Ov),
carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4), which trap
outgoing infrared radiation emitted by Earth’s surface
and warm the atmosphere.

response time

The time required for a climatic response to
move a defined fraction of the way from its existing value to
the value it would hold at its full equilibrium response.

radiation

Electromagnetic energy that drives Earth’s cli-
mate system. Ultraviolet and visible radiation emitted by
the Sun affects climate on Earth, which emits infrared
back radiation to space.

equilibrium

A state of climatic stability toward which
the climate system is moving and at which it will eventu-
ally remain unless disturbed.

feedbacks

A process internal to Earth’s climate system
that acts either to amplify changes in climate (positive
feedback) or to moderate them (negative feedback).

positive feedback

feedbacks which amplify climate processes

negative feedback

feedback which suppress climate processes

feedback factor

strengths of feedback on a measurement, like temperature

acid rain

Acidic rainwater produced when various acids, includ

ing sulfuric acid produced from S02 oxidation, combine with

natural rainwate

anthropogenic

human induced

atmosphere

a thin envelope of gases

that surrounds Earth

biodiversity

the number of species present in a given area.

biota

include all living organ

isms

chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

synthetic compounds containing chlorine, fluorine, and

carbon.

core

center off any planet or of the

Sun is the central part. Earth's core is a dense mixture of

metallic iron and nickel and is part solid, part liquid.

crust

the thin, outer layer, which consists of light, rocky

matter in contact with the atmosphere and hydrosphere.

cryosphere

the ice system

deforestation

the clearing of forest

deuterium

an isotope of hydrogen that has both a proton and a neu

tron in its nucleus.

Earth system

is composed of four parts: the atmosphere, the hy

drosphere, the biota, and the solid Earth

fossil fuels

Fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas that are

formed from the partially decomposed organic remains of organ

isms, concentrated in sedimentary rocks.

Gaia hypothesis

the idea that Earth is a self-regulating system in which the biota play an integral role

glacial period

a period which ice sheets advanced across

North America and Europe,

global warming

What is happening to Earth's atmosphere is due to an an

anthropogenic enhancement of the greenhouse effect

greenhouse effect

warming effect created by greenhouse gases

greenhouse gases

gases that warm a

planet's surface by absorbing outgoing infrared radiation

radiant heat-and reradiating some of it back toward the

surface.

hydrosphere

composed of the

various reservoirs of water, including ice.

interglacial period

such as the present, in which the ice

sheets retreated.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

UN organization which monitors climate change

isotopes

an atom with a different number of neutrons

K-T boundary

stands for the transition between two time intervals: the

Cretaceous period, abbreviated as "K" (to distinguish it

from the Cambrian period, abbreviated as "C"), and the

Tertiary period, abbreviated as "T."

latent heat

released energy

luminosity

brightness, usually of a star

mantle

a thick, rocky layer between the core and crust

that represents the largest fraction of Earth's mass.

mass extinction

the dying out of many species within a geologically

short time interval

nuclear fusion

the joining of two or more light

atomic nuclei to form one heavier nucleus, how the sun produced energy

ozone (03)

is a form of oxygen that is much less abundant than, and chem

ically unlike, the oxygen that we breathe

ozone hole

a hole over Antarctica, a patch of extremely

low ozone concentration in the ozone layer, is almost cer

tainly anthropogenic in origin.

ozone layer

a chemically dis tinct region within the stratosphere, part of the atmos

pher, protects Earth's surface from the

Sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation.

photosynthesis

organisms such as green plants use sun

light, C02, and H20 to produce organic matter and Oz.

(Organic matter is the carbon-rich material of which organ

isms are composed.)

sediments

layers of unconsolidated material that is transported by

water or air.

solid Earth

rocks, or consolidated mix

tures of crystalline materials called minerals, and all un

consolidated rock fragments. It is divided into three parts:

the core, mantle, and crust

stratosphere

where most of Earth's ozone is lo

cated, is a layer of the atmosphere that extends from about 10

to 50 km in altitude.

system

is a group of components that interact.

trace gases

gases that are present in the at

mosphere in very low concentrations,