"Unit 1" Flashcards

Greenhouse Gases (GHG)

Gases that warm the Earth by trapping heat in the atmosphere. Principal GHGs include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O).

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

A principal greenhouse gas; its atmospheric concentrations in 2019 were higher than at any time in at least 2 million years.

Methane (CH4)

A principal greenhouse gas; its concentrations were higher in 2019 than at any time in at least 800,000 years.

Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

A principal greenhouse gas; its concentrations were higher in 2019 than at any time in at least 800,000 years.

IPCC

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.

Radiative Forcing

Human-caused net positive radiative forcing causes an accumulation of additional energy (heating) in the climate system.

Climate Sensitivity

Best estimate of equilibrium climate sensitivity is 3°C with a narrower range compared to AR5.

Earth Overshoot Day

Marks the date when we have used all the biological resources that the Earth can renew during the entire year.

Keeling Curve

A graph that plots the ongoing change in concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere since 1958.

WMO

World Meteorological Organization, which co-created the IPCC in 1988 with the UNEP.

Milankovitch Cycles

Changes in the shape of the Earth's orbit around the sun, the tilt of the Earth's rotation axis, and the wobble of our axis that impacts climate change.

Eccentricity

The elliptical changes in the Earth's orbit around the sun.

Obliquity

The tilt of Earth's axis toward and away from the sun.

Precession

The wobble of Earth's axis toward and away from the sun.

Carbon Cycle

Carbon is stored in the air, water, soil and in living things; Plants take carbon out of the air through photosynthesis; Oceans are a huge reservoir of carbon; Warm water can hold less dissolved CO2 than cold water.

Gigaton

A measurement of carbon, where 1 gigaton = 10^9 tons.

Radiocarbon Dating

The ratio of 14C to 12C decreases as radioactivity decays over time.

Keeling Curve

A curve that demonstrates the rise in atmospheric CO2 since 1980.

PPM

The concentration of carbon dioxide in parts per million.

Carbon Fluxes

The movement of carbon between land, atmosphere, and oceans.

Industrial Revolution

Transition to new manufacturing processes (1760-1840) substituting machines for manual labor, driven initially by steam power from burning fossil fuels.

Greenhouse Effect (Fourier)

Joseph Fourier calculated in 1824 that the Earth would be much colder without an atmosphere, suggesting it acts as an insulator.

Eunice Foote's Experiment

In 1856, Eunice Foote demonstrated that a glass cylinder containing CO2 heated up more than one containing air when exposed to sunlight.

John Tyndall's Discovery

In 1859, John Tyndall discovered that certain gases like H2O, CO2, and CH4 block infrared radiation, affecting heat transmission through the atmosphere.

Svante Arrhenius' Prediction

In 1896, Svante Arrhenius predicted that doubling the CO2 concentration would cause an average temperature increase of about 5°C (9°F).

Albedo

The amount of radiation reflected by a surface, ranging from 0 (no reflection) to 1 (100% reflection).

Radiative Equilibrium

A state where incoming solar energy is balanced by an equal flow of heat to space, resulting in a relatively stable global temperature.

Callendar's Argument

In 1938, Guy S. Callendar argued that the level of carbon dioxide was climbing and raising global temperature.

Hans Suess's Analysis

In 1955, Hans Suess detected an increase of fossil carbon in the atmosphere by analyzing wood samples.

Dave Keeling

Hired by Suess and Revelle in 1958 to measure CO2 levels in the atmosphere, using new precision instrumentation.

IPCC

An intergovernmental panel of the United Nations that assesses the science of climate change.

IPCC Role

To assess scientific, technical, and socioeconomic information relevant to understanding the risk of human-induced climate change.

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

A United Nations body focused on international weather, climate and water resources.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Provides data, tools, and information to help people understand and prepare for climate variability and change.

NASA Eyes on the Earth

Earth observing satellites.

Earth Overshoot Day

The date when we have used all the biological resources that the Earth can renew during the entire year.

The Keeling Curve

A graph that shows the ongoing change in concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere since 1958

Trustworthy Climate Data

Independent, Authoritative, Extensively peer-reviewed, Consensus based, Transparent, Proven track record for honesty

Climageddon

Climate change viewed as a grand challenge

WMO Global Seasonal Climate Update

Global Producing Centres of Long Range Forecasts.