Unit 2 - Global climate (Geography)

Adaptation

Adaptation

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

Albedo

The amount of solar energy reflected back into the atmosphere by the Earth’s surface

Anthropogenic

Human-related processes and/or impacts

The enhanced greenhouse effect

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

Global warming

The increase in temperatures around the world that have been noticed since the 1960s, and in particular since the 1980s

The greenhouse effect

The process by which certain gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)) allow short-wave radiation from the sun to pass through the atmosphere and heat up the Earth, but trap an increasing proportion of long-wave radiation from the Earth. This radiation from the Earth. This radiation leads to a warming of the atmosphere

Mitigation

Attempts to reduce the causes of climate change

Resilience

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

Troposphere

Most weather processes take place here; fall in temperature with height as atmosphere thins

Stratosphere

Lacks dust and water vapor; stable; thin; increase in temperature with height is due to absorption of solar radiation

Mesosphere

Temperatures decrease because decreasing density prevents the absorption of energy

Thermosphere

A virtual vacuum; rise in absorbed energy due to energized short-wave radiation

Radiation

The emission of electromagnetic waves such as X-rays, short waves and long waves; as the Sun is a very hot body, radiating at a temperature of about 5,700 degrees, most of its radiation is in the form of very short wavelengths such as ultraviolet and visible light

Convection

The transfer of heat by the movement of gas or liquid

Conduction

The transfer of heat by contact

Negative feedback loop

Reduces the effect of change and helps maintain balance

Positive feedback loop

Increases the effect of the change and produces instability