Global Change - Unit 9

Global Change

Large scale events that cause some sort of change globally

These can occur gradually or rapidly 

Global Warming

Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollutants collect in the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the earth’s surface.

Greenhouse Gases

Various gasses in earths atmosphere that trap heat in the atmosphere. The main gasses responsible for this heat retention are CO2, methane, water vapor, and nitrous oxide. 

Ozone

Ozone is an inorganic molecule with the chemical formula O ₃. It is a pale blue gas with a distinctively pungent smell. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope O ₂, breaking down in the lower atmosphere to O ₂.

Ozone Layer hole

A severe depletion of ozone in a region of the ozone layer, particularly over Antarctica and over the Arctic. The depletion is caused by the destruction of ozone by CFCs and other compounds

CFC’s

• a man-made chemical, created as a stable molecule to deliver other substances via aerosol

UV-A

UV-A radiation makes up 95% of all the UV rays that make it into the earth’s surface. UV-A penetrates deep into our skin and can even pass through glass. UV-A damages your skin resulting in a tan, and is the primary radiation used in tanning beds. It causes almost all forms of skin aging and damages the collagen and elastin in the skin and also generates free radicals.

UV-B

Invisible rays that are part of the energy that comes from the sun. Ultraviolet B radiation causes sunburn, darkening and thickening of the outer layer of the skin, and melanoma and other types of skin cancer.

UV-C

Germicidal UV or also known as Ultraviolet-C (UVC) light is within the electromagnetic spectrum and is absorbed by the earth's ozone layer, and does not reach the ground.

Stratospheric Ozone

Stratospheric ozone is a naturally-occurring gas that filters the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This is typically regarded as 'good' ozone since it reduces the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV-B) radiation.

Polar Vortex

a very large, long-lived, rotating low-pressure system located near the north or south pole, especially in winter.

Montreal Protocol

A global agreement to phase out production of ozone depleting substances to protect the earth's stratospheric ozone layer

Carbon Sequestration 

Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Coral Bleaching

Coral bleaching is the process when corals become white due to loss of symbiotic algae and photosynthetic pigments.

Ocean Acidification

Ocean acidification refers to a reduction in the pH of the ocean over an extended period of time, caused primarily by uptake of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere.

Carbonic Acid

A weak acid formed when carbon dioxide dissolves in water. It helps maintain the balance of acidity in natural waters and rainfall. 

Kyoto protocol

An international treaty which extended the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate change that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Cataracts

A cataract is a clouding of the lens in your eye. The lens is normally clear. When clouding occurs, it keeps light rays from passing through the lens and focusing on the retina. The retina is a thin layer of nerve tissue that lines the inside of the back of the eye and is sensitive to light.

UV Radiation 

Also known as aging rays; longer wavelengths ranging between 320 to 400 nanometers that penetrate deeper into the skin than UVB; cause genetic damage and cell death. UVA contributes up to 95 percent of the sun's ultraviolet radiation

Melanoma

a tumor of melanin-forming cells, typically a malignant tumor associated with skin cancer

Background Extinction Rate

The standard rate of extinction in Earth’s geological and biological history.

The number of species that would be expected to go extinct over a period of time based on non-anthropogenic factors.

Bioaccumulation

Bioaccumulation is a process of accumulation of chemicals in an organism that takes place if the rate of intake exceeds the rate of excretion.

Biomagnification 

Amount of toxins within an animal from ingesting matter that has toxins inside. This could be from vegetative life, other animals, or from water.

Biodiversity hotspots

Relatively small areas of land that contain an exceptional number of endemic species and are at high risk from human activities

Biological Extinction

The dying out of a species.

Endangered Species

A species of animal or plant that is seriously a risk of extinction, either worldwide or in a particular jurisdiction. They may be at risk due to factors such as habitat, loss, poaching, invasive species, and climate change. 

Invasive Species

• an introduced, nonnative organism (disease, parasite, plant, or animal) that begins to spread or expand its range from the site of its original introduction and that has the potential to cause harm to the environment, the economy, or to human health.

Endangered Species Act

This was a law passed to help guarantee that endangered species would be protected under the law. It allowed game wardens and environmental services to designate specific areas as “critical habitats” and this allowed them to be protected and unbothered.

Habitat Fragmentation

Habitat Fragmentation is the division of ecosystems into smaller pieces due to industrialization and urbanization. This results in a loss of biodiversity, habitats, and populations.

HIPPCO

Habitat destruction, Invasive Species, Population growth, Pollution, Climate Change, Overexploitations

Mass extinction 

A wide spread, sharp fall in the diversity and abundance of multicellular organisms

Threatened Species 

any species which is vulnerable to extinction in the near future