Climate System and Variations

A collection of vocabulary flashcards derived from lecture notes on Earth’s climate system and variations.

Climate System

The complex system encompassing Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere, including their interactions over various timescales.

Global Warming

The long-term increase in Earth's average surface temperature due to human activities and greenhouse gas emissions.

Troposphere

The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere where most weather phenomena occur, extending from the surface to about 12 km.

Stratosphere

The atmospheric layer above the troposphere, extending from about 12 km to 50 km and characterized by the presence of ozone.

Greenhouse Effect

The warming of Earth's surface due to atmospheric gases trapping heat from the Sun.

Thermohaline Circulation

Oceanic circulation driven by differences in temperature and salinity.

Biosphere

The part of Earth's system that includes all living organisms and their interactions with the environment.

Cryosphere

The frozen water part of the Earth's system, including ice caps, glaciers, and sea ice.

Hydrosphere

All liquid water on Earth, including oceans, lakes, rivers, and groundwater.

El Niño-Southern Oscillation

A periodic fluctuation in sea surface temperatures and atmospheric conditions in the Pacific Ocean affecting global weather patterns.

Milankovitch Cycles

Long-term climate changes resulting from variations in Earth's orbit and axial tilt affecting solar energy distribution.

Feedback Mechanism

Processes that regulate climate patterns, where an initial change triggers further changes, either amplifying (positive) or dampening (negative) the effect.

Ozone Layer

A region of high ozone concentration in the stratosphere that protects Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Albedo

The measure of reflectivity of Earth's surface; it affects how much solar energy is absorbed or reflected back into space.

Chemical Weathering

The process by which minerals undergo chemical changes when exposed to air and water.

Mass Wasting

The movement of soil and rock down a slope under the influence of gravity.

Sea Ice

Ice that forms from seawater and floats on the ocean surface, important for regulating climate.

Carbon Cycle

The series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment.

Insolation

Incoming solar radiation received by Earth, crucial for understanding energy balance in the climate system.