Climate Change

Albedo

The reflectivity of a surface; higher albedo surfaces, like ice, reflect more solar radiation, leading to cooling.

Anthropogenic

Caused by human activities.

Archean Eon

A geological eon from 4.0 to 2.5 billion years ago, characterized by the early evolution of life, a reducing atmosphere, and warmer temperatures despite a fainter sun.

Carbon Cycle

The biogeochemical cycle by which carbon circulates between the atmosphere, oceans, biosphere, and lithosphere.

Climate Forcing

A factor that influences Earth's climate system, either externally (e.g., solar radiation) or internally (e.g., volcanic eruptions).

Climate Feedback

A process that amplifies (positive feedback) or diminishes (negative feedback) the effects of climate forcing.

Cryogenian Period

A geological period within the Neoproterozoic Era, marked by several severe global glaciations, potentially resulting in a 'Snowball Earth.'

Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) Events

Abrupt warming events during the last glacial period, characterized by rapid temperature increases over decades.

Eccentricity

The degree to which Earth's orbit deviates from a perfect circle, influencing the amount of solar radiation received over a year.

Greenhouse Effect

The trapping of heat in the Earth's atmosphere by gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor.

Heinrich Events

Episodes of massive iceberg discharges into the North Atlantic during the last glacial period, causing climate disruptions.

Holocene Epoch

The current interglacial period, spanning the last 11,700 years.

Hydrolysis

A chemical weathering process that removes atmospheric CO2 by reacting silicate minerals with carbonic acid, forming carbonates and releasing ions.

Ice Core

A core sample drilled from a glacier or ice sheet, containing layers of ice that preserve information about past atmospheric composition and temperature.

Interglacial Period

A warmer period between glacial periods, characterized by retreating ice sheets and higher sea levels.

Milankovitch Cycles

Cyclical variations in Earth's orbital parameters (eccentricity, obliquity, precession) that influence the amount and distribution of solar radiation, affecting long-term climate patterns.

Obliquity

The tilt of Earth's rotational axis, influencing the intensity of seasons.

Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM)

A period of abrupt global warming about 55 million years ago, possibly triggered by the release of methane hydrates, leading to significant environmental changes.

Phanerozoic Eon

The current geological eon, spanning the last 541 million years, characterized by the evolution and diversification of complex life forms.

Pleistocene Epoch

The first epoch of the Quaternary Period, spanning from 2.58 million to 11,700 years ago, characterized by glacial-interglacial cycles.

Precession

The wobble of Earth's rotational axis, affecting the timing of the seasons relative to Earth's position in its orbit.

Proxy Data

Indirect sources of climate information from natural archives like tree rings, ice cores, and sediments.

Quaternary Period

The current geological period, spanning the last 2.58 million years, encompassing the Pleistocene and Holocene Epochs, characterized by significant climate fluctuations.

Radiative Forcing

The difference between incoming and outgoing energy radiation at the top of the atmosphere, influencing Earth's energy balance and climate.

Snowball Earth

A hypothetical state where Earth's surface was entirely or nearly entirely frozen, potentially occurring during the Neoproterozoic Era.

Thermohaline Circulation

The global ocean circulation driven by density differences caused by temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline) variations.

Younger Dryas

A brief return to glacial conditions that interrupted the deglacial warming trend at the end of the last glacial period, possibly caused by disruptions to the thermohaline circulation.