Earth's Changing Climate - VOCAB

Vocabulary set for the Earth's Changing Climate Unit

Absorb

to take in

atmosphere

the mixture of gases surrounding a planet

carbon dioxide

a molecule made of carbon and oxygen atoms

change

when something becomes different over time

claim

a proposed answer to a question about the natural world

climate

general weather patterns over a long period of time

climate change

changes in climate over a long period of time that can be caused by natural events or human activities

combustion

the process of burning fuels, which produces carbon dioxide

data

information collected in an investigation

deforestation

the process of clearing trees from land

energy

the ability to make things move or change

eruption

the sudden pushing out of something, such as lava from a volcano

evidence

information about the natural world that is used to support or go against (refute) a claim

fluctuation

variations in a set of data

human activities

things people do that affect the Earth system

lux

a measure of how much light is present

methane

a molecule made of carbon and hydrogen atoms

model

an object, diagram, or computer program that helps us understand something by making it simpler or easier to see

reasoning

the process of making clear how your evidence supports your claim

redirect

to send to a new or different place

reflect

to bounce off without absorbing

scientific argument

a claim supported by evidence

stability

when something stays mostly the same over time

sulfur dioxide

a molecule made of sulfur and oxygen atoms

temperature

a measure of how hot or cold something is

the Earth system

the living and nonliving components of Earth, including the water, land, and atmosphere

trend

overall tendency (for example, a consistent increase) in a set of data over time

volcano

a mountain that has an opening in the land where gas, lava, and/or ash is pushed out