Pacific Northwest Storyline: Lesson 3-4

ocean acidification

the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere

biomass

the total mass of organisms in a given area or volume.

sequester

isolate or hide away

carbon sequestration

a natural or artificial process by which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and held in solid or liquid form

deforestation

the action of clearing a wide area of trees results in an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide

fossil fuels

coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are ancient remains of plants and animals; using them adds CO2 to the atmosphere

climate change

the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in an area

greenhouse gasses

gases that absorb infrared radiation, trap heat in the atmosphere, and warm the Earth's surface; these gases are carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor

infrared radiation

energy that is emitted by Earth as heat and is trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

empirical evidence

scientific evidence obtained by careful observation and experimentation