Investigating Ocean & Atmospheric Temperature Changes

Permafrost

Permanently frozen ground that remains at or below 0°C for at least two consecutive years, found in polar regions and high mountains.

Methane (CH₄)

A colorless, odorless, flammable gas that is a potent greenhouse gas, approximately 25 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period.

Greenhouse Gas

Any of the atmospheric gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation produced by solar warming of the Earth's surface. They include carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and water vapor.

Climate Feedback Loop

A process that can either amplify or diminish the effects of climate forces. Positive feedback intensifies the original process, while negative feedback reduces it.

Carbon Cycle

The series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment, chiefly involving the incorporation of carbon dioxide into living tissue by photosynthesis and its return to the atmosphere through respiration, the decay of dead organisms, and the burning of fossil fuels.

Thermal Expansion

The tendency of matter to change its shape, area, and volume in response to a change in temperature, typically expansion in response to heating and contraction in response to cooling.

Decomposition

The process by which organic substances are broken down into simpler organic matter, typically involving the breakdown of complex substances into simpler ones by microorganisms.

Climate System

The system, consisting of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere, determining the earth's climate as the result of various interactions and feedbacks.

Global Warming

An increase in Earth’s average surface temperature due to rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)

A colorless, odorless gas produced by burning carbon and organic compounds and by respiration. It is naturally present in air (about 0.03 percent) and is absorbed by plants in photosynthesis.