APEX APES 9.2.6 Read (Raven 9th Edition) Global Climate Change

emissions scenario

In climate modeling, assumptions about the amounts, rates, and mix of greenhouse gases in the future.

greenhouse gas

A gas that absorbs infrared radiation; examples include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and tropospheric ozone, all of which are accumulating in the atmosphere as a result of human activities, thereby increasing Earth's temperature.

parts per million (ppm)

The number of molecules of a particular substance found in one million molecules of air, water, or some other material.

infrared radiation

Electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light but shorter than that of radio waves.

radiative forcing

The capacity of a gas to affect the balance of energy that enters and leaves Earth's atmosphere.

greenhouse effect

The increase of heat in a system where energy enters (often as light), is absorbed as heat, and is released some time later.

enhanced greenhouse effect

The increasing accumulation of heat in Earth's atmosphere as a consequence of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.

aerosol effect

Atmospheric cooling that occurs where and when aerosol pollution is the greatest.

albedo

The proportional reflectance of Earth's surface.

negative feedback system

A system in which a change in some condition triggers a response that counteracts, or reverses, the changed condition.

preindustrial CO2 level

The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere before large-scale use of fossil fuels began in the 1800s.

polar vortex

The phenomenon in which, during winter, cold air from the poles moves toward the equator in irregular patterns.

thermal expansion

The phenomenon in which water expands in volume as its temperature increases above 2°C.

permafrost

Permanently frozen subsoil characteristic of frigid areas such as the tundra.

mitigation

In environmental management, methods or processes that reduce the effects of pollution that has been released.

adaptation

In environmental management, preparatory actions that help humans tolerate the effects of changing climate.

carbon management

The separation and capture of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere per unit of energy produced.

carbon capture and storage (CCS)

The placement of carbon that has been produced when generating usable energy from fossil fuels into some sort of permanent storage; also called carbon sequestration.

geoengineering

Controversial techniques proposed to mitigate climate change; examples include seeding the ocean with iron to allow more carbon to be taken up by algae and ejecting sulfur particles into the atmosphere to reflect sunlight.

Kyoto Protocol

An international treaty stipulating that highly developed countries must cut their emissions of CO2 and other gases that cause climate change by an average of 5.2% by 2012.

If natural causes cannot explain the increase in mean annual global temperatures since the 1900s, what do scientists say is the most plausible explanation?

The most plausible explanation for global warming is human-produced air pollutants.

What is the IPCC, and what does it do?

The IPCC is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It reviews published scientific literature and provides scientific statements and reports about climate change.

What are greenhouse gases, and what kinds of human activities increase their concentration in the atmosphere?

A greenhouse gas is a gas that absorbs infrared radiation. Examples include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and tropospheric ozone. Burning fossil fuels and land conversion (due to decomposition of organic matter and other processes that give off greenhouse gases) increase the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

What are two ways that clearing forestland by burning the vegetation leads to an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

Burning the vegetation releases carbon dioxide. Killing trees and other kinds of vegetation also reduces the capacity of the biosphere to remove atmospheric carbon dioxide through photosynthesis.

What are the greenhouse effect and the enhanced greenhouse effect, and how do they differ?

The greenhouse effect is the increase in heat in a system when energy enters (often as light), is absorbed as heat, and is released some time later. The enhanced greenhouse effect is the increasing accumulation of heat in Earth's atmosphere as a consequence of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. One difference is that the enhanced greenhouse effect is specifically a result of human activities.

What is the aerosol effect, and why does it complicate the study of global warming?

The aerosol effect is atmospheric cooling that occurs where and when aerosol pollution is the greatest. The aerosol effect makes it difficult to predict the rate and extent of global climate change because aerosol pollution has the opposite effect.

What does the IPCC "business as usual" scenario project atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide to be in 2050?

The scenario projects atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide to double by 2050.

What is the polar vortex, and how might global climate change affect it?

The polar vortex is the phenomenon in which, during winter, cold air from the poles moves toward the equator in irregular patterns. Global warming can cause the polar vortex to significantly reduce temperatures at middle latitudes, resulting in unusually cold winters in those regions.

What are two reasons that sea levels rise?

Sea levels rise due to thermal expansion, because water expands when it warms. Sea levels also rise when ice at the poles and within mountain glaciers melts and releases water into oceans.

What is permafrost, and what problems result from it thawing?

Permafrost is permanently frozen subsoil characteristic of frigid areas such as the tundra. When permafrost thaws, the plants, trees, and buildings that are supported by it lose their foundation and sink into the ground or fall over.

What are the projected effects of global climate change on precipitation patterns?

Some areas are projected to receive less rain and experience drought, while other areas are projected to receive more rain and experience flooding. Severe storms such as hurricanes are projected to be stronger and more damaging.

What have been the effects of global climate change on organisms?

Many kinds of plants are experiencing earlier flowering and leafing-out times, which affects animal species that depend on them. Zooplankton populations are in decline, which causes other populations within aquatic food webs to decline as a result. Many species are shifting their geographic ranges, and other species are changing their migration patterns.

What two factors associated with climate change have an impact on corals?

Corals are affected by the temperature increase of ocean water and by acidification of ocean water as more carbon dioxide dissolves in it.

What have been the effects of global climate change on human health?

Heat waves associated with global warming have caused human deaths, and the expansion of mosquitoes and other disease carriers into new areas have brought health risks to areas that did not experience them before.

Which aspects of global climate change could affect agriculture, and how?

Rise in sea level could flood agricultural land near coastlines. Other areas could experience more drought and a decrease in soil moisture. Changing nighttime temperatures can affect the lifecycles of certain crops. Grazing animals might be affected by the change in species of plants that can survive in pastureland.

How do highly developed countries and developing countries differ in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases they produce?

Rate of production of greenhouse gases is higher in developed countries, but it is increasing more rapidly in developing countries.

What is the difference between mitigation and adaptation?

In environmental management, mitigation involves methods or processes that reduce the effects or pollution that has been released, while adaptation involves preparatory actions that help humans tolerate the effects of changing climate.

What is carbon sequestration, and what are two types of proposals for implementing it?

Carbon sequestration is placing carbon that has been produced when generating usable energy from fossil fuels into some sort of permanent storage. Some proposals involve generating electricity at a fixed location and capturing the carbon dioxide produced there. Other proposals involve planting and maintaining forests that will take up carbon dioxide through photosynthesis.

What is geoengineering, and why is it controversial?

Geoengineering involves techniques proposed to mitigate climate change, such as seeding the ocean with iron to allow more carbon to be taken up by algae and ejecting sulfur particles into the atmosphere to reflect sunlight. It is controversial because people cannot predict whether geoengineering efforts will succeed and whether they might also cause unintended consequences.

What are climate change refugees, and where are they generally found?

Climate change refugees are people forced by climate change to abandon their homes. Such refugees have homes in coastal areas that are at risk during storm surges.

What is the UNFCCC, and what was its goal?

The UNFCCC is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Its goal was to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at levels low enough to prevent dangerous human influences on climate.

What was the Kyoto Protocol, and what did it do?

The Kyoto Protocol was an international treaty stipulating that highly developed countries must cut their emissions of CO2 and other gases that cause climate change by an average of 5.2% by 2012. It was a legally binding treaty developed in 1997 that provided operational rules on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.