Global Climate Change

Vocabulary flashcards on Global Climate Change

Climate Change

The overall climate of the planet is changing extremely rapidly due to anthropogenic actions.

Anthropogenic

Actions caused or influenced by humans.

Greenhouse Gases

Gases in the atmosphere that trap heat and contribute to warming.

Cooling Phase

A major period of cooling that the planet has been experiencing for the last 100 million years. overalll however we are in a warm phase of a cool period

Tambora

The eruption of this Indonesian volcano in 1815 led to a "year without summer" in Europe.

Greenhouse Gases

Gases like carbon dioxide, water vapor, ozone, CFCs, and methane that trap heat in the atmosphere.

Methane

A greenhouse gas emitted in lower concentrations than CO2 but is much more powerful.

Parts Per Million (ppm)

A measure of the concentration of a substance in a mixture.

Heat trapping

Trapping heat; methane is approximately 30 times more effective than CO2 at trapping heat over 100 years.

Nitrous Oxide

A powerful greenhouse gas, 264 times stronger than CO2 over short and long periods.

IPCC

A UN body that assesses the science related to climate change.

Sea Ice and Glaciers

The reduction in this is a visible consequence of global warming.

Rising Sea Levels

A result of melting ice and thermal expansion of water.

Ocean Acidification

Becoming more acidic due to the absorption of carbon dioxide.

Albedo

The reflectivity of a surface; reduced when ice melts.

Calcification

Marine animals especially those that use reactions (molluscs, corals) face problems due to ocean acidification.

Increasing Weather Extremes

Examples include floods, droughts, heatwaves, and forest fires.

Drought

A long period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water. despite overall increase in wetness drought remains a major issue

Desertification

The process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.

Movement

Relocating to a more suitable environment in response to climate change.

Toleration

Surviving locally to changing conditions through evolution or adaption. Small species can adapt by using differing microhabitats

Timing Adaptation

Adjustments in the timing of biological events in response to climate change such as frogs breeding earlier, cherry blossoms earlier, great tits laying eggs earlier, oak leaves unfurling earlier

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

The emission of which gas is the biggest contributor to climate change?

Greenhouse effect

The trapping of heat in the Earth's atmosphere by certain gases

Arctic Ice

A significant decrease in this contributes to global warming.

Improper Land Use

Refers to the loss of plants that bind soils, leading to rapid erosion and barren land.

Climate

The long-term average of weather in a specific region.

Weather

Short-term atmospheric conditions in a specific region.

Extinctions

Disappearance of species.

Global Warming

The process that describes the earth's warming from trapped gases.

Ocean acidification

A significant threat to marine ecosystems due to increased CO2 absorption by oceans.

Extreme weather events

Heat waves, heavy rainfall, and extreme sea levels are all examples of this.

Adaptation

The change by species to their environment in order to survive.

Land degradation

A decrease in the quality of land.

Areas at Risk

The limited habitats and isolation that species have on islands makes them vulnerable. on continents. Most threatened species can be found in areas where large human populations are concentrated Species in areas with less pronounced seasonal changes, particularly in the tropics, were found to be the most vulnerable to climate change

Move

Organisms may have to adjust their location to survive climate change.

percentage of temperature increase attributed to greenhouse gas increase

in 2007: >90%, in 2013 >99%