Climate Change Drivers Overview

Isobars

Lines connecting areas with the same air pressure on weather maps

Pressure Gradient Force

Force responsible for initiating air motion, proportional to pressure gradient

Coriolis Force

Force deflecting winds to the right in NH, left in SH, increases with latitude and wind speed

Geostrophic Wind

Frictionless wind parallel to isobars, balanced by PGF and CF

Surface Winds

Frictional winds blowing obliquely across isobars towards lower pressure

Anticyclone

High-pressure system with descending air, clear skies, and fair weather

Cyclone

Low-pressure system with ascending air, stormy weather, and precipitation

Wind Direction Reporting

Wind direction is reported as the direction from which the wind blows

Synoptic Scale

Weather systems like cyclones, hurricanes, and air masses, 100 - 10,000 km in size

Mesoscale

Weather systems like thunderstorms and sea breezes, 1 - 100 km in size

Microscale

Weather systems like tornadoes, covering a very small area, 0.001 - 1 km in size

Three Cell Circulation Model

Idealized model with Polar, Ferrel, and Hadley cells regulating global atmospheric circulation

Jet Stream

Narrow corridors of strong winds at high altitudes, forms at cell boundaries

Convergence Zones

Areas where air converges, leading to ascending air, cloud development, and precipitation

Divergence Zones

Areas where air diverges, leading to descending air, compression, and fair weather

Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

Belt of low surface air pressure where air converges, leading to cloud development and precipitation

Subtropical High

Belt of high surface air pressure where air diverges, leading to fair and dry weather

Polar Cell

Cell in the three-cell circulation model, regulating circulation near the poles

Ferrel Cell

Cell in the three-cell circulation model, regulating circulation in mid-latitudes

Hadley Cell

Cell in the three-cell circulation model, regulating circulation in the tropics

Easterly Trade Winds

Planetary-scale winds in the easterly belt in each hemisphere

Midlatitude Westerly Winds

Planetary-scale winds in the midlatitude westerly belt in each hemisphere

Polar Easterlies

Planetary-scale winds in the polar easterly belt in each hemisphere

Atmospheric Circulation

Maintained by planetary-scale winds splitting into easterly trade winds, midlatitude westerlies, and polar easterlies

Jet Stream Strength

Strongest in winter due to high north-south temperature contrast, weakens in summer

Zonal flow

West-to-east airflow component of the weaving westerlies

Meridional flow

North-south airflow component of the weaving westerlies

Blocking pattern

Cutoff low or high disrupting normal weather movement

Arctic Amplification

Arctic warming twice as fast as the Northern Hemisphere

Extratropical cyclones

Develop when warm air overrides cold air masses

Gyres

Large rotating ocean current systems

Western Boundary Current

Fast, warm ocean current on the west basin side

Ekman Spiral

Surface water movement at a 45° angle to wind

Coastal upwelling

Ekman transport brings nutrient-rich water to the surface

Coastal downwelling

Ekman transport sinks warm, nutrient-deficient surface water

Pycnocline

Zone of rapid density change separating surface from deep water

Thermohaline circulation

Deep-ocean circulation driven by temperature and salinity

AMOC

Northward warm flow and southward cold flow in the Atlantic

ENSO

El Niño Southern Oscillation causing global weather variations

Walker Circulation

Air pressure-driven circulation in the tropical Pacific

El Niño

Period of weakened air pressure gradient across the tropical Pacific, causing various climate effects

La Niña

Period of strong trade winds and opposite oceanic conditions compared to El Niño

ENSO Index

Measurement based on six variables in the tropical Pacific to characterize El Niño and La Niña

Teleconnection

Linkage between atmospheric circulation changes in distant regions, influencing global climate

Ocean as a Carbon Sink

Process where the ocean absorbs carbon through biological and chemical means, impacting marine ecosystems

Sea-Level Rise

Increase in sea level due to global warming, melting ice, and thermal expansion of seawater

Global Radiative Equilibrium

Balance between energy entering and leaving Earth's climate system, affecting climate state

Drivers of Climate Change

Factors altering global radiative equilibrium, including solar fluctuations, volcanic eruptions, and human activities

External Factors

Influences on climate such as solar changes, orbital variations, and volcanic eruptions

Milankovitch Cycles

Regular variations in Earth's movements affecting climate over long periods

Volcanoes

Natural events that release sulfur dioxide and aerosols affecting climate equilibrium

Feedbacks

Processes amplifying or dampening climate changes caused by natural or human drivers

Ice-Albedo Feedback

Positive feedback mechanism accelerating sea ice melting and warming in the Arctic

Methane Biogeochemical Cycles

Processes involving methane production from organic material, contributing to climate feedback

Biogeochemical Cycles

Natural processes involving the exchange of carbon and other elements in ecosystems

Aerosols

Tiny particles in the atmosphere influencing albedo, cloud formation, and overall cooling effects

Black Carbon

Aerosol consisting of soot that absorbs solar radiation, contributing to warming

Keeling Curve

Record of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, indicating human impact on climate