Lecture Notes on Droughts, Heat Waves, Wildfires, and Climate Change

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes about droughts, heat waves, wildfires, and climate change.

Meteorological Drought

A period when rainfall is less than normal for a given week or year.

Agricultural Drought

A period characterized by a lack of soil moisture, often visibly indicated by mud cracks.

Hydrological Drought

A period defined by reduced water flow into lakes and streams.

Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI)

An index that compares water supply from precipitation and reserves with water depletion from evaporation, infiltration, and runoff to visualize drought conditions over time.

Stealth Disaster

A term used to describe drought due to its slow onset and widespread impact, leading to more fatalities and displacement than other natural disasters.

Thermal Balance

The equilibrium where energy produced by the human body equals energy output, essential for maintaining a stable core temperature.

Urban Heat Islands

Areas, typically cities, that experience significantly higher temperatures compared to their suburban or rural surroundings.

Jet Stream Ridge

A broad ridge that may develop in the upper troposphere, blocking cooling air and contributing to heat wave conditions.

Fire Triangle

A model illustrating the three elements needed for a fire to start and sustain itself: oxygen, fuel, and heat.

Spontaneous Combustion

The process by which rotting organic material generates heat, potentially leading to the ignition of wildfires.

Firestorms

Intense fires driven by convergent winds, drawing oxygen-rich air into the fire and spreading through convection, radiation, and firebrands.

Fire Perimeter

The boundary around the flaming area of a wildfire.

Heading Fire

The part of a wildfire that forms on the perimeter and moves in the direction in which the wind blows, spreading fastest.

Backing Fire

The part of a wildfire that forms on the perimeter and moves in the direction from which the wind blows, spreading slowest and weakest.

Flank Fires

The sections of a wildfire that occur between the heading and backing fires.

Clausius-Clapeyron Relation

Describes the relationship between air temperature and its water-holding capacity, indicating that warmer air can hold more moisture.

Water Vapor Deficit

The difference between the actual amount of water in the air and the maximum water-holding capacity of the air at a given temperature.

Societal Feedback Loops

A concept related to economic collapse in the context of hurricanes and flooding.

Global Climate Models (GCMs)

Models used to predict climate changes, including sea-level rise and precipitation distributions, under various emission scenarios.

Permafrost

Ground that remains frozen for at least two consecutive years; thawing contributes to a positive feedback loop in climate change.

Ocean Acidification

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

Coral Bleaching

The process where corals expel algae from their tissues due to stress, causing them to turn white.

Carbon Capture and Sequestration

Technologies used to capture carbon dioxide emissions from sources like power plants and store them underground to prevent their release into the atmosphere.