Climate flashcards

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What is meant by “Solar angle” in this lesson?Climate drivers: The angle of sunlight affects how incoming energy is distributed over a surface.
What is meant by “Albedo” in this lesson?Climate drivers: Albedo is the fraction of incoming radiation a surface reflects.
What is meant by “Greenhouse effect” in this lesson?Climate drivers: Greenhouse gases absorb and emit infrared radiation, influencing surface and lower-atmosphere temperature.
What is meant by “Ocean influence” in this lesson?Climate drivers: Ocean heat storage and transport affect regional temperature and moisture patterns.
What is meant by “Elevation influence” in this lesson?Climate drivers: Elevation affects air pressure and often temperature, interacting with regional conditions.
What is meant by “Orbital variation” in this lesson?Climate drivers: Changes in Earth's orbit and orientation alter the distribution of sunlight over long timescales.
What is meant by “Instrument record” in this lesson?Climate records: Instrument records contain measurements made with devices such as thermometers and rain gauges.
What is meant by “Climate proxy” in this lesson?Climate records: A proxy is an indirect indicator related to past climate conditions.
What is meant by “Ice-core record” in this lesson?Climate records: Ice cores preserve layered ice and trapped gases that constrain past atmospheric conditions.
What is meant by “Baseline period” in this lesson?Climate records: A baseline period supplies the reference used to calculate anomalies.
What is meant by “Trend versus variability” in this lesson?Climate records: A long-term trend can coexist with shorter-term fluctuations.
What is meant by “Multiple lines of evidence” in this lesson?Climate records: Independent records strengthen interpretations when their limitations and patterns are considered together.
What is meant by “Anthropogenic forcing” in this lesson?Human influences and uncertainty: Human activities alter climate drivers, including greenhouse gases, aerosols, and land use.
What is meant by “Natural forcing” in this lesson?Human influences and uncertainty: Volcanic activity and solar variation can influence climate without human initiation.
What is meant by “Attribution” in this lesson?Human influences and uncertainty: Attribution evaluates contributions of different causes to observed climate changes.
What is meant by “Climate model” in this lesson?Human influences and uncertainty: A climate model represents physical processes to investigate system behavior and possible changes.
What is meant by “Scenario versus prediction” in this lesson?Human influences and uncertainty: A scenario explores outcomes under specified assumptions rather than guaranteeing one future pathway.
What is meant by “Risk and uncertainty” in this lesson?Human influences and uncertainty: Uncertainty ranges inform climate risk assessment rather than proving an absence of risk.