Environmental scienceLesson 2 of 2 in the course Ecology and the Biosphere

Climate Change: Evidence, Drivers, and Ecological Effects

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 4 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

This lesson distinguishes short-term weather from long-term climate and introduces global climate change. Keeping these ideas separate helps us interpret unusual weather and understand what evidence can—and cannot—show.

Weather describes atmospheric conditions over a short period, such as the temperature, cloud cover, or rainfall expected over the next day or two. A forecast for a rainy Saturday is about weather.

All flashcards

What is a temperature anomaly?
A departure from a reference temperature or long-term average.
What is the greenhouse effect?
Natural warming that occurs when atmospheric gases absorb and emit thermal radiation.
What is glacier recession?
The retreat or shrinking of glaciers.
What is phenology?
The study of how climatic conditions affect the timing of recurring life-cycle events.
What is a positive feedback loop?
A sequence in which an initial change triggers effects that amplify that change.

Quiz questions

  1. What information can air bubbles trapped in an ice core provide?Answer: Samples of ancient atmospheric composition.
  2. What do Milankovitch cycles describe?Answer: Changes in Earth’s orbit that affect the distribution of received solar energy.
  3. How can volcanic eruptions cause short-term cooling?Answer: Atmospheric particles can reduce the sunlight reaching Earth’s surface.
  4. Which two processes contribute to rising sea levels as described in climate observations?Answer: Melting land ice adds water, and warming seawater expands.
  5. When did the Permian extinction event occur?Answer: About 251 million years ago, near the end of the Permian period.

Based on Biology 2e by Mary Ann Clark, Matthew Douglas, Jung Choi (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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