The climate change glossaryBy S.M. Enzler MSc
The ability of a system (e.g.ecosystem) to adapt toclimate changeor other environmental disturbances. This may mean moderating potential damages, taking advantage of opportunities or coping with the consequences. In discussions onglobal warmingadaptive capacity often refers to a country. In this case it is currently much lower in developing countries, consequential to poverty. Collection of airborne solid or liquid particles that reside in the air for at least several hours. Aerosols have a typical size between 0,01 and 10 nm. Aerosols may influence climate in two ways: directly through scattering and absorbing radiation, and indirectly through acting as condensation nuclei for cloud formation or modifying the optical properties and lifetime of clouds. The ratio of reflected to incident light; albedo can be expressed as either a percentage or as a fraction of 1. Snow covered areas have a high albedo (up to about 0,9 or 90%) because of their white color, while vegetation has a low albedo (generally about 0,1 or 10%) because of its dark colors and because of the light that is absorbed for photosynthesis. Clouds have an intermediate albedo and are the most important contributor to the earth's albedo. The Earth's aggregate albedo is approximately 0,3. 一个state-of-the-art radar technique that measures global elevation of sea, land or ice surfaces compared to the centre of the earth. Countries that have agreed under theUNFCCCto reduce theirgreenhouse gas发射s。These are both OECD countries and economies in transition. Emissionsof particles or substances resulting from human activities, such as industry and agriculture. 一个rrhenius, Svante Swedish scientist that was the first to claim in 1896 thatfossil fuel combustionmay eventually result in enhancedglobal warming。He proposed a relation between atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and temperature. He found that the average surface temperature of the earth is about 15oC because of the infrared absorption capacity of water vapor andcarbon dioxide。This is called thenatural greenhouse effect。一个rrhenius suggested a doubling of the CO2concentration would lead to a 5oC temperature rise.
一个ttribution of climate change The process of establishing the most likely causes for the detectedclimate changewith some defined level of confidence. The发射sthat would occur without policy intervention. Baseline estimates are needed to determine the effectiveness of emissionsmitigationstrategies. Total mass of living matter within a given unit of environmental area. Also: plant material, vegetation, or agricultural waste used as a fuel or energy source. The part of the earth and its atmosphere in which ecosystems and living organisms exist or that is capable of supporting life. Thebiosphereincludes theatmosphere, land (terrestrialbiosphere) and water (marine biosphere). The total mass of a certain gaseous substance in theatmosphere。 The flow ofcarbonthrough theatmosphere,lithosphere,biosphereandhydrosphere。See thecarbon cyclepage for more information. 一个colorless, odorless, incombustible gas (CO2), formed during respiration, combustion, and organic decomposition and used in food refrigeration, carbonated beverages, inert atmospheres, fire extinguishers, andaerosols。It is the principalanthropogenicgreenhouse gasthat affects the earth's radiative balance. It has aGlobal Warming Potential(GWP) of 1 and is used as the reference gas for GWPs of other greenhouse gases. Shifts or flows ofcarbonover time from one pool to another. The uptake and storage ofcarbon, for example byfossil fuels。 Community Climate System Model version 3. The world's most advancedclimate modelused extensively by organizations to predict the consequences ofclimate change。 Chlorofluorocarbons, compounds containingchlorineandfluorinebonds that have been used as refrigerants before theMontreal Protocol。These compounds have been shown to deplete stratospheric ozone. These compounds can also act asgreenhouse gases。 Investments of developed countries in发射sreducing projects in developing countries to obtain credit to assist in meeting their assigned amounts. The details of the CDM have yet to be negotiated at the international level. The meteorological conditions, including temperature, precipitation, and wind, that characteristically prevail in a particular region. Climate in a wider sense is the state, including a statistical description, of theclimate system。 一个change in the world's climate, persisting for an extended period of time (typically decades or longer).Climate changeoccurs as a result of natural conditions oranthropogenic sourceschanging the composition of theatmosphereor theland use type。 Term introduced by researchers of the National Centre of Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado to clarify the seriousness of climate change to non-climatologists. It means the amount ofclimate changethat will inevitably occur in the coming century as a result ofhuman behaviorin the 20thcentury. 一个n interaction mechanism between processes in theclimate system。一个primary process causes changes in a second process which in turn influences the primary process. A positive feedback intensifies the original process, and a negative feedback reduces it. The result of an attempt to produce a most likely description or estimate of the actual evolution of theclimatein the long term. 一个numerical representation of theclimate systemthat is based on the physical, chemical and biological properties of its components, their interactions and feedback processes and accounts for its known or inferred properties. Aclimate modelis used to studyclimatecharacteristics. Climate models used to be fairly simple, but now there is an evolution towards more complex models with active chemistry and biology. The simulation ofclimateusing computer-based models. 一个description of the response of theclimate systemto发射or concentration scenariosof greenhouse gases andaerosols, orradiative forcingscenarios, often based upon simulations byclimate models。Climate projectionsare subject touncertainty, because they are typically based on assumptions concerning future socio-economic and technological developments that may or may not be realized. Equilibrium change in surface air temperature following a unit change inradiative forcing(°C/Wm-2). According to theIPCCclimate sensitivity refers to the equilibrium change in global mean surface temperature following a doubling of the atmosphericCO2浓度。 一个climate scenario consists of projections of possible climate futures, containing developments ofdriving forces,greenhouse gas发射s, temperature change andsea level rise和他们的主要关系。一个climate changescenario is the difference between a climate scenario and the currentclimate。 The highly complex system consisting of theatmosphere,hydrosphere,lithosphereand thebiosphereand the interactions between them. The evolution of theclimate systemis a consequence of volcanic eruptions, solar variations and anthropogenic alterations, such asland use change。 Mean state and other statistical variations inclimateon alltemporal scalesand空间尺度上beyond that of individual weather events. Variations may be caused by natural internal processes within theclimate systemor by variations in natural oranthropogenicforcing. 一个metric measure used to compare the发射sof variousgreenhouse gasesbased upon theirGlobal Warming Potential(GWP). The concentration ofCO2that would give the same amount ofradiative forcingas the given mixture of CO2and other greenhouse gases. Essentially, they sum the radiative forcing of all trace gases and treat the total forcing as if it comes from anequivalent CO2浓度。 Te enhancement of plant growth as a result of elevatedatmosphericCO2concentrations. Projections ofgreenhouse gasconcentrations derived from发射scenariosand used as input into aclimate modelto computeclimate projections。 Trails of dangerous chemicals left behind in air by aviation. These were shown in 2003 to contribute to thegreenhouse effectandglobal warming。 一个land use changeinduced by removal of forest by humans for various purposes. Land degradation into dry areas caused byclimatic variationsand human activities. This often causes a loss of biological and economic productivity of the land. Processes that enhance desertification are for example soil erosion, deterioration of soil properties and long-term loss of natural vegetation. The process of demonstrating thatclimatehas changed in some defined statistical sense, without providing a reason for that change. Climate scenarioscontain various driving forces ofclimate change, including population growth and socio-economic and technological development. These drivers encompass various future scenarios that might influencegreenhouse gassourcesandsinks, such as the energy system andland use change。 The difference between the maximum and minimum temperature during a day. This unit measures the total amount ofozonein a vertical column above the earth. One DU corresponds to a column ofozonecontaining 2,69 x 1020 molecules per square meter. The number of Dobson Units is the thickness in units of 10-5 m, that the ozone column would occupy if compressed into a layer of uniform density at a pressure of 1013 hPa, and a temperature of 0°C. 一个n ecological community together with its environment, functioning as a unit. The scale of an ecosystem largely depends on the type of study that is conducted and may range from a small number of populations and their environment to the entire earth. Tradable allocation of entitlements by a government to an individual firm to emit a specific amount of a substance. 一个n amount of发射that may not be exceeded legally. The release of gaseous substances, such asgreenhouse gases, into theatmosphere。 Representation of the future development of发射sofgreenhouse gasesbased on a set of assumptions aboutdriving forces和他们的主要关系。 The combined process of evaporation from the earth's surface and transpiration from vegetation. By-products of activities that affect the well-being of people or damage the environment, where those impacts are not reflected in market prices. 一个manifestation of weather which is rare within its statistical distribution on a particular location. By rare one usually means rarer than the 90th percentile. The characteristics of extreme weather vary according to the location. The science and art of cultivating, maintaining, and developing forests.
一个huge mass of ice slowly flowing over a land mass, formed from compacted snow in an area where snow accumulation exceeds melting and sublimation. 一个balance, which implies that globally the amount of incoming solar radiation must on average be equal to the sum of outgoing reflected solar radiation and outgoinginfrared radiationemitted by theclimate system。 The average of the sea temperature in the first few meters of the oceans and the temperature 1,5 m above ground on land surfaces. The warming of the earth's surface, driven by either natural oranthropogenic forces。 GWP,索引描述辐射特征ofgreenhouse gasesrelative to that ofcarbon dioxide(GWP of 1). It represents the time greenhouse gases remain in the atmosphere and their potential to absorbinfrared radiation。 The sun radiates solar energy on earth. The larger part of this energy (45%) is radiated back into space. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere contribute to global warming by adsorption and reflection of atmospheric and solar energy. This natural phenomenon is what we call the greenhouse effect. It is agreed that the greenhouse effect is correlated with global temperature change. If greenhouse gases would not exist earthly temperatures would be below –18oC. 一个lso referred to as GHG. Gases that absorbatmosphericand solarinfrared radiationand reflect it back to earth to increaseglobal warming, causingclimate change。Natural greenhouse gases include water vapor,carbon dioxide,methane,ozoneandnitrous oxide。Past and future anthropogenic emissions of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide enhance global warming. The value of all goods and services produced or consumed within a nation’s borders. Gross Primary Production (GPP)
一个lso referred to as decay constant. The term is used to quantify a first-order exponential decay process. Greenhouse gasescontaining eitherchlorine,bromineorfluorineandcarbon。The chlorine and bromine containing halocarbons are also involved in the depletion of theozonelayer. The waters of the earth's surface as distinguished from those of thelithosphereand theatmosphereand the water vapor in theatmosphere。 为评估Greenho集成模型use Effect. This is one of theclimate modelsapplied for the construction of theIPCC SRES scenarios。 一个erosolsmay lead to an indirect radiative forcing of theclimate systemthrough acting as condensation nuclei or modifying the optical properties and lifetime of clouds. The complex of radical socioeconomic changes starting in the early 18th century. Extensive mechanization of production systems resulted in a shift from home-based hand manufacturing to large-scale factory production. The industrial revolution marks the beginning of a strong increase in the use offossil fuelsresulting in an increase ingreenhouse gasesin theatmosphereand therefore contributed to the enhancedgreenhouse effect。 Radiation emitted by the earth's surface,atmosphereand clouds. Infrared radiation has a distinctive range of wavelengths called a spectrum.Greenhouse gasesstrongly absorb this radiation in the atmosphere, and reradiate some back towards the surface, creating thegreenhouse effect。 Period after 1855 that allowed us to reconstruct temperatures because thermometers were producing reconstructable data. Before 1855proxy indicatorswere used to determine temperatures. Integrated Environmental Assessment The work field that researches causes and impacts of environmental issues and policy measures (solutions) by combining economic, environmental and social sciences. It is a subdivision of the work field of Environmental Systems Analysis. This is a type of Environmental Science that applies many different tools, including environmental models, environmental impact assessment and environmental indicators, to describe and find solutions for environmental problems. Modeling techniqueby which modeling input is estimated from modeling output, rather than vice versa. This is for example used to determine the causes of enhancedgreenhouse gasconcentrations in theatmosphereand for computing atmospheric transport. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the international organization founded by the United Nations that tries to predict the impact of the greenhouse effect according to existingclimate modelsand literature information. The Panel consists of more than 2500 scientific and technical experts from more than 60 countries all over the world. It is therefore referred to as the largest peer-reviewed scientific cooperation project in history. Special Reports on Emission scenarios by theIPCC, containing information on possible future climate developments and consequences for society and the environment.Emissions scenariosare a central component of any assessment ofclimate change。See for more information theIPCC SRES scenariospage. Richer countries have the opportunity to achieve their发射reduction goals, formulated in theKyoto Protocol,国际泳联ncing energy saving projects for poorer countries that have also signed the treaty.
The management practice of a certain land cover type (a set of human actions). Land use may be forest, arable land, grassland, urban area or other. 一个lteration of the management practice on a certain land cover type. Land use changes may influence theclimate systembecause they impactevapotranspirationandsourcesandsinksofgreenhouse gases。 The outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle, approximately 100 km thick. Climate modelthat calculates average atmospheric temperatures and sea levels. It is used byIPCCfor the construction of theSRES scenarios。 The average Relative Sea Level over a period, such as a month or a year, long enough to average out transients such as waves. Term introduced by the British meteorologist Hubert Lamb in 1965, for a period between the 9thand 13thcentury during which it was extremely warm on many locations in and around Europe. Wine was grown in Scandinavia and agriculture was possible on Greenland. This was determined by studyingsnow lines in the mountains and temperatures in deep boreholesand has given us the impression that temperature changes may have occurred before. Geochemist Wallace Broecker thinks that cyclic processes in the oceans cause a warmer period once in every 1500 years. 一个hydrocarbon that is agreenhouse gaswith a global warming potential most recently estimated at 24,5. Methane (CH4) is produced through anaerobic (withoutoxygen) decomposition of waste in landfills, animal digestion, decomposition of animal wastes, production and distribution of natural gas and oil, coal production and incompletefossil fuel combustion。 一个human intervention to reduce thesourcesor enhance thesinksof substances that pollute the environment, for examplegreenhouse gases。 The ratio of the moles of one component of a system to the total moles of all components present. Typical values for long-livedgreenhouse gasesare in the order of mmol/mol (parts per million: ppm) or nmol/mol (parts per billion: ppb). Mole fraction differs from volume mixing ratio, often expressed in ppmv. Protocol on substances that deplete theozonelayer, signed in Montreal in 1987. It controls the consumption and production ofchlorine- andbromine-containing chemicals that destroy stratosphericozone, such asCFCs, methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, and many others. Gases consisting of one molecule of nitrogen and varying numbers of oxygen molecules. Nitrogen oxides are produced in the发射sof vehicle exhausts and in power stations. In theatmosphere, nitrogen oxides can contribute to formation of photochemical ozone (smog) and to thegreenhouse effect。 一个powerfulgreenhouse gaswith a global warming potential of 320. Major sources of nitrous oxide (N2O) include soil cultivation practices, fossil fuel combustion andbiomassburning.
一个n unstable, poisonous allotrope ofoxygen; O3, that is formed naturally in the ozone layer fromatmosphericoxygen by electric discharge or exposure to ultraviolet radiation, also produced in the lower atmosphere by the photochemical reaction of certain pollutants. It is a highly reactive oxidizing agent used to deodorize air, purify water, and treat industrial wastes. It also is agreenhouse gas。 一个rough approximation of currentclimateprocesses on average effects of the larger-scale variables inclimate models。This is done when processes cannot be modeled explicitly, for example when they are much smaller than the computer grid. The process in green plants and certain other organisms by which carbohydrates are synthesized fromcarbon dioxideand water using light as an energy source. Most forms of photosynthesis releaseoxygenas a byproduct. 一个tmospheric compounds that are nogreenhouse gasesbut can enhance greenhouse gas induced processes by contributing to physical or chemical processes regulating greenhouse gas production or destruction rates. Variables that are an indirect measure of some combination ofclimate-related variations back in time. These are used to determine temperature in a time when the thermometer was not yet invented. Examples include tree ring records, characteristics of corals, fraction of melted ice, concentration of salts and acids and the load of pollen trapped in air bubbles. 一个体育rturbation of theglobal radiation balance。This may be human-induced or natural. Sea level measured by a tide gauge with respect to the land upon which it is situated. Component of theclimate systemother than theatmospherethat can store certain quantities of substances, such asgreenhouse gasesandprecursors。Examples are oceans, soils and forests. The process whereby living organisms convert organic matter toCO2, releasing energy and consumingoxygen。 The time needed for theclimate systemor its components to re-equilibrate to a new state. 一个change in global average sea level brought about by volume changes in the world ocean. This may be caused by changes in water density or changes in the total mass of water. 一个ny process, activity or mechanism which removes agreenhouse gas, anaerosolor aprecursorfrom theatmosphere。It is now possible to achieveKyoto emission reduction goalsby planting forests that take up a sufficient amount ofcarbon dioxide发射sin a country. 一个ny process, activity or mechanism which releases agreenhouse gas, anaerosolor aprecursorinto theatmosphere。 Climate may vary on a large range of spatial scales. Spatial scales can be local (less than 100.000 km2), regional (100.000-10.000.000 km2), or even continental (10-100.000.000 km2). 空间在德图描述温室气体emissions (tones per year) over the past century, between the trend line and the line representing stability at current levels. 一个qualitative description of aclimate scenariobased on extensive literature research andmodelresults. This is often a quite simple description used to fill in policy makers onclimate changedevelopments. The degree to which a system is susceptible to, or unable to cope with, adverse effects ofclimate change, includingclimate variabilityandextremes。This is a function of the character, magnitude, and rate of climate change and variation to which a system is exposed, its sensitivity, and itsadaptive capacity。 Climate may vary on a large range of temporal scales. Temporal scales may be seasonal to even geological, which goes up to hundreds of millions of years. 一个n decrease in water density of oceans that results fromglobal warming。这导致一个扩张的海洋volume and hence anincrease in sea level。 Device at a coastal location or deep-sea location for continuous measurement of the sea level with respect to the adjacent land. The ratio of the mass M of a a gaseous compound in the atmosphere and the total rate of removal S of the compound: T = M/S. For each removal process separate turnover times can be defined. 一个n expression of the degree to which a value (future state) is unknown. Contrary to risk, uncertainty suggests unknown probability of occurrence. Uncertainty can result from lack of information or from disagreement about what is known. It may have many types of sources, from quantifiable errors in the data to ambiguously defined concepts or terminology, or uncertain预测ofhuman behavior。Uncertainty can therefore be represented by quantitative measures or by qualitative statements. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. A treaty was signed at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 in which 150 countries promised stabilization ofgreenhouse gasconcentrations in theatmosphereat a level that would prevent dangerousanthropogenicinterference with theclimate system。 The theory of opportunities for limiting or diminishing the greenhouse effect and global warming. Wedges include: decarbonised electricity, decarbonised fuels, fuel displacement by alternative energy sources (e.g. solar energy, nuclear energy), methane management, and natural carbon sinks (e.g. forests). Sources - English dictionary:http://www.dictionary.com - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) - Lenntech://www.mall-g.com/greenhouse-effect.htm - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Climate Administration (NOAA) - UNFCCC climate info:http://www.climatenetwork.org - Van Dale dictionary:http://www.vandale.nl Related pages Fossil fuels: characteristics and effects The greenhouse effect mechanism Emissions and infrared absorption by greenhouse gases Explanation of the IPCC SRES scenarios The IPCC SRES scenarios: causes of climate change The IPCC SRES scenarios: consequences of climate change Overview of emission reductions for each country according to Kyoto Possible policy measures to achieve Kyoto targets Trading emission permits to achieve Kyoto targets |
Lenntech (European Head Office)
Distributieweg 3
2645 EG Delfgauw
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 152 610 900
fax: +31 152 616 289
e-mail:info@lenntech.com
Lenntech USA LLC (Americas)
5975 Sunset Drive
South Miami, FL 33143
USA
Phone: +1 877 453 8095
e-mail:info@lenntech.com
Lenntech DMCC (Middle East)
Level 6 - OFFICE #101-One JLT Tower
Jumeirah Lake Towers
Dubai - U.A.E.
Phone: +971 4 429 5853
e-mail:info@lenntech.com
Copyright © 1998-2022 Lenntech B.V. All rights reserved