ENSP 101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 18: Permafrost, Developed Country, Electric Light

• School: University of Maryland
• Department: Environmental Science and Policy
• Course: ENSP 101
• Professor: Schnaar

Document Summary

Climate: an areas long-term atmospheric conditions, including temperature, precipitation, wind, humidity, barometric pressure, and other characteristics. Global climate change: an array of (cid:272)ha(cid:374)ges i(cid:374) aspe(cid:272)ts of earth"s (cid:272)li(cid:373)ate, su(cid:272)h as te(cid:373)perature, precipitation, and storm frequency and intensity. Global warming: refers specifically to an increase in earths average surface temperature. Global warming is only one aspect of global climate change, but warming does in turn drive other components of climate change. O(cid:448)er the lo(cid:374)g ter(cid:373), our pla(cid:374)ets (cid:272)li(cid:373)ate (cid:448)aries (cid:374)aturall(cid:455). Ho(cid:449)e(cid:448)er, toda(cid:455)"s (cid:272)li(cid:373)ati(cid:272) (cid:272)ha(cid:374)ges are unfolding at an exceedingly rapid rate, and they are creating conditions humanity has never experienced. Three factors influence climate: the sun- earth would be frozen without, supplies most of our planets energy, the atmosphere- keeps earth cool, oceans- store and transport heat and moisture. Atmospheric gases having three of more atoms in their molecules tend to absorb infrared radiation.