U9 Climate Change and Global Change Concepts

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What is global change?

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Global change encompasses large-scale, long-term alterations in Earth's systems (atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere).

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What is climate change?

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Climate change refers to shifts in global or regional climate patterns attributed to increased atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations.

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What are greenhouse gases?

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Greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor) trap heat in the atmosphere leading to rising global temperatures.

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What are anthropogenic activities?

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Anthropogenic activities are human-induced actions that contribute to environmental change (fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, agriculture).

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What is radiative forcing?

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Radiative forcing quantifies the difference between solar energy absorbed by Earth and energy radiated back to space.

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What are feedback loops?

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Feedback loops amplify or diminish the effects of climate change (melting Arctic ice reduces albedo, leading to more absorption of solar radiation).

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What are tipping points?

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Tipping points are thresholds beyond which abrupt or irreversible changes occur in Earth's systems (collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet).

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What is resilience in the context of climate change?

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Resilience describes the capacity of a system to absorb disturbances and maintain its basic structure and function.

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What has been the primary driver of global climate change since the Industrial Revolution?

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Since the Industrial Revolution, human activities have become the primary driver of global climate change.

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What is the impact of burning fossil fuels?

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Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.