Mar 28, 2019 global warming is the longterm warming of the planets overall temperature. Global warming definition of global warming by merriam. The hazard of global warming is continuously causing major damage to the earths environment. Global warming is the combined result of anthropogenic humancaused emissions of greenhouse gases and changes in solar irradiance, while climate change refers to any change in the state of the climate that can be identified by changes in the average andor the variability of its properties e. Global warming is the combined result of anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and changes in solar irradiance, while climate change refers to changes caused by global warming in weather temperatures, precipitation, frequency of heat waves, etc. Make flashcards to help you learn the definition of each term. Earths climate has changed over various timescales since the dawn of geologic time, and the force of human activities since the industrial revolution has been woven into the fabric of climate change. Global warming this term refers to the general increase in the earths average temperature caused by the presence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which causes changes in climate patterns across the globe. Weather and climate are a couple more of them, and to get an even better understanding of the differences in climate change and global warming you should understand these two terms as well. Global warming vocabulary words flashcards quizlet. Global warming definition of global warming by merriamwebster.
Global warming is the mainly humancaused rise of the average temperature of the earths climate system and has been demonstrated by direct temperature measurements and by measurements of various effects of the warming. It is a major aspect of climate change which, in addition to rising global surface temperatures, also includes its effects, such as changes in precipitation. Pretend, if you can, that youve never heard about the idea of global warming before. It is a complex issue full of uncertainties and controversies. Climate has changed when the planet received more or less sunlight due to subtle shifts in its orbit, as the atmosphere or surface changed, or when the suns energy varied. The wri report is entirely designed to blame developing countries for sharing the responsibility for global warming. Global warming refers to an unequivocal and continuing rise in the average temperature of earths climate system. Terminology version 3 this is the last version before removalrestoration edit war. The effects of global warming or climate damage include farreaching and longlasting changes to the natural environment, to ecosystems and human societies caused directly or indirectly by human emissions of greenhouse gases. Global warming is the longterm heating of earths climate system observed since the preindustrial period between 1850 and 1900 due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning, which increases heattrapping greenhouse gas levels in earths atmosphere. The paper introduces global warming, elaborates its causes and hazards and presents some solutions to solve this hot issue.
When did terminology change for global warming and climate. Scientists and kids explore global warming, lynne cherry fight global warming now. Definition of global warming extinction emergency, global warming emergency defined, global warming emergency solution, climate change emergency defined. Why global warming is the wrong term global warming as well as global cooling refers specifically to any change in the global average surface tem perature. Below is a glossary of terms often used in connection with global warming and climate. Global warming potential gwp is the ability of a greenhouse gas to absorb heat compared to carbon dioxide over a specified period of time, from 20 to 500 years. Research on what global warming and climate change. Unless we tackle the problem soon, it could transform the planet we live on, making the climate earths weather patterns much more erratic, forcing many. A brief introduction to global warming muchadoaboutclimate. The threat of global warming will eventually force the u.
Use the activities on this poster to explore the implications of global. This glossary defines some specific terms as the lead authors intend. Unfortunately, we are also losing it at a progressively faster rate so that now global warming is close to being out of our meaningful control for the next 3050 years. Pretend youve never heard anyone elses opinions on the matter, including. According to scientists, this is the largest and fastest warming trend that they have been able to discern in the history of the earth. Since the preindustrial period, global average land temperatures have increased almost twice as fast as global average temperatures. It also includes the economic and social changes which stem from living in a warmer world. Overshoot implies a peak followed by a decline in global warming, achieved through anthropogenic removal of co 2 exceeding remaining co 2 emissions globally. This article discusses amongst cause of global warming and consequences of. An introduction to global warming for students in grades 68. Research on what global warming and climate change mean. Global warming is often misunderstood to imply that the world will warm uniformly. Global warming global warming future climatechange policy. Climate change definition, a longterm change in the earths climate, especially a change due to an increase in the average atmospheric temperature.
In this report the terms preindustrial and industrial refer, somewhat arbitrarily, to the periods before and after 1750, respectively. In common usage, global warming refers to the recent average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the earths surface caused by emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities. In a warming climate, it is anticipated that the cryosphere would shrink, the earths overall albedo would decrease and more solar energy would be absorbed to warm the earth still further. Climate change refers to significant changes in global temperature, precipitation, wind patterns and other measures of climate that occur over several decades. The growing threat of rising levels of greenhouse gases has been in the news for a good 30 years now, and a range of terms have been used to describe the consequences of inaction. Most people are still unaware of global warming and do not consider it to be a big problem in years to come. See also overshoot pathways and nonovershoot pathways both under pathways. Climate change terms and definitions science and climate. Global warming definition is an increase in the earths atmospheric and oceanic temperatures widely predicted to occur due to an increase in the greenhouse effect resulting especially from pollution.
Below is a list of vocabulary words that are important for this unit. First in a series of four fact files exploring key climate change issues. Since the midlate 19th century, the average surface temperature on earth has been steadily rising. The accumulation in the earths atmosphere of these gases is mainly the result of the gargantuan consumption of the developed countries, particularly the united states. Definition of the global warming extinction emergency.
The gases that contribute most to the greenhouse effect, in terms of their radiative forcing, their lifetimes and also their abundance in the atmosphere include carbon dioxide co 2, water vapour h 2 o and methane ch 4. An increasing rate of warming has particularly taken place over the last 25 years, and 11 of the 12 warmest years. Global warming and global climate change have led to an increase in the temperature in the area. Scientists are more than 95% certain that nearly all of global warming is caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases ghgs and other humancaused emissions. Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples log in dictionary. Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the earths nearsurface air and the oceans since the midtwentieth century and its projected continuation. The relationship between temperature and concentrations of. Human activity contributes to this change through the buildup of heattrapping greenhouse gases. People often use global warming and climate change interchangeably, despite that the two terms have very different meanings because co2 is permanently changing our atmosphere. Global warming is melting glaciers in every region of the world, putting millions of people at risk from floods, droughts and lack of drinking water. Solar activity it is widely recognized that variations in solar radiation and activities, such as solar flares or sunspots, if large enough, could have an impact on the global temperature.
An increase in the average temperature of the earths atmosphere, especially a sustained increase great enough to cause changes in the global climate. What most people do not understand is that global warming is currently happening. It is the reference gas against which other greenhouse gases are measured and therefore has a global warming potential of 1. Global warming definition, an increase in the earths average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate and that may result from the greenhouse effect.
Whether the cause is natural or humandriven, global warming is a serious issue that everyone should be aware of. Above all, alternative energy sources solar, wind, hydro, geothermal. Acclimatization the physiological adaptation to climatic variations. The sustained increase in the average temperature of the earths atmosphere. Though this warming trend has been going on for a long time, its pace has significantly increased in the last hundred years due to the burning of fossil fuels. Global warming 101 definition, facts, causes and effects of. Oct 20, 2018 global warming, which is a gradual rising of earths temperature, is different from all these, representing a scale of threat greater than anything humans have faced in recent history. Global warming refers to global averages, with the amount of warming varying by region. Global warming is the current increase in temperature of the earths surface both land and water as well as its atmosphere. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a pdf of a single entry from a reference work in or for personal use. With such imprecise use of terms, its pretty easy to just give up and peg global warmingasnonscientific. Examples of direct emissions include burning of fossil fuels for energy and transportation and emissions from industrial processes. Global warming meaning in the cambridge english dictionary.
B e h i ndt the realization of r y h e o s global warming. Global warming is the longterm warming of the planets overall temperature. In terms of impacts, an abrupt change is one that takes place so rapidly and unexpectedly that human or natural systems have difficulty adapting to it. Definition of the global warming extinction emergency job. The timeframe is important because each gas has a different rate at which it is removed from the atmosphere. Glossary of climate change terms climate change us epa. Global warming vs climate change is there a difference. Depending on whos talking, it can mean all of the above.
Over time, this increase may be sufficient to cause climatic change, including raising sea levels, altering precipitation patterns and changing water supplies and crop yields. Global warming refers to surface temperature increases, while climate change includes global warming and everything else that increasing greenhouse gas amounts will affect. It is a major aspect of climate change, and has been demonstrated by the instrumental temperature record which shows global warming of around 1 c since the preindustrial period, although the bulk of this 0. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a pdf of a single entry from a reference work in or for. Global warming is the gradual rise in the earths temperature caused by high levels of. Melting glaciers imply that life in the arctic is affected by climate change. The effects of global warming are potentially catastrophic for some components of the biosphere. Global climate change scientific research publishing. Climate change and global warming are often used interchangeably but have distinct meanings. The physiological adaptation to climatic variations. Global warming definition and meaning collins english. Within scientific journals, this is still how the two terms are used. Global warming definition match game flashcards quizlet.
Infectious disease any disease caused by microbial agents that can be transmitted from one person to another or from animals to people. Global warming refers to the longterm rise in the average temperature of the earths climate system. Sep 24, 2018 climate change is the difference in the state of the climate that can be identified by changes in its properties that persist for a decade or longer. Global warming in encyclopedia of climate and weather 2 length. Pdf glossary of international climate policy terms researchgate. Abrupt climate change a largescale change in the climate system. Global warming is the gradual rise in the earths temperature caused by high levels of carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere. For the precise definition of out of control global warming and how and why this happened, click here. An increase in the average temperature of the earths atmosphere, especially a sustained increase sufficient to cause climatic change. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Over the past 50 years, the average global temperature has increased at the fastest.
Global warming future climatechange policy britannica. Climate change is a longterm shift in the climate of a specific location, region or planet. Use the activities on this poster to explore the implications of global warming and climate change on the earth. In fact, an in crease in average global temperature will also cause the circulation of the. Glossary of global warming and climate change terms below is a glossary of terms often used in connection with global warming and climate change. Since 1971, 90% of the warming has occurred in the oceans. Start studying global warming definition match game. Global warming definition of global warming by the free. Jan 24, 2016 the growing threat of rising levels of greenhouse gases has been in the news for a good 30 years now, and a range of terms have been used to describe the consequences of inaction. Global warming definition global warming is a gradual increase in the earths temperature generally due to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, cfcs, and other pollutants.
Glossary of global warming and climate change terms. Global warming is the process that causes the earths temperature to rise and makes the earth warmer. There are plenty of words and terms that are used interchangeably in the english language. Similarly, the terms weather and climate are sometimes confused, though they refer to events with broadly different spatial and timescales. Co2e is a standard unit for measuring all greenhouse gases in terms of the amount of warming they create compared to co2. Global warming refers to surface temperature increases, while climate change. Some of the news you may have heard polar bears are losing. Glossary of terms and definitions on climate change and adaptation. Glossary of global warming and climate change terms agmrc. Countries differ in opinion on how to proceed with international policy with respect to climate agreements.
Pdf on feb 1, 2001, axel michaelowa and others published glossary of. When did terminology change for global warming and climate change. This change in temperature is known as climate change or global warming. The definitions included in this glossary are quoted from the sources listed at the end. This is due to the larger heat capacity of oceans and because oceans lose more heat by evaporation. Global warming, the phenomenon of rising average air temperatures near earths surface over the past 100 to 200 years. Throughout its long history, earth has warmed and cooled time and again. During the late 1980s one more term entered the lexicon, global change. Adapted for a new generation, al gore a downtoearth guide to global warming, laurie david and cambria gordon how do we know what we know about our changing climate. Average temperatures around the world have risen by 0.
There are various definitions available for global warming, here are a few that we think are particularly good. It may also, less commonly, be used to refer to other episodes of warming in earths history. Global warming is a term used for the observed centuryscale rise in the average temperature of the earths climate system and its related effects. The temporary exceedance of a specified level of global warming, such as 1. Steady increase in the earths average lower atmosphere near surface temperature due to emissions and build up of greenhouse gases see greenhouse effect. Longterm goals formulated in europe and the united states seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 percent by the middle of the 21st century. Global warming potential an overview sciencedirect topics. Global warming potential gwp is defined as the cumulative radiative forcing, both direct and indirect effects, over a specified time horizon resulting from the emission of a unit mass of gas related to some reference gas co2. Included are the most commonly referred to terms in climate change literature and news media.
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