Causes, evidence, and consequences of global climate change as tested on AP Environmental Science. Front: the term or concept. Back: a plain-language definition.
40 cards · basic cards · AI-written, checked twice. Edit anything.
- Greenhouse effect
- The process by which certain atmospheric gases trap heat radiation, causing the lower atmosphere and surface to warm.
- Carbon dioxide (CO2)
- The most abundant anthropogenic greenhouse gas, released primarily through fossil fuel combustion and deforestation.
- Methane (CH4)
- A potent greenhouse gas produced by livestock digestion, landfills, rice paddies, and natural gas operations.
- Nitrous oxide (N2O)
- A long-lived greenhouse gas released from agricultural soil management, manure handling, and industrial processes.
- Fossil fuels
- Carbon-based energy sources formed from ancient organic material, including coal, petroleum, and natural gas.
- Anthropogenic climate change
- Global warming and climate shifts caused primarily by human activities, especially greenhouse gas emissions from industry and agriculture.
- Radiative forcing
- A measure in watts per square meter of how much a factor disrupts the balance between incoming solar energy and outgoing heat energy.
- Albedo
- The fraction or percentage of solar radiation reflected by a surface back to space without being absorbed.
- Ice albedo feedback
- A positive feedback loop where melting sea ice reduces Earth's reflectivity, allowing more heat absorption and causing further melting.
- Water vapor feedback
- A positive feedback loop where atmospheric warming increases evaporation, adding more water vapor that traps additional heat.
- Cloud feedback
- The effect of clouds on climate; low clouds tend to cool by reflecting sunlight, while high clouds tend to warm by trapping heat.
- Tipping point
- A critical threshold in the climate system beyond which change becomes rapid or irreversible, potentially triggering cascading effects.
- Carbon cycle
- The biogeochemical process through which carbon moves between the atmosphere, living organisms, oceans, and geological formations.
- Photosynthesis
- The process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.
- Cellular respiration
- The process by which living organisms break down glucose to release energy and return carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.