Unit 2: Global Climate - Vulnerability & Resilience Glossary of Key Terms

Key Term Definition Example(s) Source & Student

Link Initials

1 Greenhouse gas Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Water EPA TS
Vapour

2 Atmosphere - the gaseous envelope of a celestial Troposphere, Stratosphere, Marriam-We CM

body (such as a planet) Mesosphere, Thermosphere, and bster
- the whole mass of air surrounding the Exosphere
earth
- a surrounding influence or
environment

3 Insolation Incoming solar radiation is the intensity https://www. MS

of incoming solar radiation on an object. geog.ucsb.e
du/ideas/Ins
olation.html

4 Anthropogenic Activities caused or influenced by Burning fossil fuels https://www. AD

Activity humans dictionary.co
m/browse/a
nthropogeni
c

5 Albedo A measure of how much light that hits a Light reflected by snow in the Arctic NCSU RL
surface is reflected without being
absorbed

6 Ozone Layer The ozone layer is a part of the https://www. SA

stratosphere which acts as a protective nationalgeo
layer from UV rays by absorbing about graphic.org/
98% of all UV rays encyclopedi
a/ozone-lay
Unit 2: Global Climate - Vulnerability & Resilience Glossary of Key Terms

er/

7 Longwave Radiation emitted by the earth that Infrared radiation NCSU MK

Radiation contains a smaller amount of energy
which can be absorbed by greenhouse
gasses.

8 Shortwave Radiation emitted by the sun that Visible light, ultraviolet radiation Britannica MK
Radiation contains a large amount of energy
which passes through greenhouse
gasses

9 Radiative The assumption that the amount of UMICH MK

equilibrium incoming radiation from the sun is equal
to the outgoing radiation emitted by the
earth.

10 Infrared A type of radiant energy that’s invisible Longwave radiation Live RL

to the human eyes but we can feel as Science
heat