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Geosciences LibreTexts

Glossary

  • Page ID
    54228
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    Glossary Entries

    Word(s)

    Definition

    Image Caption Link Source
    thought experiment An imagined scenario that lets scientists isolate critical aspects of a system, and consider how it might change under extreme conditions.        
    particulate matter Also known as aerosol particles, these are tiny liquid or solid particles that can make it deep into our lungs, affecting our breathing. Particulate matter is released by combustion of fossil fuels, biomass and waste, or from dust.        
    aerosols Aerosols are mixtures of tiny liquid or solid particles suspended in air. Aerosols can either scatter or absorb sunlight, and currently aerosols have a negative radiative forcing on climate.        
    electromagnetic radiation Electromagnetic radiation is light, either visible or invisible. Sunlight is in the visible, ultraviolet and infrared bands of radiation, while Earth's radiation is infrared.        
    Clouds Tiny water droplets or liquid water crystals suspended in the air. Don't confuse clouds with water vapor, the gas phase of water, which is invisible.        
    albedo The reflectiveness of a surface to visible light. An albedo of 1 corresponds to perfect reflection, while 0 means all light is absorbed.        
    effective radiative forcing The change in Earth's energy budget due to a particular forcing agent, including all effects that happen without surface temperature change. Effective radiative forcing includes effects on the climate that occur independent to surface temperature, like tropospheric and stratospheric temperature adjustment, and changes in clouds and water vapor.        
    latent heating Latent heat is the energy exchanged when a substance changes phase. The latent heat released from the condensation of water vapor is a huge source of energy for atmospheric circulations.        
    adiabatically Adiabatic means without exchanging energy        
    lapse rate The lapse rate is the decrease in temperature with height in the atmosphere. Typical lapse rates in the troposphere are 6-7 K/km, but varying significantly based on location and weather conditions.        
    troposphere The weather layer of the atmosphere, located just above the Earth's surface and below the stratosphere. The boundary between the troposphere and stratosphere is called the tropopause and is 7-18 km above sea level, depending on location.