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Decoding the Weather Machine Panel Discussion: Glossary

Glossary of Terms

ATMOSPHERE

the envelope of gases surrounding Earth

CARBON CAPTURE

a technology that captures carbon dioxide emissions to prevent them from entering the atmosphere when burning fossil fuels

CARBON FOOTPRINT

the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by someone or something during a certain amount of time

CLIMATE

the average course or condition of weather at a specific location over a long period of time

CLIMATE CHANGE

the change of Earth’s global and regional climate patterns

EMISSION

a substance discharged into the air

FOSSIL FUELS

natural gas, coal and oil; fuel sources that were created from ancient plant and animal remains

GLACIER

a mass of ice formed by mass accumulation of snow that moves slowly down a slope or valley

GLACIER RETREAT

when the end of a glacier does not extend as far down the slope/valley as it once did

GLOBAL WARMING

a gradual increase in the average atmospheric and oceanic temperatures on Earth

GREENHOUSE EFFECT

the process by which the Earth’s atmosphere traps the sun’s radiation that in turn warms the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth

GREENHOUSE GASES

a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by trapping radiation from the sun; examples include water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane

ICE SHEET

a permanent layer of ice covering a large amount of land, particularly in the poles

KEELING CURVE

a graph created by Charles David Keeling that maps the change of carbon dioxide concentrations in Earth’s atmosphere since the 1950s

NEGATIVE EMISSIONS

removing existing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while simultaneously not creating new carbon dioxide emissions to create a deficit

RENEWABLE ENERGY

a source of energy that can be replenished on a human timescale, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and tidal

WEATHER

The current state of the atmosphere in respect to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness

Glossary terms provided by PBS NOVA