Glossary for the Atmosphere
Glossary of Key Terms
Term
Anthropogenic
CFCs
Chemoautotroph
Dynamic equilibrium
Electromagnetic
radiation
El Niño
Enhanced
greenhouse effect
Global climate
change
Greenhouse effect
HCFCs
HFCs
Infrared (IR)
radiation
Infiltration
Kyoto Protocol
La Niña
LEDCs
MEDCs
Montreal Protocol
Negative feedback
mechanism
Nuclear fusion
Ozone
Stratosphere
Troposphere
Tropospheric ozone
Ultraviolet (UV) light
Definition
something made or caused by human activities.
chlorofluorocarbons are pollutants that cause ozone depletion and contribute to global climate change
An organism that gains its metabolic energy using energy from chemical reactions, e.g. nitrifying bacteria in the
nitrogen cycle.
a combination of active processes that cancel out each other’s effects so that there is no overall change
Energy in the form of energy waves with a range of frequencies
The name given to the reversal of the equatorial Pacific Ocean current that normally flows westwards.
An alternative name for global climate change.
the various changes to the climate caused by increased energy being retained in the atmosphere as a result of
human activities
The natural processes by which atmospheric gases allow visible light to pass through but absorb infrared energy,
causing heating.
Hydro chlorofluorocarbons are a group of chemicals used to replace CFCs
hydrofluorocarbons are a group of chemicals used to replace CFCs.
Long wavelength electromagnetic radiation emitted from warm objects.
the process by which surface water enters the ground between the particles of soil or rock.
The international agreement intended to control emissions of greenhouse gases.
The name given to the strengthening of the westward flowing equatorial Pacific Ocean current.
Less Economically Developed Countries.
More Economically Developed Countries.
International agreement that has controlled the release of ozone-depleting substances.
A situation where an initial change causes a reaction that reduces the original change.
The release of energy during the joining of the nuclei of small atoms.
Triatomic oxygen.
The layer of the atmosphere that absorbs UV and contains the ozone layer. It is above the troposphere at an
altitude of approximately 10 to 50 km.
The layer of the atmosphere below the stratosphere, from ground level to about 10 km.
ozone in the troposphere, largely produced by human activities
High energy electromagnetic radiation including the short wavelength radiation emitted by the sun. Its energy
can cause chemical reactions to take place, such as in the ozone layer or sunburn and DNA damage