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climate change test 1

Terms

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science
what is.....when well digested, is nothing but good sense and reason." -Stanislaus I of Poland
scientific method
what scientists use to approach problems
observe
first step of scientific method
offer explanations
second step of scientific method
test explanations
third step fo scientific method
best explanation
process of repeating and modifying to get the _____
observation
Something you can detect with your 5 senses or measure indirectly
hypothesis
An explanation of observations that can be tested
occam's razor
All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one
theory
An "upgraded" hypothesis - has survived repeated testing, even if it has been modified along the way
correlation
- two things may be related to each other directly, indirectly, or not at all
good scientists
Follow the scientific method Use critical thinking: question everything, including themselves Keep an open mind Open and honest about their work
forcing
Any process or disturbance that drives a change
feedback
A process that alters changes under way either by amplifying (positive) or moderating (negative) them
earth systems
is a theory we use to understand the climate
energy
The ability to do work
joules
what energy is measured in
power
measured in watts 1w=1j
shortwave
visible light
longwave
infrared light invisible to us
temperature
measure of heat energy
goldilocks hypothesis
Earth is "just the right temperature" for life
eaths atmosphere
has 80% of gases are in troposphere 19.9% in stratosphere
oxygen nitrogen argon
Major gases in Earth's atmosphere
greenhouse gasses
warm a planet's surface by absorbing heat energy and re-radiating it back toward the surface
hydrologic cycle
how H2O moves through Earth's climate (involves all subsystems)
glaciers
are formed by snow accumulation over many years
albedo
percent of incoming light that is reflected
snowball earth hypothesis
Was the Earth's surface ever completely frozen
wind
air in motion
atmospheric circulation
caused by: Uneven heating of Earth's surface Coriolis Effect
conduction
transfer of heat through a stationary material (can be solid, liquid, or gas)
radiation
transfer of heat by infrared light energy
convection
transfer of heat through movement of material
coriolis effect
wind or water deflected from apparent path: to the right in the Northern Hemisphere to the left in Southern Hemisphere
density
the amount of matter in a given space
salinity
The saltier the water, the denser it is
poles
where water sinks at
gaia hypothesis
inspiration for modern Earth Systems theory

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