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Understanding Global Change

Discover why the climate and environment changes, your place in the Earth system, and paths to a resilient future.

Understanding Global Change

Discover why the climate and environment changes, your place in the Earth system, and paths to a resilient future.

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  • What is Global Change?
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    • Understanding Global Change 101
    • Understanding Global Change Infographic
    • How the Earth System Works
      • Atmosphere
      • Biosphere
      • Elemental Cycles
      • Geosphere
      • Global Energy Budget
      • Hydrosphere
    • Causes of Global Change
      • Human causes
      • Non-human causes
    • Measurable Changes
      • Atmosphere
      • Biosphere
      • Geosphere
      • Hydrosphere
      • Quality of human life
      • Weather / extreme events
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Home → Glossary

Glossary

Jump to:

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  • M
  • N
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  • P
  • Q
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A

  • absorption of sunlight
  • agricultural activities
  • air quality
  • air temperature
  • airborne particles
  • atmosphere
  • atmospheric circulation

B

  • biodiversity
  • biosphere
  • burning of fossil fuel

C

  • carbon cycle
  • climate
  • clouds

D

  • deforestation
  • disease
  • displacement of human populations
  • distribution of continents and oceans

E

  • Earth’s internal heat
  • Earth’s tilt, spin and orbit
  • ecosystem
  • elemental cycles
  • erosion
  • evolution
  • extinction
  • extreme weather event

F

  • fire
  • fishing and hunting
  • food availability and nutrition
  • freshwater quality/availability
  • freshwater use

G

  • geosphere
  • global energy budget
  • greenhouse effect
  • greenhouse gases

H

  • habitat loss
  • health
  • human causes
  • hydrosphere

I

  • innovation
  • invasive species

L

  • life cycles & traits

M

  • meterorite impact
  • mountain building

N

  • nitrogen cycle
  • non-human causes
  • nutrient levels

O

  • ocean acidification
  • ocean circulation
  • oxygen levels
  • ozone layer

P

  • phosphorus cycle
  • photosynthesis
  • plate tectonics
  • pollutants & waste
  • population growth
  • precipitation
  • productivity & biomass

Q

  • quality of human life

R

  • re-radiation of heat
  • reflection of sunlight
  • reforestation
  • renewable energy
  • resource extraction
  • respiration
  • restoration
  • rock cycle

S

  • sea level rise
  • sedimentation
  • sinking of land
  • snow & ice cover
  • soil quality
  • solar radiation
  • species interactions
  • species populations
  • species ranges

T

  • temperature

U

  • uplift of land
  • urbanization

V

  • volcanism

W

  • water cycle
  • water temperature
  • weather
  • weathering
  • well-being
  • wind

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