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Ablation (1) Combined processes (such as sublimation, fusion or melting, evaporation) which remove snow or ice from the surface of a glacier or from a snow-field. Also used to express the quantity lost by these processes. (2) Reduction of the water equivalent of a snow cover by melting, evaporation, wind and avalanches.
- Browse Related Terms: Ablation, Cryosphere, freshwater, Geosphere, Geothermal energy, glacier, haline, Hydrologic Cycle, Hydrosphere, ice rafted detritus, ice sheet, jökulhlaup, loess, tephra, varve, Wetland
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a change in the climate (for example, temperature or precipitation) that takes place over a few decades or less, persists for at least a few decades, and causes substantial disruptions in human and natural systems.
- Browse Related Terms: abrupt climate change, Adaptation, Climate change, Climate Lag, Emissions, environment, forcing, Forcing Mechanism, Global Warming, mechanism, Radiative Forcing, Resonance, Sector
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the process of determining a specific, numerical age for an old material. This may be accomplished using one of a variety of methods, including radiocarbon dating.
- Browse Related Terms: absolute dating, Air pollution, Biodegradable, Decomposition, Degradable, Enteric fermentation, Nonbiodegradable, Particulate, radiocarbon (14C), radiocarbon dating, relative dating
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Absolute humidity (1) The ratio of the mass of water vapor to the volume occupied by a mixture of water vapor and dry air. (2) Mass of water contained in a unit volume of moist air.
The mass of water vapor in a given volume.
- Browse Related Terms: Absolute humidity, accumulation, air density, Air Pressure, Atmosphere, Atmospheric Pressure, Barrel, Concentration, Density, doppler velocity (m/s), Electrons, Mixing Ratio, particle number concentration, particle size distribution, Specific Humidity, stability, Streamflow, Subsidence, Sverdrup, Vapor Pressure
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An atmospheric condition that exists when the environmental lapse rate is less than the moist adiabatic lapse rate.
- Browse Related Terms: absolutely stable air, Absolutely Unstable Air, Adiabatic Lapse Rate, conditionally unstable air, dry adiabatic lapse rate (DALR), moist adiabatic lapse rate (MALR), neutral stability, planktonic foraminifera, Potential Temperature, saturation
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An atmospheric condition that exists when the environmental lapse rate is greater than the dry adiabatic lapse rate.
- Browse Related Terms: absolutely stable air, Absolutely Unstable Air, Adiabatic Lapse Rate, conditionally unstable air, dry adiabatic lapse rate (DALR), moist adiabatic lapse rate (MALR), neutral stability, planktonic foraminifera, Potential Temperature, saturation
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The process in which incident radiant energy is retained by a substance by conversion to some other form of energy.
- Browse Related Terms: absorption, Alternative energy, Cogeneration, combustion, Energy quality, Fugitive emissions, Heat sink, Heat source, Hydroelectric power plant, Hydropower, Jet fuel, Nuclear electric power
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The uptake of radiation by a solid body, liquid or gas. The absorbed energy may be transferred or re-emitted. See radiation.
- Browse Related Terms: Absorption of radiation, backscattered radiation, direct shortwave irradiance, downwelling longwave irradiance, downwelling shortwave irradiance, emittance, Flux, Irradiance, Potential Energy, radiance, shortwave irradiance, shortwave radiance, shortwave spectral irradiance, upwelling longwave irradiance, upwelling shortwave radiance
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The efficiency of radiation absorption.
- Browse Related Terms: absorptivity, Albedo, black body, effective emissivity, Emissivity, Jet Stream Cirrus, longwave net radiation, net radiation, reflection, shortwave net radiation, sky brightness temperature, solar variability, Visibility
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Accretion Growth of a cloud or precipitation particle by the collision and union of a frozen particle (ice crystal or snowflake) with a super-cooled liquid droplet which freezes on impact.
The growth of a precipitation particle by the collision of an ice crystal or snowflake with a supercooled liquid droplet that freezes upon impact.
- Browse Related Terms: Accretion, collection efficiency, frost, Glaze, Hoarfrost, Icing, Rime, snow, Supercool
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used in paleoclimatology to describe the deposition of sediment or other material over time. Accumulation rates are usually measured as mass/time, volume/time, or mass/length2/time.
- Browse Related Terms: Absolute humidity, accumulation, air density, Air Pressure, Atmosphere, Atmospheric Pressure, Barrel, Concentration, Density, doppler velocity (m/s), Electrons, Mixing Ratio, particle number concentration, particle size distribution, Specific Humidity, stability, Streamflow, Subsidence, Sverdrup, Vapor Pressure
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Accuracy The extent to which the results of readings of an instrument approach the true value of the calculated or measured quantities, supposing that all possible corrections are applied.
- Browse Related Terms: Accuracy, Buoy weather station, Drifting buoy, Grid, Instrument shelter, Radiosonde, Scale, Upper atmosphere
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A complex chemical and atmospheric process whereby recombined emissions of sulfur and nitrogen compounds are redeposited on earth in wet or dry form. See acid rain.
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Acid precipitation Rain or snow containing acidic substances, resulting from the atmospheric pollution mainly with sulfur and nitrogen. A pH value of acid precipitation is less than the value for unpolluted rain.
- Browse Related Terms: Acid deposition, Acid precipitation, Acid rain, Acid Solution, Acidic, Basic solution, deuterium, isotope, Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
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Rainwater that has an acidity content greater than the postulated natural pH of about 5.6. It is formed when sulfur dioxides and nitrogen oxides, as gases or fine particles in the atmosphere, combine with water vapor and precipitate as sulfuric acid or nitric acid in rain, snow, or fog. The dry forms are acidic gases or particulates. See acid deposition, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides.
- Browse Related Terms: Acid deposition, Acid precipitation, Acid rain, Acid Solution, Acidic, Basic solution, deuterium, isotope, Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
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Any water solution that has more hydrogen ions (H+) than hydroxide ions (OH-); any water solution with a pH less than 7. See basic solution.
- Browse Related Terms: Acid deposition, Acid precipitation, Acid rain, Acid Solution, Acidic, Basic solution, deuterium, isotope, Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
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See acid solution.
- Browse Related Terms: Acid deposition, Acid precipitation, Acid rain, Acid Solution, Acidic, Basic solution, deuterium, isotope, Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
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The rate of water lost from vegetation and soil, ordinarily at a slower rate than the potential rate.
- Browse Related Terms: actual evapotranspiration, advective tendency, Air temperature, atmospheric temperature, British thermal unit, Frost Point, hygrometer, near-surface soil heat flux, near-surface soil moisture flux, Precision, rain gage, Sea surface temperature, soil moisture, soil temperature, Thermistor, Thermometer, Wetlands
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Adjustment in natural or human systems to a new or changing environment. Adaptation to climate change refers to adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities. Various types of adaptation can be distinguished, including anticipatory and reactive adaptation, private and public adaptation, and autonomous and planned adaptation.
- Browse Related Terms: abrupt climate change, Adaptation, Climate change, Climate Lag, Emissions, environment, forcing, Forcing Mechanism, Global Warming, mechanism, Radiative Forcing, Resonance, Sector
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