Climate Change terms starting with C

102 terms

Calcite Light-colored mineral composed of calcium carbonate that often fills veins in igneous rocks and forms the sedimentary rock limestone.
calcium carbonate (CaCO<sub>3</sub>) A molecule consisting of calcium, carbon and oxygen that is secreted by corals, mollusks (clams, oysters, etc), foraminifera and other organisms to form a…
calving separating or breaking so that a part becomes detached, as in icebergs separating from ice sheets.
Capping Inversion Alternate term for Cap; a layer of relatively warm air aloft, usually several thousand feet above the ground, which suppresses or delays the development…
Carbon black An amorphous form of carbon, produced commercially by thermal or oxidative decomposition of hydrocarbons and used principally in rubber goods, pigments…
Carbon Cycle All parts (reservoirs) and fluxes of carbon. The cycle is usually thought of as four main reservoirs of carbon interconnected by pathways of exchange.
Carbon Dioxide (KAR-bun dy-OK-side) A colorless, odorless gas. It is a waste product made by the body.
carbon dioxide concentration The amount of carbon dioxide, a heavy, colorless greenhouse gas, per unit of volume.
Carbon Dioxide Equivalent A metric measure used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases based upon their global warming potential (GWP).
Carbon Dioxide Fertilization The enhancement of the growth of plants as a result of increased atmospheric CO2 concentration.
carbon dioxide flux The rate of flow for carbon dioxide, a heavy, colorless greenhouse gas.
Carbon Equivalent A metric measure used to compare the emissions of different greenhouse gases based upon their global warming potential (GWP).
Carbon Intensity The amount of carbon by weight emitted per unit of energy consumed. A common measure of carbon intensity is weight of carbon per British thermal unit…
Carbon pool The reservoir containing carbon as a principal element in the geochemical cycle.
Carbon Sequestration The absorption and storage of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Naturally-occurring in plants.
Carbon sinks Carbon reservoirs and conditions that take-in and store more carbon (i.e., carbon sequestration) than they release.
Carbon tetrachloride A compound consisting of one carbon atom and four chlorine atoms. It is an ozone depleting substance.
Ceilometer A device using a laser or other light source to determine the height of a cloud base.
centrifugal force A force directed outward, away from the center of a rotating object; equal in magnitude to the centripetal force but in the opposite direction.
centripetal force An inward-directed force that confines an object to a circular path and is equal in magnitude to the centrifugal force but in the opposite direction.
chaotic impossible to predict.
Charles' law With constant pressure, the temperature of an ideal gas is inversely proportional to the density of the gas.
Chemical reaction Interaction between chemicals in which there is a change in the chemical composition of the elements or compounds involved.
Chinook This is a region-specific term used for Foehn Winds in the lee of the Rocky Mountains in the United States; Foehn Winds are warm, dry winds that occur in…
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) - Manufactured substances used as coolants and computer-chip cleaners. When these products break down they destroy stratospheric ozone, creating…
chronology a general term for the age-depth relationship in ice, sediment, or another deposit.
Circumpolar vortex Circumpolar vortex The large-scale cyclonic circulation in the middle and upper troposphere centered generally in the polar region.
Cirrocumulus A cirriform cloud characterized by thin, white patches, each of which is composed of very small granules or ripples.
Cirrostratus A cloud of a class characterized by a composition of ice crystals and often by the production of halo phenomena and appearing as a whitish and usually…
Cirrus (abbrev. CI) High-level clouds (16,000 feet or higher), composed of ice crystals and appearing in the form of white, delicate filaments or white or mostly…
Clear_sky Clear sky Sky with a total cloud cover of less than one okta (or one-tenth in the United States).
Climate The prevailing or average weather conditions of a geographic region.
Climate Change A term used to describe short and long-term affects on the Earth's climate as a result of human activities such as fossil fuel combustion and vegetation…
Climate Feedback An interaction mechanism between processes in the climate system is called a climate feedback, when the result of an initial process triggers changes in a…
Climate Lag The delay that occurs in climate change as a result of some factor that changes only very slowly.
Climate Model Mathematical model for quantitatively describing, simulating, and analyzing the interactions between the atmosphere and underlying surface (e.g.
Climate modeling The simulation of the climate using computer-based models. See climate model, General Circulation Model.
Climate Sensitivity In IPCC Reports, equilibrium climate sensitivity refers to the equilibrium change in global mean surface temperature following a doubling of the…
Climate System (or Earth System) The five physical components (atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere) that are responsible for the climate and its variations.
Climate variability Climate (climatic) variability 1)In the most general sense, the term "climate variability" denotes the inherent characteristic of climate which manifests…
Climatological atlas Climatological atlas Atlas composed mainly of climatological charts. It represents especially the monthly and annual distributions of the principal…
Climatology The science that deals with the phenomena of climates or climatic conditions.
Cloud A claim to the title of a property that, if valid, would prevent a purchaser from obtaining a clear title.
Cloud amount Cloud amount (cover) That portion of the sky cover which is attributed to clouds.
cloud base The lowest portion of a cloud.
cloud base height For a given cloud or cloud layer, the lowest level of the atmosphere where cloud properties are detectable.
cloud condensation nucleus A particle, either liquid or solid, upon which water condenses to form cloud droplets.
cloud cover The amount of the sky obscured by clouds when observed at a particular location.
cloud deck The top of a cloud layer, usually viewed from an aircraft.
cloud fraction Fraction of sky covered by clouds, observed directly or derived from SW irradiance.
cloud ice water The concentration (mass/vol) of ice water particles in a cloud.
cloud liquid water The concentration (mass/vol) of liquid water droplets in a cloud.
cloud top height For a given cloud or cloud layer, the highest level of the atmosphere where cloud properties are detectable.
Co-Benefit The benefits of policies that are implemented for various reasons at the same time – including climate change mitigation – acknowledging that most…
Co-control benefit The additional benefit derived from an environmental policy that is designed to control one type of pollution, while reducing the emissions of other…
Coal A black or brownish black solid, combustible substance formed by the partial decomposition of vegetable matter without access to air.
Coal coke A hard, porous product made from baking bituminous coal in ovens at temperatures as high as 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Coal gasification Conversion of solid coal to synthetic natural gas (SNG) or a gaseous mixture that can be burned as a fuel.
Coal liquefaction Conversion of solid coal to a liquid fuel such as synthetic crude oil or methanol.
Coal Mine Methane Coal mine methane is the subset of CBM that is released from the coal seams during the process of coal mining.
Coalbed methane A methane-rich gas, similar to natural gas, produced from in-situ coal through drilled wells that are typically completed open-hole, as opposed to the…
Coalescence The process by which water droplets in a cloud collide and come together to form raindrops.
Cogeneration The generation of electricity or shaft power by an energy conversion system and the concurrent use of rejected thermal energy from the conversion system…
cold front A weather condition accompanied by high, clear skies, and a sudden drop in temperature.
Cold low Cold low (or cold cyclone) At a given level in the atmosphere, any low that is generally characterized by colder air near its center than around its…
collaborating program A program joining with the ARM Program to pursue a specific set of objectives by providing resources and participating in active planning and execution of…
Collection Efficiency The fraction of droplets approaching a surface that actually deposit on that surface.
Combustion The process of burning; the oxidation of a material by applying heat, which unites oxygen with a material or fuel.
Commercial Sector Consists of businesses that are not engaged in transportation or manufacturing or other types of industrial activities.
Compost Partially decomposed organic plant and animal matter that can be used as a soil conditioner or fertilizer. See decomposition.
Composting The process of degrading organic material (biomass) by microorganisms in aerobic conditions.
Compound (KOM-pownd) In science, a substance that is made up of more than one ingredient.
Concentration Amount of a chemical in a particular volume or weight of air, water, soil, or other medium.
Condensation The process by which water in air changes from a vapor to a liquid due to a change in temperature or pressure; occurs when water vapor reaches its dew…
Conditionally Unstable Air An atmospheric condition that exists when the environmental lapse rate is less than the dry adiabatic lapse rate but greater than the moist adiabatic…
Conduction The transfer of heat through a material by the transfer of kinetic energy from particle to particle; the flow of heat between two materials of different…
Conference of the Parties The supreme body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Conifer A plant commonly having needlelike, persistent leaves and a woody cone for a fruit.
Coniferous trees Cone-bearing trees, mostly evergreens, that have needle-shaped or scale-like leaves. They produce wood known commercially as softwood. See deciduous trees.
contrail (condensation trail) A cloudlike streamer frequently seen forming behind aircraft flying in clear, cold, humid air.
Convection The movement of matter due to changes in temperature and density. Warm material rises because it is less dense (lighter) and cool material sinks because…
Convection cloud Convection cloud Cumuliform cloud which forms in the atmosphere as a result of convection. Such clouds are also called clouds of vertical development.
convective condensation level (CCL) The level above the surface marking the base of a cumuliform cloud that is forming due to surface heating and rising thermals.
Convergence Integration of computing, communications and broadcasting systems.
cooperating program A program or agency supporting a specific ARM effort, such as a field campaign, wherein ARM provides the resources.
Coriolis Force A fictitious force used to account for the apparent deflection of a body in motion with respect to the earth, as seen by an observer on the earth.
Corrective Action Report (CAR) Used to identify and document problems with ARM systems, physical infrastructure, or instruments.
Criteria pollutant A pollutant determined to be hazardous to human health and regulated under EPA's National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
Crop residue Organic residue remaining after the harvesting and processing of a crop.
Crop rotation A pattern of changing the crops grown in a specific field from year to year in order to control pests and maintain soil fertility.
Crude oil A mixture of hydrocarbons that exist in liquid phase in underground reservoirs and remain liquid at atmospheric pressure after passing through surface…
Cryosphere One of the interrelated components of the Earth's system, the cryosphere is frozen water in the form of snow, permanently frozen ground (permafrost)…
crystal habit The size and shape of the crystals in a crystalline solid. Also known as habit.
Cumuliform Descriptive of all clouds with vertical development in the form of rising mounds, domes, or towers
Cumulonimbus A cloud belonging to a class indicative of thunderstorm conditions characterized by large, dense towers that often reach altitudes of 30,000 feet (9000…
Cumulus (Abbrev. CU) - detached clouds, generally dense and with sharp outlines, showing vertical development in the form of domes, mounds, or towers.
cup anemometer An instrument used to monitor wind speed. Wind rotation of cups generates and electric current calibrated in wind speed.
Cyclogenesis (Abbrev. CYCLGN) - The formation or intensification of a cyclone or low-pressure storm system.
Cyclolysis Cyclolysis Process of weakening or terminating of a cyclonic circulation in the atmosphere; the opposite of cyclogenesis.
Cyclone (abbrev. CYC) - A large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere…