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Climate
For 330 Climate vocab, From Chapin et al 2011
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Albedo or Reflectivity | Fraction of the incident shortwave radiation reflected from a surface. |
| Backscatter | Reflection from small particles. |
| Biogenic | Biologically produced. |
| Greenhouse effect | Warming of the atmosphere due to atmospheric absorption of longwave radiation. |
| Longwave radiation | Radiation with wavelengths of about 4 to 30 mm. |
| Monsoon | Tropical or subtropical system of air flow characterized by a seasonal shift between prevailing onshore and offshore winds. |
| Orographic effects | Effects due to presence of mountains. |
| Radiatively active gasses | Gases that absorb infrared radiation (water vapor, CO2, CH4, N2O and industrial products like chlorofluorocarbons [CFCs]). |
| Rain Shadow | Zone of low precipitation downwind of a mountain range. |
| Shortwave radiation | Radiation with wavelengths of about 0.2–4.0 mm, including ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared radiation. |
| Aspect | Compass direction that a slope faces. |
| Sea breeze | Daytime onshore breeze that occurs on coastlines due to greater heating of the land than the water. |