Glossary and abbreviations - Climate Change: Biological and Human Aspects - page 532

Appendix1. Glossary and abbreviations

Glossary

The following are just some of the main biological, geological and climate terms used
in this topic. It is not a complete list but instead focuses on words used in more than
one chapter. Although the terms are common to biology, geology or climatology, they
are provided to help readers from one discipline understand passages of this topic
that relate to another discipline.

abyssal (zone) The zone of greatest ocean depth, frequently defined

as deeper than 1000 m.

aerosol A colloidal system such as a mist or fog in which the

dispersal medium is a gas. In climatology the gas is
the atmosphere.

albedo The fraction of light reflected from a surface. It

includes the proportion of solar energy reflected from
part of the Earth's surface or from the planet in its
entirety.

Allerød and Bølling A warm phase lasting over 1000 years towards the end

(deglaciation period) of the last glacial and prior to the
Holocene.

allopatric Species having completely separate geographical dis-

tributions ( see also sympatric).

anthropogenic Human-generated.

biome The largest ecological category of a biogeographical

region (such as tundra or tropical rainforest).

Bond cycle A cycle of waxing and waning of the Arctic glacial ice

sheet.

boreal The northern continental biogeographic zone of short

summers and long winters.

Broecker circulation A global circulation of ocean water, part on the surface

and part at abyssal depths, sometimes referred to as
the thermohaline circulation (THC). One component
is the meridional overturning circulation (MOC).

Calvin cycle The light-independent phase of photosynthesis that

follows the capture of light and synthesis of two key
molecules (ATP and NADPH). Its products include

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