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Antarctic Oscillation (AAO)
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The Antarctic Oscillation (AAO) is a measure of the pressure gradient between the polar and subpolar regions of the Southern Hemisphere. Term was introduced by Thompson and Wallace (2000).
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Arctic Ice Melt
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It is important to understand that ice mass and ice extent are two entirely different animals when it comes to understanding what is happening in the Arctic. The ice mass at the North Pole is rapidly diminishing. The effects of global warming on the Arctic ice is more pronounced due to the Arctic Amplification effect.
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Arctic Oscillation (AO)
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The Arctic Oscillation (AO) is a large scale mode of climate variability, also referred to as the Northern Hemisphere annular mode. The AO is a climate pattern characterized by winds circulating counterclockwise around the Arctic at around 55°N latitude.
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Arctic/Polar Amplification Effect
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The Arctic/Polar Amplification Effect is mainly caused by a combination of a few things. The chief components include the magnitude of change regarding ice extent and snow cover loss allows for a more dramatic change in climate architecture of the polar region. This also relates to the amount of land in the northern hemisphere verses the southern hemisphere.
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Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO)
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The AMO is an ongoing series of long-duration changes in the sea surface temperature of the North Atlantic Ocean, with cool and warm phases that may last for 20-40 years at a time and a difference of about 1°F between extremes. These changes are natural and have been occurring for at least the last 1,000 years. Source: http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/phod/amo_faq.php
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Atmospheric Composition
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Understanding Atmospheric Composition is both simple and handy in understanding how mankind can influence climate. Many people think the atmosphere is just too big for humans to influence? It sounds like a reasonable statement, until you realize that you don't need to change the whole atmosphere to change climate... you just need to change a little bit of it.
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Attribution
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Climate attribution literally has to do with what causes something, or "to explain by indicating a cause". With regard to climate and weather it is important to understand the differences between what attribution can be assigned to climate and/or weather events at a given moment, or over a span of time. The longer the span of time, the more the attribution moves away from weather and towards climate, and vice versa.
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Climate Feedback/Sensitivity
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Climate Feedbacks: 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 second process that in turn influences the initial one. A positive feedback intensifies the original process, and a negative feedback reduces it.
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Climate Forcing
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Climate forcing has to do with the amount of energy we receive from the sun, and the amount of energy we radiate back into space. Variances in climate forcing are determined by physical influences on the atmosphere such as orbital and axial changes as well as the amount of greenhouse gas in our atmosphere.
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Dansgaard Oeschger Events
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The (estimated) 1470 Year Climate Cycle - Often quoted as the 1500 year cycle is a popular red herring used by S. Fred Singer and Dennis Avery. It is also a real climate cycle known as Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) events. It is of unknown origin.
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