Environmental Science Terms

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El Niño

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periodic occurrence in the eastern Pacific Ocean in which the surface water temperature becomes unusually warm

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Feedback loop

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a process that either speeds up or slows down a system based on the responses it gets

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Global climate change

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prolonged shifts in global temperatures and weather patterns

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La Niña

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periodic occurrence in the eastern Pacific Ocean in which the surface water temperature becomes unusually cool

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Natural events

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an occurrence with no influence due to human impact

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Succession

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the sequential process in which new species gradually establish and replace existing or barren communities following an ecological disturbance

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Temperature inversion

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reversal of normal temperature behavior in the atmosphere: cool air is trapped under a layer of warm air.