Climate 氣候 Statistical description of atmospheric conditions over a
period of roughly three decades
Rise in the planet’s average surface temperature
Global warming 全球暖化
linked to elevated greenhouse-gas levels
Natural process where atmospheric gases trap
Greenhouse effect 溫室效 infrared radiation, keeping the planet warmer than it
應 would be otherwise
Amplification of heat trapping due to increased
Enhanced greenhouse
effect concentrations of greenhouse gases from human
加強的溫室效應 activities
Extreme weather Occurrences such as heatwaves, intense rainfall,
events droughts, and tropical cyclones that become more
frequent or severe under warming
極端天氣事件
Short-term state of the atmosphere, such as daily
Weather 天氣
temperature, precipitation, and wind
Seasonal reversal of wind direction caused by
Monsoon 季候風 temperature differences between land and sea,
bringing distinct wet and dry periods
Long-term shifts in temperature, precipitation, and
Climate change 氣候變遷 wind patterns caused by natural variability and
anthropogenic influences
Decline in species numbers and habitats caused by
Biodiversity loss 生物多樣性
habitat shrinkage, temperature shifts, and ocean
喪失
acidification
Total amount of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions
Carbon footprint 碳足跡 associated with an individual’s or organization’s
activities over a given time
Industrial process Gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and CFCs
emissions produced during cement production, metal smelting,
and refrigerant manufacture
工業過程排放
Power generation from sources such as wind, solar,
Renewable energy 可再生 hydro, and nuclear that emit little or no carbon dioxide
能源 during operation
A long-lived greenhouse gas comprising about 0.036 of
Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
the atmosphere, produced mainly by fossil-fuel
二氧化碳
combustion
Potent greenhouse gas with a concentration
Methane (CH₄)甲烷 near 0.00017 , emitted from livestock digestion and
fossil-fuel extraction
Nitrous oxide (N₂O) 一氧 Greenhouse gas present at roughly 0.00003 of the
化二氮 atmosphere, released from agricultural soils and
industrial processes
Water vapour 水蒸氣 The most abundant natural greenhouse component
Subtropical climate 亞熱 Climate zone located just poleward of the tropics,
帶氣候 characterized by hot summers and mild winters
Arid climatic zone 乾旱氣
Region receiving less than 250 mm of precipitation
候區
annually, often featuring deserts or semi-deserts
Mediterranean Climate type marked by wet winters and dry, warm
climatic zone 地中海氣候區 summers
Polar temperature Area beyond 66.5 °C latitude with mean temperatures
zone 極地溫度帶 below 0 ° C and low precipitation
Tropical temperature Region between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of
zone Capricorn where mean temperatures exceed 18° C
熱帶溫度帶 year-round
Mountain climatic Climate that changes with altitude, generally cooler
zone 山地氣候區 and wetter at higher elevations
Temperate
Band between the tropical and polar circles, featuring
temperature zone 溫帶氣候
moderate temperatures and distinct seasons
區
Conversion of forests or natural land to urban or
Land-use change agricultural uses reduces carbon sequestration
impact 土地使用變化影響 capacity and can release stored carbon
Reforestation 重新造林 Planting trees on previously deforested land to
increase carbon uptake and restore ecosystems
Natural reservoir, like forests or oceans, that absorbs
Carbon sink 碳匯 more carbon dioxide than it releases
1997 treaty that required Annex I nations to cut
Kyoto Protocol 京都議定書 greenhouse-gas output to 5 % below 1990 levels by the
first commitment period
2015 accord aiming to limit global temperature rise to
Paris Agreement 巴黎協定 well below 2 °C , with a pursuit of 1.5 ° C , and to provide
climate finance to vulnerable countries
Technology that monitors environmental conditions
Early-warning system
and issues alerts before hazardous events like storms
早期預警系統
or heatwaves occur
Heat island effect 熱島效 Localized warming in densely built areas due to
應 heat-absorbing surfaces, reduced vegetation, and
waste heat from human activities
Glacier melt feedback Process where loss of reflective ice surfaces lowers
albedo, causing greater solar absorption and further
冰川融化回饋 warming
1. If Hong Kong converts a dense commercial block into a green roof and vertical
gardens, which effect is most directly expected on the urban-heat-island
characteristic described in the guide?
a. Annual total rainfall would decrease as the added greenery absorbs
atmospheric moisture.
b. Summer maximum temperatures would rise because extra vegetation
releases more heat.
c. Daytime wind speeds would increase by roughly 20 % due to the new
green surfaces.
d. Night-time temperature difference between the urban core and
surrounding rural areas would be reduced by about 1 °C–2 °C.
2. If atmospheric CO₂ concentration rises by 20 % while the levels of all other
greenhouse gases remain unchanged, which outcome directly follows?
a. The overall greenhouse effect weakens, causing surface cooling.
b. The overall greenhouse effect strengthens, leading to higher surface
temperatures.
c. There is no change in the greenhouse effect because CO₂ is a minor gas.
d. The increased CO₂ primarily alters the planet’s albedo rather than its
temperature.
3. Explain how building height and density amplify the urban heat island (UHI) effect
in Hong Kong.
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4. Explain how the monsoon mechanism causes Hong Kong’s seasonal wind reversal
between the hot, humid summer and the cool, dry winter.
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5. Explain how the greenhouse effect traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere and why
increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases amplify this warming.
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6. Explain how glacier and ice-sheet melt creates a positive feedback that intensifies
global warming.
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