Abbreviations and Acronyms
- °C
- Temperature in degrees Celsius
- CCL4
- Carbon tetrachloride
- CFC
- Chlorofluorocarbon
- CH4
- Methane
- CO
- Carbon monoxide
- CO2
- Carbon dioxide
- DU
- Dobson Unit-used to describe the amount of ozone above a particular location
- EECA
- Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority
- ENSO
- El Niño/Southern Oscillation (i.e. a recurrent weather pattern triggered by air pressure changes in the Pacific).
- FCCC
- The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
- GCM
- General Circulation Model (i.e. a computer model of the world's climate)
- Gg
- Gigagrams (i.e. a billion grams or a million tonnes)
- GWP
- Global Warming Potential (i.e. a measure of the potency of each greenhouse gas)
- H2
- Hydrogen
- HBFC
- Hydrobromofluorocarbon
- HCFC
- Hydrochlorofluorocarbon
- HFC
- Hydrofluorocarbon
- H2O
- Water
- INC
- Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee of the Framework Convention on Climate Change
- IPCC
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
- IRL
- Industrial Research Limited
- MED
- Minimum erythemal dose (the minimum amount of radiation that causes reddening of the skin)
- mb
- Millibars (a measure of atmospheric pressure)
- nm
- nanometres-a wavelength measurement
- NIWA
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd
- NMVOC
- Non-methane volatile organic compounds (i.e. carbon-based gases other than methane)
- NO
- Nitric oxide
- NO2
- Nitrogen dioxide
- NOx
- Oxides of nitrogen (i.e. NO and NO2)
- N2O
- Nitrous oxide
- O2
- Molecular or common oxygen
- O3
- Ozone
- ODP
- Ozone Depleting Potential
- OECD
- Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
- PFC
- Perfluorocarbon
- ppb
- parts per billion (i.e. the concentration of a substance in air or water)
- ppbv
- parts per billion by volume
- ppm
- parts per million
- ppt
- parts per trillion
- PFC
- Perfluorocarbon
- PSC
- Polar stratospheric cloud
- QBO
- Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (a global atmospheric circulation effect)
- QPS
- Quarantine and pre-shipment
- R-B
- Robertson-Berger Meter (an instrument for measuring ultraviolet radiation)
- SF6
- Sulphur hexafluoride
- SOI
- Southern Oscillation Index (i.e. a scale showing the presence and intensity of the ENSO)
- TOMS
- Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer-a satellite instrument to measure ozone
- UNEP
- United Nations Environment Programme
- UV-A
- Ultraviolet- A radiation (320-400 nanometres)
- UV-B
- Ultraviolet-B radiation (290-320 nanometres)
- UV-C
- Ultraviolet-C radiation (200-290 nanometres)
- WMO
- World Meteorological Organisation
