Glossary of Climate Change - S

S

• Slash and burn - form of deforestation used to clear fields for agricultural use.
• Solar variation - changes in the amount of radiant energy emitted by the Sun.
• Solar wind - stream of charged particles ejected from the upper atmosphere of the Sun.
• Sunspot - a region on the Sun's surface (photosphere) that is marked by a lower temperature than its surroundings and has intense magnetic activity, which inhibits convection, forming areas of low surface temperature. Sunspot activity is subject to research on climate change.