Environmental Geochemistry: Summary of Sessions 1–3

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on Environmental Geochemistry, focusing on environmental interactions and human impact.

Land cover

The physical features on the Earth’s surface, such as forests, lakes, and urban environments.

Land use

How humans utilize land for activities such as agriculture, forestry, and urban development.

Regolith

The unconsolidated material covering bedrock, where soils form.

Soil profile

A vertical section of soil that displays its various horizons, including O, A, E, B, C, and R.

Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions resulting from human activities, contributing to climate change.

Eutrophication

Nutrient enrichment of water bodies, leading to excessive growth of algae and depletion of oxygen.

Bioconcentration factor

A measure of the extent to which a chemical will accumulate in living organisms.

Chemical reduction

The process of reducing a chemical, such as converting Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in soil remediation.

Planetary boundaries

Limits within which humanity can safely operate without causing significant environmental harm.

Holocene

The most recent geological epoch, known for environmental stability suitable for human life.

Malthusianism

The theory that population grows exponentially while food production increases linearly.

Tragedy of the Commons

An economic theory describing the tendency for shared resources to be overused and depleted.

Gaia Hypothesis

The idea that Earth can be viewed as a self-regulating system capable of maintaining conditions for life.

Logistic growth

Population growth that slows upon reaching the carrying capacity of the environment.

Biodiversity loss

The decline in the variety of life in a particular ecosystem, often due to human activities.

Food security

Access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to maintain a healthy life.

Easterlin Paradox

The observation that higher income does not necessarily correlate with higher levels of happiness.

Green Revolution

A period of agricultural transformation that increased food production through new technologies.

Aquaculture

The farming of aquatic organisms such as fish and shellfish for food production.

Carbon intensity

The quantity of carbon emissions produced per unit of economic output.