Environmental Science Flashcards

Flashcards of key vocabulary terms and definitions from the lecture notes.

Environment

A complex matrix of social, physical, ecological, economical and cultural factors that affect our lives directly or indirectly and thus reshape our lifestyle.

Policy

A line of action chalked out by the government etc.

Planning

A process to develop a road map of action for future objectives.

Practice

An action carried out to improve certain skill.

Resource

Any useful material, service, or information.

Economics

A branch of science which deals with the allocation of resources i.e. how to use or not to use a resource and who should use and who should not.

Biophysical Environment

Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, Biosphere

Socioeconomic environment

Human social groupings, cultural activities, and economic activities.

Main environmental agendas

Population growth, Human Settlements, Food and agriculture, Forests and agriculture, Forests and Farmlands, Wildlife and habitats, Energy, Freshwater, Oceans and costs, Atmosphere and climates

Ecosphere

Lithosphere (Soil Component), Atmosphere ( Air Component), Hydrosphere ( Water Component), Biosphere

Ecology

The study of the relations of organisms to one another and their surroundings.

Gemstones

Often clear, hard minerals used for jewelry formed under tremendous heat and pressure.

Ore

A rock that contains an economically useful mineral.

Natural Resources

Any natural substance, organism, or energy which humans can use.

Renewable Resources

Can be used and replaced over a relatively short time (your lifetime). Examples: fresh water, trees, solar energy, etc.

Non-Renewable Resources

Cannot be replaced, or takes thousands to millions of years to replace. Examples: fossil fuels, coal, oil, natural gas, etc.

Conservation of resources and energy

Helps a bunch through recycling resources (paper, cans, bottles, plastic, cardboard, etc..).

Crystals

Solids in which the particles have been arranged in a three dimensional, repeating arrangement.

Mineral

A naturally formed, inorganic, crystalline solid with a specific chemical composition or range of compositions.

Major Rock Groups

Igneous rocks, Sedimentary rocks, Metamorphic rocks

Mineralogy

The relative proportion of each mineral in the rock

Texture

Different shapes and sizes of the minerals and the ways in which they are assembled.

Ignis

Fire in Latin

Metamorphic Rocks

Formed by adding heat & pressure to the igneous and sedimentary rocks.

Atmosphere Definition (F.J. MONKHOUSE)

The atmosphere is a thin layer of gas held to the earth by gravitational attraction.

Atmosphere Definition (P.LAKE)

The outer envelope is gaseous and is called atmosphere.

Atmosphere (TREWARTHA)

Surrounding the solid and liquid portions of the earth, and yet an integral part of the planet as they are, is a gaseous envelop called atmosphere, which extends to a height of several hundred miles.

Troposphere

The bottom layer of the atmosphere where temperature usually decreases with altitude.

Lapse Rate

The rate of decline in temperature in the troposphere, averaging 6.5 oC /1000m (3.5oF /10000ft).

Tropopause

The upper boundary of the troposphere, along which temperature stop decreasing with height.

Stratosphere

A layer in the atmosphere where temperatures either stay the same or start increasing with altitude.

Inversion (Positive Lapse Rates)

Layers in which temperature increases with altitude.

Stratopause

The boundary zone beyond the stratosphere where temperature remains constant with increasing altitude.

Mesosphere

A layer topping the stratopause.

Mesopause

The boundary where the decline in temperature stops in the mesosphere.

Thermosphere

A layer where temperature once more increase with height beyond the mesopause.

The Troposphere

The atmospheric zone in which we live, positioned at an average height of about 12km (7.5mi).

The Stratosphere

Calmer, thinner, clear air above the Tropopause where jet aircraft often fly.

The Mesosphere

The zone between about 50 and 80 km (31 and 50 mi), lies the layer of decreasing temperature.

The Thermosphere

Found above 80km (50mi) and continuous to the edge of space, about 60000km (37000miles) above the surface. Temperature rises spectacularly in this layer.

Homosphere

Extends from the surface 80 to 100 km (50 to 63 miles) above the earth and has a more or less uniform chemical composition.

Hetrosphere

The chemical composition of the atmosphere changes in the upper region.

Nitrogen

The bulk of atmosphere that we breathe consists of this. Converted by bacterial action into other Nitrogen compounds essential for plants growth.

Oxygen

Immediately necessary to our survival. We absorb this into our bodies (into our blood) through our lungs. One of its vital function is to burn our food so that its energy can be released.

Carbon Dioxide

Plants use this and other substances to form carbohydrates which are the essential part of the food and tissues of both plants and animals. Also helps to keep the atmosphere at temperature that permits life.

Water Vapors

Has the ability to absorb the energy from the earth's surface and atmosphere. When these are move around by currents of air, stored energy is transported along with it.

Ozone

A rare type of oxygen molecule composed of three atoms (O3) instead of two (O2).

Ozone Layer (Ozonosphere)

The region where Ozone is confined mainly to.

Impurities

Solid particles floating in the atmosphere, whose quantities also vary in time and space.