Geography Ch. 12

Anaerobic digestion

energy obtained by fermenting such wastes to produce methane gas (also called biogas)

Biological resources

supports living things

Biomass fuel

any organic material produced by plants, animals, or microorganisms that can be burned directly as a heat source or converted into a liquid or gas

Conservation

the careful use of resources so that future generations can obtain as many benefits from them as we now enjoy

Deforestation

Incurs heavy environmental, economic and social costs
on local basis.
• Accelerates soil erosion and siltation of streams and
irrigation channels leaving an area vulnerable to flooding
and drought, leading to future shortages of food and
fuelwood.
• Land cleared for agriculture can become unsustainable for
agriculture.

Desertification

Conversion of arid and semiarid lands into deserts.
• Due to climatic change and/or human activity (overgrazing,
deforestation, clear cutting).
Africa is most at risk.

Energy

the ability to do work—is either potential or kinetic

Energy efficiency

the measure of how well we can convert one form of energy into another without waste—that is, the ratio of energy that is produced to the amount of energy consumed in the production process

Estuarine Zone

Narrow area of wetlands along coastlines where salt water and fresh water mix

Geothermal energy

“Earth-heat” energy

Hydraulic fracturing

Hydropower

The second most common source of renewable energy, which exploits the energy present in falling or flowing water

Kinetic energy

the energy of motion; all moving objects possess kinetic energy

Natural resource

Physically occurring resources

Nonrenewable resources

Exist in finite amounts.
• May be reusable.

Crude oil, coal, natural gas, oil shale, tar sands, and
nuclear energy

Nuclear fission

Controlled splitting of an atom to release energy

Nuclear fusion

Process used by sun and stars.
Combining two atoms to release energy.
• Deuterium + tritium form helium + energy.

Oil sands

Mixture of sand, clay and silt (85%), water (5%) and
bitumen (10%).

Oil shale

Sedimentary rock rich in organic material (kerogen).
• Extracted and converted into a crude oil by distillation.

Perpetual resource

From sources that are virtually inexhaustible

Photovoltaic cell (PV)

Convert solar energy directly into electrical energy

Potential energy

is stored energy; when released, it is in a form that can be harnessed to do work

Proved (or reusable) reserves

Can be extracted profitably from known deposits

Renewable resources

Replaced by natural processes

Resource Reserves (variable definition of)

Some have been identified, others undiscovered

Resource

Naturally occurring, exploitable material that a society perceives
to be useful to its economic and material well-being

Salinization

Concentration of salts in topsoil as a result of the evaporation
of surface water.
• Occurs in poorly drained soils in dry climates
• Often as a result of improper irrigation.

Shale gas

natural gas trapped within sedimentary shale rocks, often in close proximity to petroleum deposits

Soil erosion

the removal of soil particles, usually by wind or running water—is as natural a process as soil formation, and it occurs even when land is page 355totally covered by forests or grass

Solar energy

the ultimate origin of most forms of utilized energy: fossil fuels and plant life, water power, and wind power

Wetlands

Vegetated land surfaces periodically or permanently
covered by or saturated with standing water.
Inland wetlands.
• Freshwater bogs, marshes, swamps, floodplains.
Coastal wetlands.
Covered by either fresh or salt water.