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Surface Water
Is fresh water on Earth's land surface. Surface water is found in lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands.
River system
streams and rivers move across the land and form a flowing network of water.
Watersheds
The area of land that is drained by a river.
Ground water
Water stored beneath the Earth's surface in sediment and rock formations
Water table
a level where the rocks and soil are saturated with water
Aquifer
An underground formation that contains groundwater
Porosity
is the amount of space between the particles that make up a rock.
Permeability
The ability of rock or soil to allow water to flow through it.
Recharge Zone
The area of the Earth's surface where water percolates down into the aquifer
Wells
A hole that is dug or drilled to reach groundwater
Water treatment
the process that removes elements such as mercury, arsenic, and lead, which are poisonous to humans even in low concentrations
Irrigation
is a method of providing plants with water from sources other than direct precipitation.
Dam
is a structure built across a river to control the river's flow
drip irrigation systems
deliver small amounts of water directly to plant roots by using perforated tubing.
Desalination
is the process of removing salt from salt water
Water Pollution
is the introduction of chemical, physical, or biological agents into water that degrade water quality and adversely affect the organisms that depend on the water.
Waste water
water that contains waste from homes or industry.
Artificial Eutrophication
Eutrophication caused by humans
Biomagnification
the accumulation of pollutants at successive levels of the food chain
Primary Pollutant
A pollutant that is put directly into the air by human activity
Secondary Pollutant
form when a primary pollutant comes into contact with other primary pollutants or with naturally occurring substances such as water vapor and a chemical reaction takes place.
Zero-emission vehicles
are vehicles that have no tailpipe emissions, no emissions from gasoline, and no emission-control systems that deteriorate over time
Scrubber
is a machine that moves gases through a spray of water that dissolves many pollutants.
Smog
is produced when air pollution hangs over urban areas and reduces visibility.
Sick-building syndrome
is most common in hot places where buildings are tightly sealed to keep out the heat
Radon
is one of the elements produced by the decay of uranium, a radioactive element that occurs naturally in the Earth's crust
Decibels
a measurement units to measure the intensity of sound.
Acid Precipitation
is precipitation such as rain, sleet, or snow that contains a high concentration of acids.
pH(power of hydrogen)
number is a measure of how acidic or basic a substance is.
Acid shock
the sudden influx of acidic water that causes a rapid change in the water's pH is
Climate
is the long-term prevailing weather conditions at a particular place based upon records taken
Latitude
The distance from the equator measured in degrees north or south of the equator
Wind
The movement of air within the atmosphere
Prevailing Winds
Winds that blow predominantly in one direction throughout the year
Trade winds
Belts of prevailing winds are produced in both hemispheres between 30° north and south latitude and the equator
El Nino
is the name given to the short-term (generally 6- to 18-month period), periodic change in the location of warm and cold water masses in the Pacific Ocean. During an El Niño, winds in the western Pacific Ocean, which are usually weak, strengthen and push warm water eastward.
La Nina
the water in the eastern Pacific Ocean is cooler than usual. El Niño and La Niña are opposite phases of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. El Niño is the warm phase of the cycle, and La Niña is the cold phase
Pacific Decadal Oscillation
is a long-term, 20- to 30-year change in the location of warm and cold water masses in the Pacific Ocean
solar maximum
the sun emits an increased amount of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. UV radiation produces more ozone.
Ozone layer
is an area in the stratosphere where ozone is highly concentrated
Polar vortex
During the dark polar winter, strong circulating winds over Antarctica isolate cold air from surrounding warmer air
greenhouse effect
the process of heat absorption
Greenhouse gases
The gases that do absorb and radiate heat
Global Warming
The predicted increase in global temperature
Kyoto Protocol
requires developed countries to decrease emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases
Urban
Land that is covered mainly with buildings and roads
Rural
Land that contains relatively few people and large areas of open space
Ecosystem Services
The resources that are produced by natural and artificial ecosystems
Urbanization
The movement of people from rural areas to cities
Infrastructure
is all of the things that a society builds for public use
Urban Sprawl
Rapid expansion of a city into the countryside around the city
Land-used planning
is determining in advance how land will be used—where houses, businesses, and factories will be built, where land will be protected for recreation, and so on
Geographic information system
is a computerized system for storing, manipulating, and viewing geographic data.
Open space
is land within urban areas that is set aside for scenic and recreational enjoyment.
Greenbelts
Open spaces left in their natural condition
Farmland
is land that is used to grow crops and fruit.
Rangeland
land that supports different vegetation types like grasslands, shrublands, and deserts and that is not used for farming or timber production.
Clear-cutting
is the process of removing all of the trees from an area of land.
Selective cutting
is the process of cutting and removing only middle-aged or mature trees.
Deforestation
The clearing of trees from an area without replacing them.
Reforestation
is the process by which trees are planted to re-establish trees that have been cut down in a forest land.
Wilderness
is an area in which the land and the ecosystems it supports are protected from all exploitation.
Famine
widespread starvation caused by a shortage of food
Malnutrition
is a condition that occurs when people do not consume enough Calories or do not eat a sufficient variety of foods to fulfill all of the body's needs
Drought
is a prolonged period during which rainfall is below average.
Fertile Soils
Soil that can support the growth of healthy plant
Chemical weathering
the minerals in the rock react chemically with substances such as water to form new materials
Erosion
is the wearing away of rock or soil by wind and water
Land degradation
happens when human activity or natural processes damage the land so that it can no longer support the local ecosystem.
Desertification
is the process by which land in arid or semiarid areas becomes more desert like because of human activity or climatic changes
Compost
is partly decomposed organic material.
Salinization
The accumulation of salts in the soil
Pesticides
chemicals used to kill insects, weeds, and other crop pests.
Pest
is any organism that occurs where it is not wanted or that occurs in large enough numbers to cause economic damage.
Biological pest control
is the use of living organisms to control pests
Pathogens
Organisms that cause disease
Pheromones
chemicals produced by one organism that affect the behavior of another organism, can also be used in pest control.
Integrated pest management
is a modern method of controlling pests on crops.
Genetic Engineering
the technology in which genetic material in a living cell is modified for medical or industrial use.
Overharvesting
Catching or removing from a population more organisms than the population can replace
Sustainable Agriculture
Farming that conserves natural resources and helps keep the land productive
Aquaculture
the raising of aquatic organisms for human use or consumption.
Livestock
Domesticated animals that are raised to be used on a farm or ranch or to be sold for profit
Surface mining
methods are used when ore deposits are located close to Earth's surface
Open-pit mining
is a method that is often used when large quantities of near-surface ore are mined.
Smelting
crushed ore is melted at high temperatures in furnaces to separate impurities from molten metal
Dump
Excess rock from mines is sometimes dumped into large piles
Subsidence
The sinking of regions of the ground with little or no horizontal movement
Reclamation
The process of returning land to its original or better condition after mining is completed
Fossil Fuels
are the remains of ancient organisms that changed into coal, oil, or natural gas.
Electric generator
is a machine that converts mechanical energy, or motion, into electrical energy
Turbine
is a wheel that changes the force of a moving gas or a liquid into energy that can do work. In most power plants, water is boiled to produce the steam that turns the turbine.
Oil Reserves
are oil deposits that can be extracted profitably at current prices using current technology
Nuclear energy
the energy within the nucleus of an atom.
Nuclear Fission
collisions cause the nuclei to split
Nuclear Fusion
occurs when lightweight atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus and release tremendous amounts of energy
Renewable Energy
is energy from sources that are constantly being formed
Alternative Energy
describes energy sources that are still in development.
Tides
the movement of water in the oceans and seas caused by gravitational attraction between the sun, Earth, and moon.
Energy Efficiency
the percentage of energy put into a system that does useful work.