Nederland: klimaat en duurzaamheid

These flashcards cover the vocabulary and key concepts related to climate change, sustainability, water management, and soil types in the Netherlands based on the provided geography lecture notes.

Fossiele brandstoffen

Energy sources such as aardgas, aardolie, and steenkool that release extra $CO_2$ into the air when used by factories, traffic, houses, and power plants.

Koolstofdioxide ($CO_2$)

A greenhouse gas that holds heat in the atmosphere; its concentration increases due to the use of fossiele brandstoffen.

Versterkt broeikaseffect

The intensification of the natural greenhouse effect caused by extra emissions of greenhouse gases, leading to global warming.

Klimaatneutraal

The goal for the Netherlands to achieve by 2050, where human activities result in no net impact on the climate system.

Energietransitie

The process of switching from using fossil energy sources to sustainable energy sources.

Duurzame / hernieuwbare energiebronnen

Energy sources that do not run out and do not release $CO_2$ into the air, such as wind and solar energy.

Biomassa

Organic material such as wood residues, vegetable, fruit, and garden waste, old paper, vegetable oil, and manure used for electricity or as biofuel.

$CO_2$-neutraal (Biomassa)

A quality of biomassa where the combustion only releases the amount of $CO_2$ that plants and trees absorbed during their lifetime via fotosynthese.

Warmtepompen

Devices that use air or ground heat to heat houses and tap water.

Zandsuppletie

The addition of sand to the coast so that waves lose their destructive power and dunes become higher and wider.

Klimaatadaptatie

Adapting to climate change to reduce its negative consequences.

Bodemdaling

The lowering of the land surface, caused in the Netherlands by factors like dewatering peat (ontwatering), isostatic rebound after the ice age, and mining of natural resources like aardgas.

Relatieve zeespiegelstijging

The combination of absolute sea level rise and local land subsidence (bodemdaling).

Dijkringen

System of dikes protecting specific areas, such as dijkring 14 in the Randstad, where the risk of flooding is small ($1$ time in every $10,000$ years).

Wateroverlast

Problems caused by excessive water, often occurring due to heavy rain (stortbuien) or when river water cannot flow into the sea during storms.

Debiet

The amount of water flowing through a river at a certain point, measured in $m^3 / s$.

Regiem

The fluctuations in a river's water discharge throughout the year.

Ruimte voor de Rivier

A project consisting of measures to make the river area safer and more beautiful, such as lowering floodplains or digging nevengeulen.

Verzilting

The process of soil or water becoming salty, often caused by low river levels allowing seawater to penetrate inland.

Hittestress

Health and social issues caused by extreme heat in cities, including higher mortality rates, illness, and decreased productivity.

Stedelijk warmte-eiland

A phenomenon where urban areas are significantly warmer ($4-8$ $^{\circ}C$) than surrounding rural areas because stone and asphalt absorb more heat than vegetation.

Waterkringloop

The continuous movement of water on Earth, involving processes like verdamping (evaporatie), condensatie, and neerslag.

Evapotranspiratie

The total evaporation from surface water (evaporatie) plus the evaporation through plant leaves (transpiratie).

Stroomgebied

The entire area that drains into a main river.

Waterscheiding

The boundary between two different stroomgebieden.

Verval

The difference in height between two points along a river (e.g., $12\,m$ for the Rhine between Spijk and Hoek van Holland).

Verhang

The height difference (verval) per kilometer along a river: $\frac{\text{verval}}{\text{distance}}$. For the Rhine, this is approximately $0.08\,m/km$.

Vertragingstijd

The time between a precipitation event and the subsequent rise in water level downstream.

Veenoxidatie

The process where peat settles and decomposes when exposed to oxygen due to low water levels, releasing $CO_2$ and causing further bodemdaling.

Compactie

The process where layers above a gas field press sandstone together after gas winning reduces pressure, leading to bodemdaling.

Choropletenkaart

A type of thematic map that uses colors or shading to represent data values in different areas.

Glaciaal / IJstijd

A cold period in Earth's history where average temperatures are about $5\,^{\circ}C$ lower, and glaciers/ice caps expand.

Uitspoelingshorizont

The layer in the soil from which minerals and nutrients are removed by downward-moving rainwater.

Inspoelingshorizont

The soil layer where minerals and nutrients that have been leached from higher layers accumulate.

Aquifer

A water-bearing layer in the underground soil.