Natural Resources/Climate
Limited Resource
the reality or perception that sufficient resources don't exist for all parties to achieve their goals or fulfill their interests
Coal
to grow together to form a single whole
Ground Water
underground water that is held in the soil and in pervious rocks
Water Vapor
water in the form of a gas
Global Warming
An increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere (especially a sustained increase that causes climatic changes)
Petroleum
An oily, dark-colored, flammable liquid found in the earth, consisting mainly of a mixture of various hydrocarbons. Gasoline, kerosene, fuel oil, paraffin, and lubricants are made from petroleum.
Renewable Resource
Any natural resource (as wood or solar energy) that can be replenished naturally with the passage of time
Sea Level Rise
Causes erosion of shorelines and rainforests, flooding of wetlands that house freshwater ecosystems. Caused by global climate changes that is melting sea ice.
Fossil Fuel
Coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are ancient remains of plants and animals.
Recycling
Convert waste into reusable material.
Deforestation
Destruction of forests
Alternative Energy
energy that does not come from fossil fuels and that is still in development
Indirect Evidence
evidence that does not involve direct observation
Wind Turbines
large windmills that produce electricity
Nonrenewable Resource
materials found in nature that CANNOT be renewed or replaced
Carbon Footprint
measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide
Carbon footprint
measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide
Bacteria
(microbiology) single-celled or noncellular spherical or spiral or rod-shaped organisms lacking chlorophyll that reproduce by fission
Pollutant
A substance that causes pollution.
Infiltration
Flow of water from the land surface into the subsurface.
Soil Erosion
Movement of soil components, especially topsoil, from one place to another, usually by wind, flowing water, or both. This natural process can be greatly accelerated by human activities that remove vegetation from soil.
Reservoir
a lake that stores water for human use
Ice Cores
pieces of ice used to track earths past weather
Nonpoint Source Pollution
pollution that comes from many sources rather than from a single, specific site
Glaciers
huge, slow moving sheets of ice
Direct Evidence
information about a crime provided by a witness who saw the crime, or by a video or audio recording of the crime
Non-Renewable
Energy formed so slowly that for practical purposes it cannot be renewed. The three main fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas, and coal) plus nuclear energy are the most widely used, mostly because they are more cost efficient.
Geothermal Energy
Energy from steam or hot water produced from hot or molten underground rocks.
Nuclear Energy
Energy stored in the nucleus of an atom
Distribution Systems
Failure of these leads to malnourishment because they cannot distribute food equally to everyone in the world
Greenhouse Effect
Natural situation in which heat is retained in Earth's atmosphere by carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and other gases
Natural Resource
Naturally occurring materials, such as oil and fertile land, which can be used by humans
Climate
Overall weather in an area over a long period of time
Photovoltaic Technology
PV cells are made primarily of silicon. When sunlight hits a PV cell, the energy knocks electrons free of their atoms, allowing them to flow through the material and create an electrical current. Type of Solar Energy.
Point Source Pollution
Pollutants discharged from a single identifiable location (e.g., pipes, ditches, channels, sewers, tunnels, containers of various types).
Algae Bloom
Rapid increase in the population of algae in an aquatic system usually due to an abundance of nutrients
Carbon Source
Releases more carbon into the atmosphere than it takes in
Reserve
Reticent
Microcystin
Also concern about low level, chronic exposure
Nuclear Fusion
2 isotopes of light elements (H) forced together at high temperatures till they fuse to form a heavier nucleus. Expensive, break even point not reached yet
Aquifer
A body of rock or sediment that stores groundwater and allows the flow of groundwater.
Pesticide
A chemical intended to kill insects and other organisms that damage crops.
Fuel Cell
A device that converts hydrogen or another fuel into electricity
Ozone
A form of oxygen that has three oxygen atoms in each molecule instead of the usual two.
Natural Gas
A fossil fuel in the gaseous state
Ethanol
A fuel that can be made from sugar cane
Climate Graph
A graph that indicates the rainfall, mean maximum temperature and mean minimum temperature in a particular area.
Hydroelectric Power
Electricity produced by the kinetic energy of water moving over a waterfall or dam.
Oil
A liquid fossil fuel formed from marine organisms that is burned to obtain energy and used in the manufacture of plastics.
Turbidity
A measure of how clear water is.
Carbon Sink
A natural environment that absorbs and stores more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it releases, which offsets greenhouse gas emissions.
Renewable
A natural resource that can be replaced at the same rate at which the resource is consumed
Nuclear Fission
A nuclear reaction in which a massive nucleus splits into smaller nuclei with the simultaneous release of energy
Nuclear Fusion
A nuclear reaction in which atomic nuclei of low atomic number fuse to form a heavier nucleus with the release of energy
Active solar heating
A system in which a series of collection devices mounted on a roof or in a field are used to absorb solar energy. Pumps or fans distribute the collected heat.
Passive Solar heating
A system that uses the sun's energy without requiring mechanical devices (pumps or fans) to distribute the collected heat.
Positive Feedback
A type of regulation that responds to a change in conditions by initiating responses that will amplify the change. Takes organism away from a steady state.
Albedo
Ability of a surface to reflect light
Coal
Access to rivers, iron ore, timber, and _____ was a major determining factor in which countries were able to industrialize during this period.
Best Management Practices
Agreed upon the EPA, actions that minimize pollution problems caused by industrial or land use impacts
Earth's Energy Budget
Amount of solar energy coming in is equal to amount leaving earth
Photovoltaic array
An energy system that collects and stores heat energy from the sun
Photovoltaic Array
An energy system that collects and stores heat energy from the sun is a
Reserve
An extra supply of a material or substance
Sediment Pollution
By volume and mass, sediment is our greatest water pollutant. It can choke streams, fill reservoir`s, bury vegetation. A nuisance.
Methane
CH4
Carbon Dioxide
CO2
Mineral Resource
Concentration of naturally occurring solid, liquid, or gaseous material in or on the earth's crust in a form and amount such that extracting and converting it into useful materials or items is currently or potentially profitable. Mineral resources are classified as metallic (such as iron and tin ores) or nonmetallic (such as fossil fuels, sand, and salt).
Fuel cell
Device that combines hydrogen, or other fuels, and oxygen and produces electricity in the process.
Hydroelectric Power
Electricity generated by flowing water
Biofuels
Fuels, such as ethanol or methanol, that are created from the fermentation of plants or plant products.
Infrastructure
Fundamental facilities and systems serving a country, city, or area, as transportation and communication systems, power plants, and schools
Greenhouse Gases
Gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and ozone in the atmosphere which are involved in the greenhouse effect.
Ocean Currents
Global patterns created from the movement of the oceans; such as the Gulf Stream
Wind Farms
Large arrays of wind turbines
Wind farms
Large numbers of windmills concentrated in a single area; usually owned by a utility or large-scale energy producer.
Icecaps
Mars has polar regions with _____ composed of water and two satelittes.
Natural Resource
Materials or substances such as minerals, forests, water, and fertile land that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain
Carbon Cycle
The organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again
Land Use
Various ways humans use the land such as agricultural, industrial, residential, or recreational
Surface Water
Water above the surface of the land, including lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, floodwater, and runoff.
Thermal Expansion (Of Ocean Water)
Where sea level rises because it warms and particles move further apart
Nutrient Pollution
Which of the following types of water pollution causes eutrophication?
Fertilizer
a chemical that provides nutrients to help crops grow better.
Amoebas
a group of protozoans that move by means of pseudopods
Wind Turbine
a machine that converts the kinetic energy in wind into mechanical energy.
Toxin
a poison that can harm an organism
Nonrenewable Resource
a resource that cannot be replaced
Ore
a rock that contains a large enough concentration of a mineral making it profitable to mine
Mineral Resource
all discovered and undiscovered deposits of a useful mineral that can be extracted now or at some time in the future
Ocean Acidification
decreasing pH of ocean waters due to absorption of excess atmospheric CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels
Fresh Water
defined as having a low salt concentration (less than 1%). Plants and animals are adjusted to the low salt content and would not be able to survive in areas of high salt concentration (i.e., ocean). There are different types of freshwater regions: ponds and lakes, streams and rivers, and estuaries.
Limited Resource
scarcity
Contaminant
something that causes impurity; something that defiles or pollutes
Land Reclamation
the process of restoring land to a more natural state
Tides
the regular rise and fall of the ocean's surface influenced by the moon's gravity pulling on earth
Recycling
the separation, collection, processing, marketing, and reuse of unwanted material
Inexhaustible
unlimited; unable to be used up or tired out
Photovoltaic technology
using sunlight to generate electricity
Salt Water
water that contains dissolved salts and other minerals
Run-Off
water that flows over the ground surface rather than soaking into the ground