United states
Volcanic Belt
'fall line' in the Northeast
Clear-Cutting
Removal of all forests when harvesting timber
Headwaters
Source
Foreclosure
The seizure of property from borrowers who are unable to repay their loans
Aqueduct
a channel or pipeline for moving large quantities of water a channel or pipeline for carrying a large quantity of flowing water
Suburb
a community lying on the fringes of a metropolitan area
divide
a physical feature that determines the direction of river flow
hot spot
a place on the ocean floor through which magma vents to create an underwater volcano that may grow into an island
Hurricane
a powerful tropical storm that forms over warm ocean waters
Rust Belt/Manufacturing Belt
a region in the northeastern and midwestern United States characterized by its heavy industrial concentration 'fall line' in the Northeast
Tributary
a smaller river or stream that feeds into a larger river
Megalopolis
a very large, heavily populated city or urban complex. Densely populated urban areas like the megalopolis between Boston and Washington, D.C. attract residents with economic opportunity.
Petroleum Reserves
amount of petroleum know to be in a well at a given price
The Clean Water Act
has helped restore water quality throughout the country.
Smog
haze caused by the interaction of ultraviolet solar radiation with chemical fumes from pollution sources
Eutrophication
process by which a body of water becomes too rich in dissolved nutrients, leading to plant growth that depletes oxygen in the water
Sunbelt
states in the south and southwest that have a warm climate and tend to be politically conservative Population is increasing in Sunbelt states as manufacturing has declined in the North and Great Lakes region.
Columbia Plateau
the dry area between the Pacific Ranges and the Rocky Mountains
Fall line
the eastern United States boundary where the elevated Piedmont area drops to the lower Atlantic Coastal Plain
Great Plains
vast grassland between the mississippi river and the rocky mountains
Wheat belt
wheat-growing region that included the Dakotas, Nebraska and Kansas