Chapter 0: Definitions Flashcards
1
Q
abstraction
A
The removal of water from a river or from groundwater using wells or boreholes
2
Q
acid rain
A
rainfall that damages the environment because it has been made acidic by dissolved acid gases such as sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere
3
Q
adaptation
A
The way in which plants and animals change to survive the environmental conditions of the habitat in which they live
4
Q
afforestation
A
planting trees to establish an area of vegetation in an area where there was no forest
5
Q
agricultural yield
A
The amount of crop or livestock produced each year per square kilometre of a farm
6
Q
aquaculture
A
The rearing of aquatic animals or the cultivation of aquatic plant for food
7
Q
anti natalist policies
A
strategies designed to limit a country’s population growth by reducing its fertility rate
8
Q
aquifer
A
A layer of porous rock that stores underground water
9
Q
artesian well
A
A means of extracting groundwater through a pipe drill down from the earth surface to an underground aquifer
10
Q
bioaccumulation
A
The gradual buildup of substances such as pesticides at in increasing quantities in organisms through the food chain and trophic levels
11
Q
biodiversity
A
The range of species within an ecosystem
12
Q
bycatch
A
The unwanted fish and other marine creatures, trapped by commercial fishing nets during fishing for a different species
13
Q
capital
A
money used to invest in industry or business
14
Q
carbon capture and storage
A
The process of trapping carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels and storing it so it is unable to enter the atmosphere.
15
Q
carbon dioxide
A
A colourless, odourless gas produced from burning fossil fuels
16
Q
carbon fixing
A
describes the process by which carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is converted to complex carbon compounds such as carbohydrates by producers during photosynthesis
17
Q
carbon footprint
A
The amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of a particular individual organisation or community
18
Q
carbon offset
A
programmes involving the planting of trees by companies and individuals to mitigate or lessen the impact of their own carbon dioxide emitting activities
19
Q
carbon store
A
The accumulated carbon dioxide stored in forest as a result of carbon fixation by trees
20
Q
carboniferous period
A
A period of geological time
conditions during this time were ideal for the creation of fossil fuel
21
Q
carrying capacity
A
The maximum number of species of living things that the resources of an environment can support
22
Q
cash crop
A
crop grown to sell for profit
23
Q
chlorofluorocarbons
A
gases containing carbon, chlorine, fluorine and sometimes hydrogen that are used as refrigerants, cleaning solvents and aerosol gases. They are a major cause of stratospheric ozone depletion.
24
Q
cholera
A
A disease caused by bacteria in contaminated water, resulting in severe diarrhoea and dehydration
25
commercial farming
growing crops or rearing animals for sale at market to achieve a profit
26
congestion charges
A charge made to drive into an area typically at city centre that suffers heavy traffic
27
continental shelf
The area of sea bad around a large land mass where the sea is relatively shallow compared with the open ocean
28
convection current
heat from the earths core is carried up to the mantle through convection currents. The currents move around, destroying the crust in some places and creating new crust in other places.
29
coriolis effect
The effect that the rotation of the earth has on moving objects such as tropical storms
30
cost and benefits
The process by which the advantages of a proposed development or action are evaluated against the likely disadvantages or problems it could generate
31
deforestation
clear felling of large areas of woodland or forest
32
dependency ratio
The link between the number of adult people in a country who create wealth and the young and elderly population who depends on them for support
33
desalination
removing dissolved salt from seawater and brackish water
34
desertification
The degrading of land through soil erosion and dry land areas to such an extent that the environment comes to resemble a desert
35
desulfurisation
The removal of sulphur or sulphur compounds from coal or flue gas
36
drought
A prolonged period of very low or no rainfall leading to a shortage of water 
37
ecological niche
A unique way in which an organism is adapted to living in a habitat 
38
ecosystem
A community of organisms in an area that interact with the living and nonliving elements of their environment 
39
ecotourism
tourism that is concerned with conserving natural environment, local economies and the integrity of cultures and communities 
40
energy mix
The energy consumption of a household, region or country.
energy mix includes both renewable and non-renewable energy sources
41
enhanced greenhouse effect
The warming of the earth's atmosphere caused by an excess of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which act like a blanket, preventing the natural escape of heat into space 
42
ENSO
an irregular variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean 
43
EIA
A survey or evaluation that assists planners in assessing the likely environmental impacts of a proposed development 
44
epicentre
Point on the earth surface directly above where an earthquake occurs 
45
erosion
The wearing away of the land by an agent such as water that carries away the rock particles 
46
eutrophication
The pollution of water bodies by nutrients, leading to the rapid growth of blooms of algae and deoxygenation 
47
fishing quota
A legal limit to the amount, size and species of fish that can be caught in a year 
48
famine
starvation of many people in an area as a result of extreme shortage of food 
49
fault line
A line fracture in rock caused by earth movements 
50
fertility rate
The average number of children women in a country or region have in their lifetime 
51
flood defence
structures such as dams, artificial channels and levees that are built to protect an area from flooding 
52
floodplain
A naturally occurring area of flat, low lying ground adjacent to a river, formed mainly of river sediments and subject to flooding 
53
fossil fuels
nonrenewable organic energy resources such as oil, gas and coal that are hydrocarbon based
54
fracking
The process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside 
55
gene pool
The set of all the genes or genetic information of a particular species of organism 
56
genetic engineering
The transfer of a gene from one organism into an organism of a different species in order to develop or enhance particular physical traits 
57
global warming
warming of the earth's atmosphere as a result of the release of gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide through human activity 
58
greenhouse gas
A gas such as carbon dioxide that contributes to global warming by absorbing infrared radiation 
59
groundwater flow
The movement of water through rocks 
60
gyres
A circular system of ocean currents rotating clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counter clockwise in the Southern hemisphere
61
habitat
The location within an ecosystem that meets the living needs of a particular plant or animal animal species 
62
industrialised country
A country that generates most of its wealth from the manufacturing of goods and the provision of a wide range of services 
63
infant mortality rate
The proportion of children dying at birth or before their first birthday per thousand life births 
64
infiltration
The downward movement of water through the soil and into the rock layer below 
65
interception
water that is caught and stored by vegetation
66
irrigation 
artificially diverting water to farming areas to grow crops and sustain livestock 
67
lag time
The amount of time between peak rainfall and peak river discharge 
68
Lahar 
Hot, molten or semi fluid rock erupted from a volcano 
69
leaching
The loss of dissolved mineral nutrients in soil water as it soaks deeper into the ground beyond the reach of plant roots 
70
malaria
A water bourne disease caused by the parasite plasmodium transmitted by mosquitoes 
71
metamorphic rocks
rocks that have been changed by intense heat of pressure from one form to another, such as slate into limestone 
72
mid ocean ridge
A long seismically active underwater mountain system. These are found at constructive plate boundaries such as the Mid Atlantic Ridge. 
73
mineral
A naturally occurring solid and inorganic chemical substance with a crystalline structure found in rocks 
74
mineral ion
nutrients that plants and animals need in small amounts to be healthy, such as nitrates that are required for making amino acids 
75
monoculture
A large area devoted entirely to the cultivation of a single plant crop 
76
MPA
protected areas of seas, oceans or large lakes. Marine Protected Areas restrict human activity for a conservation purpose, typically to protect natural or cultural resources 
77
Multiplier effect
The additional economic benefits experienced when money is spread throughout a community 
78
Mutation
A change to the genetic make up of an organism that alters its characteristics 
79
nitrogen fixing bacteria
bacteria found in the root nodules of some plants such as clover that enables them to convert atmospheric nitrogen into nitrate ions in the soil 
80
Overcultivation
The continuous cropping of farmland to the point where nutrients are exhausted and the soil degraded causing erosion and desertification
81
Overfishing
when more fish are caught by excessive fishing, then the population can replace causing the depletion of the stock of fish in a body of water 
82
Overgrazing
when land is overused by livestock, leading to vegetation damage and the soil becomes liable to erosion 
83
Ozone layer
A layer in the earths stratosphere at an altitude of about 10 km containing a high concentration of ozone, which absorbs most of the ultraviolet radiation, reaching the earth from the sun 
84
peat
a highly organic material found in marshy or damp regions, composed of partially decayed plant matter. Peat contains high levels of stored carbon dioxide 
85
percolation
The downward movement of water from the soil into rock 
86
photochemical reaction
A chemical reaction caused by the interaction between chemicals and sunlight 
87
population
A group of organisms of the same species living in a particular habitat 
88
Population density
The average number of people living in one square kilometre area 
89
Population distribution
The way in which a population is spread out over an area 
90
Pyroclastic flow
fast moving clouds of ash and gas
91
recurrence interval 
an estimation of the interval between particular levels of flooding and how frequently they will occur 
92
Remediation
making safe by demolishing industrial plant, removing machinery and disposing of toxic waste 
93
Remote sensing
The technology of using satellites to obtain images of the earths surface 
94
Retrofitting
The process of strengthening older buildings in order to make them earthquake resistant 
95
Richter scale
The scale used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake 
96
rift valley
A steep sided valley formed when a constructive plate boundary is found on land
97
Rotation
regularly changing the crop grown or livestock reared on a particular particular field according to an agreed sequence 
98
Salinisation
The buildup of soluble salts such as magnesium in soil to the extent that soil fertility is severely reduced 
99
saturated soil
When soil is too acidic to absorb water
100
sedimentation
The settling and build up of silt and rock particles, such as along the bed of a river or against a dam wall 
101
Seed bank
A store of the seeds of plants in order to protect biodiversity incase seeds elsewhere in the world are destroyed by natural or human events 
102
seismometer
A machine used to measure the strength of an earthquake 
103
selective breeding
cross breeding organisms that have different desirable features to create offspring that combine all of these desirable features in one organism
104
Shield volcano
A low gently sloping volcano formed from thin, runny lava and frequent gentle eruptions 
105
slash and burn
A method of agriculture in which existing vegetation is cut down and burnt off before new seeds are shown typically used as a method for clearing forest land for farming 
106
soil erosion
The washing away of soil as a result of wind and rainfall, where there is little vegetation to hold onto the soil 
107
storm hydrograph
A graph that shows how the discharge of a river can change over time in response to a rainfall event 
108
storm surge
A significant increase in sea level due to sudden very low air pressure 
109
stratovolcano
also known as a composite volcano made up of alternate ash and lava layers and often has very violent eruptions
110
subduction
where oceanic crust is forced under continental crust at a plate boundary. These form ocean trenches. 
111
subsidy
compensation payments given to farmers usually by governments 
112
Subsistence farming
self-sufficiency farming in which farmers grow or rear enough food to feed themselves and their families with little to no so plus 
113
Tar sands
Sandy soil containing tar which can be converted into crude oil through an environmentally destructive process 
114
temperature inversion
A reversal of the normal decrease of air temperature with altitude, which leads to fog forming 
115
thermohaline circulation
The oceanic circulation system driven by variation in ocean temperature and salinity
116
trophic level
A feeding level in a food chain or food web.
117
Tropical cyclone
intense spinning storm with high winds and torrential rain around a calm centre. at a certain point of intensity it becomes a cyclone or hurricane.
118
Tsunami
huge sea wave created as a result of a major earthquake or volcanic eruption 
119
upwelling
A process in which deep cold nutrient rich water rises towards the surface 
120
VEI
volcanic explosively index is a scale used to measure the intensity of a volcanic eruption 
121
water table
The upper edge of the water saturated zone in porous rocks 
122
Weathering
The breakdown of rocks by physical, chemical or organic processes with little or no transportation of the resulting rock particles 
