ENVIRNOMENTAL - Interpreting Existing site/envirn. conditions

Question 1

Catchment Areas aka market, trade, or tributary area

Answer 1

geographic area from which

the participants in an activity are drawn. It grows and shrinks with the activity.

Question 2

Residential Catchment Areas

Answer 2

determined by local transit systems.

Question 3

Proctor Compaction Test

Answer 3

Geotechnical tests to determine the maximum, practically achievable, density of soils and aggregates.

Question 4

Percolation test

Answer 4

test method to determine the rate at which soil absorbs effluent. Used
to test suitably of soil for a leachfield.

Question 5

Survey - Baseline

Answer 5

parallel (line that follows latitudes of earth) used as the basis for the east‐
! west layout of the US Survey system

Question 6

Survey - Parallels

Answer 6

parallels between the baselines in the US Survey

Question 7

Survey - Principle Meridian

Answer 7

meridian (north-south line that follows longitude of earth) that
! serves as the basis for the north‐south grid layout of the US Survey

Question 8

Survey - Guide Meridian

Answer 8

meridians between the principal meridians

Question 9

Survey - Benchmark

Answer 9

standard or point of reference against which things may be compared

Question 10

Survey - Metes and Bounds

Answer 10

verbal description of land that begins at a known point and
describes the bearing and length of each side of the property until the point of the
beginning is reached

Question 11

Topography - Contour Intervals

Answer 11

change in elevation between two contours. Smaller scaled maps typically have a larger interval for clarity.

Question 12

Topography - Crown/Ridge

Answer 12

contours point “down” toward the lower elevation

Question 13

Topography - Swale/valley

Answer 13

contours point “up” towards the higher elevation

Question 14

Topography - Hill

Answer 14

concentric circles with elevations getting higher towards the center

Question 15

Topography - Depression

Answer 15

concentric circles with the elevations getting lower towards the center

Question 16

Topography - Frost line

Answer 16

max depth at which soil will freeze. Below, the soil stays warmer than
freezing.

Question 17

Water - Swamp

Answer 17

wetland that features permanent inundation of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water, generally with a substantial number of hummocks, or dry‐land protrusions

Question 18

Water - Swale

Answer 18

an elongated depression in the land surface that is at least seasonally wet, is usually vegetated and is normally without flowing water.

Question 19

Water - Detention pond

Answer 19

low lying area that is designed to temporarily hold a set amount of water while slowly draining to another location. They are more or less around for flood control when large amounts of rain could cause flash flooding if not dealt with properly

Question 20

Water - Retention pond

Answer 20

designed to hold a specific amount of water indefinitely. Usually the pond is designed to have drainage leading to another location when the water level gets above the pond capacity, but still maintains a certain capacity

Question 21

Water - Riparian Rights

Answer 21

system of rights and duties that determine the reasonable use, duties, !and allocations of water to owners of waterfront property (includes bottomland, beach, and upland, but not the water itself). Owners can use water adjacent to their property, but can’t infringe upon the rights of others to use the water.

Question 22

Water - Sheet flow

Answer 22

water that flows across paved surfaces.

Question 23

Water - Aquifer

Answer 23

permeable stratum of soil material that allows the passage of water under
ground and is the water source for wells

Question 24

Water - Hydrology

Answer 24

the study of the occurrence, movement, and quality of water on a site.

Question 25

Water - Flume

Answer 25

elevated artificial channel that carries fast moving water and is used to transport things like logs and fish

Question 26

Water - Weir

Answer 26

embankment, levee or dam formed to hold a river or stream or divert water flow.

Question 27

Energy - Albedo

Answer 27

how much radiant energy that is reflected by a surface where 0 is a flat black surface which absorbs all heat and 1 is a mirror (rate is listed as a fraction).

Question 28

Energy - Conductivity

Answer 28

the speed with which heat passes through a material. Metals are high, and soils/sand are low.

Question 29

Climate - Macroclimate

Answer 29

based on latitude, elevation, and proximity to water. Water reduces temperature extremes.

Islands/Costal Region = constant & moderate temperature

Arid/Desert Region = low humidity & greater temperature variation

Mountainous Region = winds are forced to rise

Question 30

Climate - Microclimate

Answer 30

based on solar radiation, the angle between the ground and altitude

Greatest sun rays = perpendicular to ground
Winter Solstice = least hours of sun and low sun angle

Summer Solstice = most hours of sun and high sun angle

Vernal/Autumnal Equinox = equal hours of sun and dark

Question 31

Vortex

Answer 31

when moving air encounters a building perpendicular to a broad face it flows
both over roof and down the facade. Air collects at the base of the building which results in a high velocity swirl of wind.

Question 32

Air Pollution Temperature Inversion Phenomenon

Answer 32

the air temperature at ground level
is lower than higher elevations causing the heavy, cold trapped air below to release
pollutants

Question 33

Climate

Answer 33

the composite of weather conditions (described in data or quantifiable units)
including temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, and rainfall, as well as site conditions including microclimate, topography, ground cover, water, and elevation.

Question 34

Ecology

Answer 34

the science of the pattern of relationships between a group of organisms and
their environment.

Question 35

Ecosystem

Answer 35

an environment of living organisms and non-living components.