Environmental Science Flashcards
What is the water cycle?
The continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth.
What is transpiration?
The process by which water is absorbed by plants and released as vapor.
What is condensation?
The process by which water vapor cools and changes into liquid water.
What is precipitation?
Any form of water that falls from the atmosphere to the Earth’s surface.
What is surface run off?
Water that flows over the ground surface to bodies of water.
What is infiltration?
The process by which water enters the soil from the surface.
What is ground water flow?
The movement of water through the soil and rock layers beneath the Earth’s surface.
What is an aquifer?
A geological formation that can store and transmit water.
What is evaporation?
The process by which liquid water is transformed into water vapor.
What is freezing?
The process of turning liquid water into ice.
What is melting?
The process of turning ice back into liquid water.
What is sublimation?
The transition of water from solid (ice) directly to vapor without becoming liquid.
What is deposition?
The process by which water vapor changes directly into ice.
What is percolation?
The process of water filtering through soil and rock layers.
What is the carbon cycle?
The series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment.
What are volcanic eruptions?
The release of gas, ash, and molten rock from a volcano.
What is photosynthesis?
The process by which green plants use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.
What is carbon sequestration?
The process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide.
What is cellular respiration?
The process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide, and water.
What is decomposition?
The process by which organic substances are broken down into simpler organic matter.
What is fossilisation and unavailable carbon?
The process of organic material becoming fossilized and the carbon becoming unavailable for biological use.
What is limestone weathering?
The process by which limestone is broken down by natural forces.
What is combustion of fossil fuels?
The burning of fossil fuels that releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
What are deforestation and fires?
The clearing of forests and the occurrence of wildfires that release carbon into the atmosphere.
