Exam 1 Flashcards
Chapters 1-4
Biogeochemical cycles
The processes that allow matter and energy throughout the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and cryosphere to flow- critical for life on Earth
Sequestration
The capture and storing of carbon dioxide (CO2)
Environmental Geology
Applied science involving the study and identification of geological hazards and environmental degradation that is relevant to human well-being
GPS (global positioning system) receivers
A navigational system of coded satellite signals that can be processed in a GPS electronic receiver, enabling the receiver to compute the exact positions and elevations of specific locations
Satellite
Instrumental platforms that orbit Earth in space to examine the Earth’s surface, collecting data of varying types
RADAR
Use of radio signals for determining elevations and mapping topography
Seismologists
Scientists who study the pattern of energy waves generated by earthquakes to determine how they took place and to learn about the structure of Earth’s interior
LiDAR
Use of lasers from drones or airplanes to map topography
Atmospheric river
Long, narrow plumes of moist air in the atmosphere that originate over tropics that bring plentiful rain to regions at temperate latitudes
Aquifers
Groundwater bearing bodies of rock or sediment that yield water to wells or springs in useable quantities
Climate mitigation
The effort to rein in the degree of climate change
CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
An act established to coordinate cleanup at waste sites around the US. Related to superfund sites
Environmental Justice
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all person and sections of society impacted by an environmental problem, irrespective of race, economic category, and gender
Environmental refugees
People escaping drastic, long-lasting environmental change
Groundwater
Water that collects in the subsurface pore spaces and fractures within bedrock, sediment, and soil
Numerical modeling
Use of mathematical techniques to study physical processes in detail
PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyl compounds)
Large, complex, synthetic molecules of carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine with a wide array of industrial applications. They are associated with multiple illnesses for humans that are exposed to them
Radon
Chemical symbol Rn, radon is a radioactive gas emitted as uranium (U). Breaks down to a stable, non-radioactive lead (Pb)
Transuranic Elements
Artificially produced, radioactive elements that are members of the actinide series and have an atomic number between 93 and 103
Tsunami
A very large, long-wavelength sea wave produced by a submarine earthquake, volcanic eruption, or landslide
Adiabatic heating
The heating that occurs in air that is compressed, as individual gas molecules are driven closer together and increase their collisions
Air masses
Large, roughly homogeneous, bodies of air with distinct temp, moisture, and density characteristics due to differences in the heating of Earth’s trophosphere
Albedo
The reflectivity of surfaces
Algal blooms
Large colonies of algae that grow out of control due to the addition of nitrogen runoff in bodies of water
