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Fallacy > Geology and the Environment - Unit 2 > Flashcards

Geology and the Environment - Unit 2 Flashcards

1
Q

A Horizon

A

Usually top zone in soil profile, consisiting of mix of mineral and organic material

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2
Q

Anaerobic

A

Decomposition that occurs without using, or in the absence of, oxygen

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3
Q

Anthracite

A

The hardest of naturally occuring coals

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4
Q

Aquifer

A

Rock that is sufficiently porous and permeable to be useful as a source of water

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5
Q

Aquitard

A

Rock of low permeability, through which water flows very slowly

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6
Q

Artesian System

A

A confined aquifer system in which ground water can rise above its aquifer under its own pressure

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7
Q

B Horizon

A

Soil layer found below the soil’s A and E horizons; also known as the zone of accumulation

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8
Q

Banded Iron Formation

A

A Sedimentary rock consisting of alternating iron-rich and iron-poor bands, gound in Precambrian rocks, that may serve as an ore of iron

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9
Q

Bitumen

A

The dark, heavy, viscous petroleum found in oil sands

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10
Q

Bituminous

A

A form opf coal that is softer than anthracite but harder than lignite

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11
Q

C Horizon

A

Soil layer found directly below the soil’s B horizon; consists of coarsely broken berock

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12
Q

Chemical Weathering

A

The breakdown of minerals by chemical reaction with water, with other chemicals dissolved in water, or with gases in the air

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13
Q

Coal-Bed Methane

A

Methane associated with, and extracted from, coal deposits

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14
Q

Concentration Factor

A

The concetration of a metal in a given ore deposit divided by its average concentration in the continental crust

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15
Q

Conditional Resources

A

Subeconomic Resources; Those resources already gound that cannot be exploited economically with existing technology; also known as conditional resources

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16
Q

Cone of Depression

A

A Broadly conical depression of the water table or petentiometric surface caused by pumped groundwater withdrawal

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17
Q

Confined Aquifer

A

An aquifer overlain by an aquitard or aquiclude

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18
Q

Cumulative Reserves

A

The total reserves, including materials already consumed or exploited

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19
Q

Darcy’s Law

A

Relationship of groundwater flow rate between two points to the difference in hydraulic head between them

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20
Q

Discharge

A

The amount of water flowing past a given point per unit time

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21
Q

E Horizon

A

Layer typically found between A and B soil horizons; also known as the zone of leaching

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22
Q

Evaporite

A

A sedimentary mineral deposit formed when a shallow or inland sea drys up; also,. The mnerals commonly deposited in such an environment

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23
Q

Fossil Fuel

A

Hydrocarbon Fuels formed from organic matter

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24
Q

Fracking

A

The process by which atomic nuclei combine to produce larger nuclei

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25
Q

Gasification

A

Any process by which coal is converted to gaseous hydrocarbon fuel

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26
Q

Geopressurized Zones

A

Deep aquifers under unusually high pressure, exceeding normal hydrostatic (Fluid) pressure

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27
Q

Ground Water

A

Water in the zone of saturation, below the water table

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28
Q

Hard Water

A

Water containing substantial quantities of dissolved clacium, magnesium, and/or iron

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29
Q

Hydraulic Head

A

Potential energy of water above a given point, reflected in the ehight of the water surface (above ground), water table in an unconfined aquifer, or potentiometric surface in a confined aquifer

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30
Q

Hydrothermal Ores

A

Ores deposited by circulating warm fluids in the earth’s crust

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31
Q

Hypothetical Resources

A

The quantity of resource material expected to befound in areas in which like deposits are known to exist

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32
Q

Karst

A

Terrain characterized by abundant formation of underground solution cavities and sinkholes; commonly underlain by limestone

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33
Q

Kerogen

A

A waxy solid hydrocarbon in oil shale

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34
Q

Kimberlites

A

Igneous rocks that occur as pipelike intrusive bodies that probably originated in the mantle

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35
Q

Laterite

A

An extreme variety of pedalfer soil that is highly leached; common in tropical climates

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36
Q

Leaching

A

The removal of elements or compounds by dissolution

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37
Q

Lignite

A

The softest of coals

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38
Q

Liquifaction

A

Coal: any process by which coal is converted into a liquid hydrocarbon fuel/ Soil: A quicksand condition arising in wet soil shaken by seismic waves; soil loses its strength as particles lose contact with each other

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39
Q

Manganese Nodules

A

Lumps of manganese and iron oxides and hydroxides, with other metals, found on the sea floor

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40
Q

Mechanical Weathering

A

The physical breakup of rock or mineral grains by surface processes

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41
Q

Methane Hydrate

A

A crystalline solid of natural gas and water molecules, found in arctic regions and marine sediments

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42
Q

Natural Gas

A

Gaseous hydrocarbons, especially methane (CH4)

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43
Q

Nonrenewable

A

Not being replenished or formed at any significant rate on a human time scale

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44
Q

O Horizon

A

Top layer of soil, consisting wholly of organic matter; not always present

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45
Q

Oil

A

Any various liquid hydrocarbon compounds

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46
Q

Oil Sand

A

Sedimentary rock, usually sandstone, containing thick, heavy, tarlike hydrocarbon bitumen

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47
Q

Oil Shale

A

A sedimentary rock containing the waxy solid hydrocarbon kerogen

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48
Q

Ore

A

A rock in which a valuable or useful metal occurs at a concentration sufficiently high to make it economically practical to mine

49
Q

Pedalfer

A

A moderately leached soil rich in residual iron and aluminum oxide minerals

50
Q

Pedocal

A

A soil in which calcium carbonate and other readily soluble minerals are retained; characteristic of drier climates

51
Q

Pegmatite

A

A very coarsly crystalline igneous rock

52
Q

Permeability

A

A measure of how readily fluid can flow through a rock, sediment or soil

53
Q

Petroleum

A

Liquid hydrocarbons derived from organic matter and used as a fuel

54
Q

Phreatic Zone

A

Saturated Zone: The region of rock or soil in which pore spaces are completely filled with liquid

55
Q

Placer

A

The ores concentrated by streal or wave action on the basis of mineral densities and/or resistance to weathering

56
Q

Porosity

A

Proportion of void space in rock, sediment, or soil

57
Q

Potentiometric Surface

A

A feature analogous to a water table but applied to confined aquifers; indicates the height to which the water’s pressure would raise the water if the water were unconfined

58
Q

Rare-Earth Elements

A

Elements with atomic numbers from 57 through 71

59
Q

Recharge

A

The process of infiltraton and migration by which ground water is replenished

60
Q

Remote Sensing

A

Investigation without direct contact, as by using aerial or satellite photography, radar, and so on

61
Q

Reserves

A

The quantity of a resource material that has been found and is recoverable economically with existing technology

62
Q

Saltwater Intrusion

A

The process by which salt water replaces fresh ground water when the freshwater is being used more rapidly than it is being recharged; especially common in coastal areas

63
Q

Saturated Zone

A

The region of rock or soil in which pore spaces are completely filled with liquid

64
Q

Shale Gas

A

Natural gas occuring in shale typically of low permeability

65
Q

Sinkhole

A

A circular depression in the ground surface commonly caused by collapse into an underground cavern formed by solution

66
Q

Soil

A

The accumulation of unconsolidated rock and mineral fragments and organic matter formed in place at the earth’s surface; capable of supporting life

67
Q

Soil Moisture

A

Water in the soil in te zone of aeration or vadose zone

68
Q

Speculative Resources

A

The quantity of a resource material that has been found and is recoverable economically with existing technology

69
Q

Spoil Banks

A

Piles of waste rock and soil left behind by surface mining, especially strip-mining

70
Q

Subeconomic resources

A

Those resources already gound that cannot be exploited economically with existing technology; also known as conditional resources

71
Q

Tailings

A

The piles of crushed waste rock created as a by-product of mineral processing

72
Q

Unconfined Aquifer

A

An aquifer not overlain directly by an aquitard

73
Q

Unsaturaetd Zone

A

A partly saturated region of rock or soil, above the water table; also known as the vadose zone

74
Q

Vadose Zone

A

A partly saturated region of rock or soil, above the water table

75
Q

Water Table

A

The top of the zone of saturation

76
Q

Zone of Accumulation

A

The B Horizon; Soil layer found below the soil’s A and E horizons

77
Q

Zone of Leaching

A

The E Horizon; Layer typically found between A and B soil horizons

78
Q

Alluvial Fan

A

A wedge shaped sediment deposit left where a tributary flows inrto a more slowly flowing stream, or where a mountain stream flows into a desert

79
Q

Base Level

A

The lowest elevation to which a stream can cut down; for most streams, this is the level of the body of water into which they flow, such as another stream, lake, or ocean

80
Q

Braided Stream

A

A stream with multiple channels that divide and rejoin

81
Q

Capacity (Stream)

A

The load a stram can carry

82
Q

Channelization

A

The modification of a stream channel, such as deepeningo or straightening of the channel, usually with the objective of reducing flood hazards

83
Q

Crest

A

The maximum stage reached during a flood event

84
Q

Cut Bank

A

Steep stream bank being eroded by lateral migration of meanders

85
Q

Delta

A

A fan shaped deposit of sediment formed at a stream’s mouth

86
Q

Discharge

A

The amount of water flowing past a given point per unit time

87
Q

Downstream Flood

A

A flood affecting a large area of a drainage basin or a large stream system; typically caused by prolonged rain or rapid regional snowmelt

88
Q

Drainage Basin

A

The region from which surface water drains itno a particular stream

89
Q

Flood

A

Condition in which stream stage is above channel bank height

90
Q

Flood Frequency Curve

A

A graph of stream stage ordischarge as a function of recurrence interval (or annual probability of occurrence)

91
Q

Floodplain

A

A flat region or valley flood surrounding a stream channel, formed by meandering and sediment deposition, into which the stream overflows during flooding

92
Q

Gradient

A

The slope (steepness) of a stream channel along its length

93
Q

Hydrograph

A

A graph of stream stage or discharge against time

94
Q

Hydrologic Cycle

A

The cycle through whcih water in the hydrosphere moves; includes such processes as evaporation, precipitation, and surface and groundwater runoff

95
Q

Hydrosphere

A

All water at and near the earth’s surface that is not chemically bound in rocks

96
Q

Infiltration

A

The process by whcih surface water sinks into the ground

97
Q

Levees

A

Raised banks along a stream channel that tend to containthe water during high-discharge events

98
Q

Load (stream)

A

The total quantity of material transported by a stream: Sum of bed load, suspended load and dissolved load

99
Q

Longitudinal Profile

A

Diagram of elevation of a stream bed along its length

100
Q

Meanders

A

The curves or bends ina stream channel

101
Q

Oxbows

A

Old meanders now cut off or abandoned by the stream

102
Q

Percolation

A

Movement of subsurface water throuogh rock or soil under its own pressure

103
Q

Point Bars

A

A sedimentary feature built in a stream channel, on the inside of a meander or anywhere the water slows

104
Q

Recurrence Interval

A

The average length of time between floods of a given size along a particular stream

105
Q

Retention Pond

A

A large basin designed to catch surface runoff to prevent its flow directly into a stream

106
Q

Stage (stream)

A

The height (elevation) of a stream surface at a given point along the stream’s length; usually expressed as elevation above sea level

107
Q

Stream

A

A body of flowing water confined within a channel

108
Q

Upstream Flood

A

Flood affecting only localized sections of a stream ssytem; caused by such events as intense, local cloudbursts or a dam failure; typically breif in duration

109
Q

Well Sorted

A

Describes seduiments displaying uniform particle size and/or density

110
Q

Greenhouse Effect

A

The warming of the atmosphere due to trapping of infrared rays by atmospheric gases, especially as due to the increased concentration of carbon dioxide derived from the burning of fossil fuels

111
Q

Permafrost

A

A condition found in cold climates, wherein ground remains frozen year-round at some depth below the surface

112
Q

Thermohaline Circulation

A

Major ocean circulation pattern, driven by winds and by differences in temperature and salinity of water masses

113
Q

Common but Differentiated Responsibility of States

A

The concept that all nations share responsibility for protecting the global environment, but individual nations’ responsibilities differ with their differing contributions to the problems and resources available to address them

114
Q

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

A

An analysis of the environmental impacts to be anticipated from a proposed action and its alternatives; mandated by the National Environmental Policy Act and legislation patterned after it

115
Q

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

A

Zone extending to 200 miles offshore from a nation’s coast, within which the 1982 Law of the Sea Treaty recognizes that nation’s exclusive right to resource exploitation

116
Q

Precautionary Principle

A

A concept in international law/diplomacy under which nations’ activities may be restricted if there is reasonable likelihood that those activities may be harmful; significant damage (as to the environment) need not already have occured

117
Q

Prior Appropriation

A

Principle of surface water law by which users of water from a given source have priority rights to it on the basis of relative time of first use

118
Q

Riparian Doctrine

A

The principle of surface-water law by which all landowners bordering a body of water have equal rights to it

Fallacy (4 decks)

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