science vocab

Question 1

Abiotic

Answer 1

physical rather than biological; not derived from living organisms.

Question 2

Acid/Base

Answer 2

a chemical substance that neutralizes alkalis, dissolves some metals, and turns litmus red; typically, a corrosive or sour-tasting liquid of this kind.

Question 3

Aquifer

Answer 3

a body of permeable rock which can contain or transmit groundwater.

Question 4

Beneficial

Answer 4

favorable or advantageous; resulting in good.

Question 5

Biotic

Answer 5

relating to or resulting from living things, especially in their ecological relations.

Question 6

Catastrophic event

Answer 6

involving or causing sudden great damage or suffering.

Question 7

Conservation

Answer 7

prevention of wasteful use of a resource.

Question 8

Deposition

Answer 8

the action of deposing someone, especially a monarch.

Question 9

Destruction

Answer 9

the action or process of causing so much damage to something that it no longer exists or cannot be repaired.

Question 10

Drought

Answer 10

a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water.

Question 11

Earthquake

Answer 11

a sudden and violent shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great destruction, as a result of movements within the earth’s crust or volcanic action.

Question 12

Ecoregion

Answer 12

a major ecosystem defined by distinctive geography and receiving uniform solar radiation and moisture.

Question 13

Ecosystem

Answer 13

a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Question 14

Environment

Answer 14

the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.

Question 15

Erosion

Answer 15

the process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents.

Question 16

Evaporation

Answer 16

the process of turning from liquid into vapor.

Question 17

Flood

Answer 17

an overflowing of a large amount of water beyond its normal confines, especially over what is normally dry land.

Question 18

Groundwater

Answer 18

water held underground in the soil or in pores and crevices in rock.

Question 19

Human activity

Answer 19

something that people do or cause to happen.

Question 20

Hurricane

Answer 20

a storm with a violent wind, in particular a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean.

Question 21

Ice wedging

Answer 21

Ice wedging is when cracks in surfaces, such as stone, fill with water, which then freezes, expands, and causes larger cracks.

Question 22

Landforms

Answer 22

a natural feature of the earth’s surface.

Question 23

Landslides

Answer 23

the sliding down of a mass of earth or rock from a mountain or cliff.

Question 24

Percolation

Answer 24

the slow movement of water through the pores in soil or permeable rock.

Question 25

Permeability

Answer 25

the state or quality of a material or membrane that causes it to allow liquids or gases to pass through it.

Question 26

pH

Answer 26

a figure expressing the acidity or alkalinity of a solution on a logarithmic scale on which 7 is neutral, lower values are more acid and higher values more alkaline.

Question 27

Pollution

Answer 27

the presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance or thing that has harmful or poisonous effects.

Question 28

Population

Answer 28

all the inhabitants of a particular town, area, or country.

Question 29

Precipitation

Answer 29

the action or process of precipitating a substance from a solution.

Question 30

Processes

Answer 30

a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end.

Question 31

Recharge zone

Answer 31

those areas where water infiltrates through the permeable rock and sediment

Question 32

Reshaping

Answer 32

shape or form (something) differently or again

Question 33

Runoff

Answer 33

a further competition, election, race, etc., after a tie or inconclusive result.

Question 34

Species

Answer 34

a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding.

Question 35

Surface waters

Answer 35

water that collects on the surface of the ground.

Question 36

Tornado

Answer 36

a mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud and advancing beneath a large storm system.

Question 37

Tsunami

Answer 37

a long high sea wave caused by an earthquake, submarine landslide, or other disturbance.

Question 38

Vegetation

Answer 38

plants considered collectively, especially those found in a particular area or habitat.

Question 39

Volcano

Answer 39

a mountain or hill, typically conical, having a crater or vent through which lava, rock fragments, hot vapor, and gas are being or have been erupted from the earth’s crust.

Question 40

Water features

Answer 40

a water feature is one or more items from a range of fountains

Question 41

Water table

Answer 41

the level below which the ground is saturated with water.

Question 42

Water shed

Answer 42

an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas.

Question 43

Weathering

Answer 43

the process of wearing or being worn by long exposure to the atmosphere.

Question 44

Wildfire

Answer 44

a large, destructive fire that spreads quickly over woodland or brush.