Science Vocabulary Chapter 27
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18 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 geyser | a spring that emits intermittent jets of heated water and steam |
| natural resources | parts of earth's that supply materials useful or necessary for the survival of living organisms |
| renewable resource | natural resources, such as water, sunlight, and crops, that are constantly being recycled or replaced by nature. |
| nonrenewable resource | natural resources such a petroleum, minerals, and metals, that are used more quickly than can be replaced by natural processes |
| petroleum | nonrenewable resourse formed over hundreds and millions of years mostly from the remains of microscopic marine organisms buried in earth's crust. |
| fossil fuels | nonrenewable energy resources-coal,oil, and natural gas-that formed Earth's crust over hundreds and millions and years. |
| hydroelectric power | electricity produced when the energy of falling water turns the blades of a generator turbine. |
| nuclear energy | energy produced by the splitting apart of billions of uranium nuclei by nuclear fission reaction |
| geothermal energy | heat energy within Earth's crust, available only where natural geysers or volcanos are located |
| atmosphere | the whole mass of air surrounding Earth |
| pollutant | substance that contaminates any part of the environment |
| acid precipitation | precipitation with a pH below 5.6 which occurs when air pollutants from the burning of fossil fuels react with water in the atmosphere to form strong acids- that can pollute water, kill fish and plants, and damage soils |
| greenhouse effects | heat-trapping feature of the atmosphere that keeps Earths warm enough to support life. |
| ozone depletion | thinning of the Earth's ozone layer caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) leaking into the air and reacting chemically with ozone, breaking the ozone molecules apart. |
| erosion | movement of soil from one plate to another |
| hazardous waste | waste materials, such as pesticides and leftover paints, that are harmful to human health or poisonous to human living |
| reprocessing | to subject to a special process or treatment in preparation for reuse |
| recycling | conservation method that is a form of reuse and requires changing or reprocessing an item or natural resource. |
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