| Term | Definition |
|---|
| alternative energy | energy that doesn't come from fossil fuels and is still in development |
| active solar heat | the gathering of solar energy by collectors that are used to heat water or heat a building |
| biomass fuel | organic material that is used as an energy source |
| carbon footprint | measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide |
| crevasse | a deep hole under the thin ice |
| deforestation | the clearing of forests that takes away the roots that normally hold water |
| electric meter | measures how much electricity is being used per household |
| electric power | power generated from the flow of electrons |
| energy | movement |
| energy audit | assessment |
| energy conservation | using energty efficiently without reducing effectiveness |
| energy star | energy efficient appliances |
| fossil fuel | organic substance such as coal, oil, natural gas that is used as an energy source and is formed form the remains or organisms that lived millions of years ago |
| fuel cell | produces electricity chemically by combining hydrogen fuel with oxygen from air (fuel of the future) |
| geothermal electricity | energy from the heat in earth's crust |
| geothermal heat pump | pump that is heated from water or steam from a rock formation |
| global warming | predicted increase in Earth's temperature due to an increase in greenhouse gases in the troposphere |
| green building | the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources — energy, water, and materials — while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment duri... |
| greenhouse gasses | the gases in the atmosphere that trap and radiate heat; water vapor, co2, chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's), methane, nitrous oxide |
| greenhouse gas effect | global warming caused by more heat being trapped near the Earth |
| green power | energy is a term used to describe sources of energy that are considered to be environmentally friendly and non-polluting, such as geothermal, wind, and solar power; renewable |
| hydropower | electricity generated from water |
| iceberg | a large floating mass of ice, detached from a glacier and carried out to sea. |
| ice core | time measurement to check pollution as well as global warming and CO2 levels througha from the accumulation of snow and ice over many years that have re-crystallized and have trapped air bubbles from previous time periods |
| ice sheet | a mass of glacier ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50,000 km² (20,000 mile²). |
| ice shelf | are permanent floating ice sheets that are attached to land and are constantly fed by glaciers |
| incandescent | a type of electric light in which light is produced by a filament heated by electric current. (inefficient) |
| insulation | is a material or substance that is used to cover and surround something in order to stop heat, sound, or electricity from escaping or entering. |
| Kyoto Protocol | establishes legally binding commitments for the reduction of four greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride), and two groups of gases (hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons) Took place in Rio De Janeiro in 1992 |
| emissions | A substance discharged into the air |
| Kilowatt-hour | Commercial unit of electrical energy, defined as the work done by a power of 1,000 watts in one hour. It is used to calculate the cost of electrical energy taken |
| light-emitting diode | is a light source that emits light when an electrical current is applied to it. |
| CO2 | carbon dioxide |
| methane | colorless, odorless, flammable gas present in natural gas and formed by the decomposition of plant matter |
| Mountaintop removal | is a form of surface mining that involves an extreme topographic change to the summit or summit ridge of a mountain |
| natural gas | is another name for methane (CH4). Methane gases are also hydrocarbons. It is one of the fossil fuels, and therefore not a renewable resource. |
| net-zero home | consume at 50% to 70% less energy than conventional homes |
| north atlantic current | Ocean circulation system weakened considerably in the late 1990s, compared to the 1970s and 1980s |
| nuclear energy | energy that exists within the nucleus of an atom; produces radioactive waste |
| ocean thermal energy | is a method for generating electricity which uses the temperature difference that exists between deep and shallow waters to run a heat engine. As with any heat engine, the greatest efficiency and power is produced with the largest temperature difference |
| off-the-grid homes | the home takes advantage of 300 days of sun to produce lots of its power from a couple of solar arrays, and the home's careful siting makes the most of passive solar and daylighting to minimize the energy needed to run the home |
| performance contracting | a construction method that allows a facility to complete energy-saving improvements within an existing budget by financing them with money saved through reduced utility expenditures |
| paleontologist | scientists who study fossils of animals to learn about what the earth was like many years ag |
| passive solar | aim to maintain interior thermal comfort throughout the sun's daily and annual cycles whilst reducing the requirement for active heating and cooling systems and is one part of green building design, and does not include active systems such as mechanical ventilation or photovoltaics, nor does it include life cycle analysis |
| power distributor | distributes power throughout the building or house |
| power supplier | generator that supplies power to a unit |
| programmable thermostat | is a thermostat which is designed to adjust the temperature according to a series of programmed settings that take effect at different times of the day |
| renewable energy | energy from sources that are constantly being formed; wind, solar, water, Earth's heat |
| solar energy | energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy |
| storm surge | A rise above normal water level on the open coast due only to the action of wind stress on the water |
| sustainable energy | is the provision of energy such that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs |
| thermal expansion | The dimensional changes exhibited by solids, liquids, and gases for changes in temperature |
| thermostat | an apparatus for regulating temperature, esp. one that automatically controls a heating or cooling unit |
| uranium | Uranium is a radioactive element that occurs naturally in low concentrations (a few parts per million) in soil, rock, and surface and groundwater |
| utility | energy bill based on the electric meter reading per month |
| Vostok Ice Core | strong correlation between atmospheric greenhouse-gas concentrations and Antarctic temperature, is confirmed by the extension of the Vostok ice-core record |
| wind energy | converts the movement of wind into electric energy |
| compact fluorescent lights | Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) are small fluorescent light bulbs that use up to 75% less energy than a traditional incandescent bulb |
| coal | Burning it releases any carbon which combines with Oxygen to form CO2 |
| clean coal | an industry term which refers to increasing the efficiency of coal mining, making power plants which use coal for energy generation more environmentally friendly, and/or making coal itself more fuel efficient and clean burning |
| daylighting | the practice of placing windows, or other openings, and reflective surfaces so that, during the day, natural light provides effective internal illumination |
| consumption | the act of consuming, as by use, decay, or destruction |
| emissions | pollutants/greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere by burning of fossil fuels |
| energy | physical system that can do work |
| Primary Coast | Rough, irregular and formed by processes occuring on land |
| Emergent Coast | Land that has been lifted, typically rocky shorelines |
| Submergent Coast | Land that has been drowned by sea level rise, heavy sediment on top of bedrock |
| Secondary Coast | Shaped by wave erosion or marine life and formed by processes ocurring at sea |
| Barrier Island | Formed about 18,000 years ago at the end of last Ice Age; Formed by waves, currents, tides, wind, sea level change, storms |
| Adaptation | Changing accordingly to your surroundings |
| Detritus | Dead, rotting organic matter |
| Salt Marsh | 80% of all seafood taken in N.C. spends time here; Nursery and Feeding Ground |
| Maritime Forest | Oldest and most stable barrier island zone |
| Tide | Caused by moon's gravitational pul |
| White Ibis | Has curved bill to hunt in mud |
| Ebb | High to low tide |
| Sediment | Sand, soil or organic matter |
| Primary Dune | Foredune |
| Marsh Peat | Evidence of island migration |
| Salinity | Measure of salt in water |
| Eutrophication | Causes loss of oxygen in waters |
| Mississippi | North American delta |
| Delta | Sediment deposit at the mouth of a river |
| Salt Pruning | Shapes and slpoes plants; salt stops/kills growth |
| Island Migration | Movement of barrier islands |
| Ghost Crab | Crab in sand dune-Nocturnal, Burrows in Sand, Scavenger, Has Gills |
| Atlantic Ribbed Mussel | Uses byssal threads to root themselves into mud; Opens shells at hightide to get nutrients and close them at lowtide |
| Current | Partially cause by ocean convection; This might help but it might confuse you (if it confuses you ignore it, if it helps use it)-The "Pull" of the tides- I hope that helps |
| Ebb | High to low tide |
| Flow | Low to high tide |
| Freshwater Lense | Freshwater resting on top of salt water under Barrier Islands |
| Inlet | Allows sea water to enter the sound |
| Glacial Meltwater | Carried sediment to form first barrier islands |
| Snowy Egred | Bird Living in Salt Marsh; Doesn't have a curved bill |
| Erosion | Removal of land by action of ise, wind, or water |
| Longshore Current | Hits Beach at an angle, moving sand parallel to coast |
| Brackish | Mix of salt and freshwater |
| Overwash | Washes over the barrier island depositing sediment directly to the sound side of the island |
| Spartina | Cord grass in salt marsh |
| Tidal Zone | Area of beach between high and low tide |
| Cape | Land mass that "juts" into the ocean |
| Potable | Terms referring to "safe to drink" water |
| Water table | The "top" level of underground water where it reaches saturation |
| Aeration | Air is forced through the water to release unwanted gases, which reduces odor and improves taste |
| Porosity | The amount of open space between the particles that make up the rock |
| Ogallala | One of the largest aquifers in the world |
| Watershed | Area of land that is drained by a river |
| Storm drain | Collects runoff and directs it to a stream, creek, etc. |
| Surface water | Fresh water found in lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands |
| Recharge zone | Area of the Earth's surface where water percolates down into the aquifer |
| Groundwater | Water stored beneath the Earth's surface |
| Desalination | Process of removing salt from salt water |
| Irrigation | Method of providing plants with water from sources other than direct precipitation |
| Permeability | Ability of rock or soil to allow water to flow through it |
| Well | A hole that is dug or drilled to reach the groundwater |
| River system | As streams and rivers move across the land, they form a flowing network of water |
| Dam | A structure built across a river to control the river's flow |
| Nonpoint-source pollution | Enters bodies of water in many different ways, making them extremely difficult to regulate and control |
| Biomagnification | Accumulation of pollutants at successive levels of the food chain |
| Aquatard | Layer of water will not pass through in an aquifer |
| Physical agents | Suspended solids that cause turbidity |
| Organic matter | Agents such as animal and plant remains, feces, and food waste |
| Artificial Eutrophication | Can be caused from inorganic plant nutrients form wastewater and fertilizer runoff |
| Heavy metals | Examples causing water pollution are lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic |
| Waste water | Is water that contains waste from your home or industry that must be treated before you can drink it |
| Inorganic chemicals | Salts being spread on the road are an example of this type of pollution |
| Organic chemicals | Pesticides, fertilizers, plastics, detergents... |
| Clean Water Act | Federal Law setting a national goal of making all natural surface water fit for fishing and swimming by 1983, banned polluted discharge into surface water and required the metals be removed from waste |
| Pathogens | Disease-causing organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and parasitic worms |
| Point-source pollution | Type of pollution that can be identified as the source of the problem |
| First Filtration | The source of water supple is filtered to remove large organisms and trash |
| Coagulation | Alum is rapidly mixed into the water and forms sticky globs called flocs. B and other impurities cling to the flocs, which settle to the bottom of a tank |
| Second Filtration | Layers of sand, gravel, and hard coal filter the remaining impurities |
| Chlorination | Chlorine is added to prevent bacteria from growing in the water |
| Aeration | Air is forced through the water to release unwanted gases, which reduces odor and improves taste |
| Additional Treatment | In some communities, fluoride may be added to prevent tooth decay. Sodium compounds or lime may also be added to soften the hard water. Treated water is then pumped from storage tanks to homes and buisnesses |
| Wetalnd | is periodically underwater |
| Plankton | organisms that cannot swim against the current, so are drifters |
| detritus | dead organic matter |
| salinity | measure of salt content in water |
| spartina | hardy grass that lives in salt marsh |
| brackish | mix of fresh and salt water |
| estuary | body of water behing barrier island, where fresh and salt water mix |
| salt pruning | process when salt spray kills plant growth |
| salt wedge | salt water moving under(sinking due to density) freshwater into estuary |
| tidal zone | area on beach between low and high tides |
| freshwater lens | area of freshwater that rests on top of salty water table under barrier islands |
| ebb | from high to low tide |
| flow | from low to high tide |
| well | used to pump groundwater to the surface for household use |
| aquifer | permeable earth materials that collect and store ground water |
| water table | the upper boundary of groundwater |
| non point | type of water pollution that washes into storm sewers from many places, such as parking lots and golf courses |
| qualitive | data collected as words or descriptions |
| surface water | fresh water that is above ground in lakes, ponds, rivers and more |
| watershed | the entire area of land that is drained by a river (drained basin) |
| dam | a structure built across a river or stream that restricts the flow of water traveling downstream |
| reservoir | an artificial lake |
| groundwater | water that seeps underground |
| aquifers | large amounts of groundwater are found in undurground rock fromations called... |
| recharge zone | the area of land from which the groundwater originates |
| pathogen | bacteria that comes from wastes (feces) |
| organic matter | dead animals... |
| organic chemicals | fertilizers, gas (organic) |
| inorganic chemicals | not "natural" human tissue ex. acids, salts |
| permeable | liquids can "flow through" |
| impermeable | liquids cannot soak or flow through |
| storm drain | collects run off |
| biological magnification | proccess by which increasing amounts of toxins are stored in the bodies of organisms as the toxins move up the food chain |
| inlet | break in barrier island connecting ocean and lagoon |
| barrier islands | secondary coasts of mainland |
| erosion | wearing away of the land by the action of water, ice, or wind |
| cape | strip of land projecting into a body of water |
| island migration | movement of barrier islands due to deposition and erosion |
| glacial melt | sediment-laden water from glaciers |
| marsh peat | organic matter from salt marsh |
| sediment | mineral or organic matter deposited by water, ice, or wind |
| water cycle | the continuos process in which water changes its physical form and makes water a renewable resource |
| surface water | fresh water that is above ground in lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams |
| watershed | the entire area of land that is drained by a river--where the river gets the water that recharges it from |
| dam | a structure built across a river or stream that restricts the flow of water traveling downstream |
| reservoir | an artificial lake where the water that is prevented from gong downstream (by a dam) collects |
| groundwater | water that seeps underground via the soil |
| aquifers | large amounts of groundwater that are found in underground rock formations |
| recharge zone | an area if the Earth's surface from which water percolates down into an aquifer |
| Water Conservation | using water more efficently/minimize your usage |
| desalinization | the process of removing salt form salt water to make fresh water |
| distillation | the process of heating salt water to get the fresh water vapor |
| Inlet | Break in a barrier island connecting ocean and lagoon |
| Delta | Triangular deposits of sediment at the mouth of a river |
| Barrier Islands | secondary coast of mainland, typically found at the mouth of a river |
| Erosion | wearing away of the land by the action of water, ice, or wind |
| cape | Strip of land projecting into a body of water |
| Island Migration | Movement of barrier islands due to the deposition and erosion |
| brackish | mixture of salt and fresh water |
| glacial melt | sediment laden water from glaciers that formed the first barrier islands |
| estuary | body of water located between a barrier island and mainland |
| marsh peat | organic matter form salt marsh and evidence of island migration |
| primary coast | a coast formed by processes occurring in land |
| Secondary Coast | a coast formed by processes occurring at sea |
| Emergent coastline | a type of primary coast that is there because land has been lifted |
| submergent coastlines | a type of primary coast that is there because land has been drowned by the sea |
| longshore current | when the wave hits the shore parallel or at an angle and elongates islands |
| adaptation | behavior of physical characteristics that allows an organism to survive in its environment (must be capable of passing to offspring through genetics) |
| Estuary | brackish water (also called a sound) that must be on a submergent primary coast fed by a river and ocean and sometimes have a salt wedge |
| eutrophication | the loss of dissolved oxygen on water |
| tides | caused by moons gravitational pull |
| ocean overwash | when a salty body of water deposits sediment to sound side of the island |
| salt marsh | next to the sound, contains calm brackish water, is a nursery for many sea animals, feeding ground that contains spartina |
| White Ibis | a bird that lives in the salt marsh and contains a long curved bill and legs |
| Snowy Egret | a bird that lives in the salt marsh and contains big feet to walk without sinking, and tall legs |
| Atlantic ribbed mussel | an organism that uses byssal threads to anchor itself in the mud |
| maritime forest | oldest and most stable of the barrier island ecosystem/shelter and nesting for terrestrial animals/ contains fresh water |
| salt pruning (maritime forest) | salt wind kills the ocean side of trees |
| green tree frog | an organism that lives in the maritime forest and uses the fresh water there to reproduce, has long feet and pads on them, also is camouflage |
| primary dune | the first dune after the ocean that contain grasses slow or stop sand from eroding |
| sea oats | a type of grass in the primary dune that stops sand from eroding |
| secondary dune | the dune farther from the ocean that contains small trees and shrubs |
| ghost crab | live at high tide mark, nocturnal, burrows in the sand to get water to breath (has gills), and is a scavener |
| Beach | where ocean meets land, constant erosion and change |
| coquina | a small colorful shells that have a foot to move through the sand in the tidal zone |
| oceans | salt water that cover 71% of all surface on earth and contain many orgainisms |
| plankton | organisms that live in the ocean and can make the oceans look "dirty" |
| flow | low to high tide |
| salt wedge | where the fresh water sits on top of a growing pile of salt that is larger near the barrier island |
| tectonic forces | cause emergent coastlines |
| ebb | high to low tide |
| spartina | cord grass in the salt marsh |
| mississippi | largest north american delta |
| detritus | dead rotting organic matter |
| brackish | a mix of salt and fresh water |
| wind | moves sand and forms dunes |
| cape | hatteras (ex of blank) |
| tidal zone | zone between high tide and low tide |
| current | partially caused by ocean convection |
| salinity | measure of salt in water |
| sediment | sand, soil or organic matter |
| storm water | runoff, water that goes directly into the stream |
| sewer water | waste water, treated and sludge extracted |
| runoff | storm water that goes directly and untreated into lakes or rivers nearby |
| pervious surface | a surface that lets water through |
| impervious surface | a surface that doesn't let water through |
| water pollution | substances that cause harm to an organism in water |
| pathogen | disease causing organisms such as bacteria |
| organic matter | biodegradable remains of plants and animals, including feces |
| organic chemicals | pesticides, fertilizers, plastics, detergents, gasoline, oil and petroleum based products |
| inorganic chemicals | acids, salts, metals |
| toxic chemicals | chemicals that are poisonous to living things including heavy metals, industrial chemicals, and some household chemicals |
| physical agents | heat and suspended solids such as soil |
| radioactive waste | waste from power plants, nuclear plants, and/or defense facilities |
| fecal coliform | a pathogen found in human or animal waste |
| biological magnification | toxins that travel up the food chain increasing as you get to the higher tiers |
| artificial eutrophication | where fertilizer runoff causes algae growth that dissolves the oxygen when it dies and kills fish |
| thermal pollution | where the water changes temperature suddenly and the fish cannot adapt |
| rain barrels | a BMP that reduces runoff and pollution by catching the water under the gutter |
| rain gardens | a BMP that reduces runoff and pollution by creating more pervious surface |
| turbidity | the murkiness of the water |
| point pollution | pollution that comes from one source |
| nonpoint pollution | pollution that comes from lots of sources |
| Clean Water Act | an act to insure cleaner water |
| pollution | a substance that harms an organism |
| permeable | materials that liquid can flow through |
| impermeable | materials that liquid cannot flow through |
| aquifer | an underground storage of water in a permeable material |
| aquitard | impermeable materials in the earth |
| groundwater | underground supply of fresh water |
| well | a pipe that goes dow past the water table |
| water table | the upper boundary of saturated ground that changes |
| topographical map | shows you where the elevation changes and the shape of the land |
| Energy Efficiency | is the percentage of energy put into a system that does useful work |
| Ethanol | a biomass fuel and is renewable energy |
| Tidal Power | energy that takes and provides energy by tides that are low |
| Photovoltaic Energy | convert the sun's energy into electricity |
| Cogeneration | the production of two useful forms of energy from the same fuel source |
Combine with other sets
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