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17 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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aquifers |
subterranean, porous, water-holding rocks that provide millions of wells with a steady flow of water |
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acid rain |
a growing enviromental peril whereby acidified rainwater severely damages plant and animal life; caused by the oxides of sulfur and nitrogen that are released in the atmosphere when coal, oil, and natural gas are burned, especially in major manufacturing zones |
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atmosphere |
blanket of gases surrounding the Earth and located some 350 miles above the Earth's surface |
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biodiversity |
the total variety of plant and animal species in a particular place; biological diversity |
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deforestation |
the clearing and destruction of forests to harvest wood for consumption, clear land for agricultural uses, and make way for expanding settlement frontiers |
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hydrologic cycle |
the system of exchange involving water in its various forms as it continually circulates among the atmosphere, the oceans, and above or below the land surface |
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Montreal Protocol |
an international agreement signed in 1987 by 105 countries and the European Community(now European Union) the protocol called for a reduction in the production and consumption of the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) of 50 percent by 2000. subsequent meetings in london (1990) and copenhagen (1992) accelerated the timing of the CFCs phaseout, and a worldwide complete ban has been in effect since 1996 |
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nonrenewable resources |
resources that are present in finite quantities because they are not self-replenishing or take an extraordinarily long time to replenish |
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oxygen cycle
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cycle where by natural processes and human activity consume atmospheric oxygen and produce carbon dioxide and the Earth's forests and flora through photosynthesis
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sanitary landfills
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disposal sites for non-hazardous solid waste that is spread in layers and compacted to the smallest practical volume. the sites are typically designed with floors made of materials to treat seeping liquids and are covered by soils as the wastes are compacted and deposited
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ozone layer
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the layer in the upper atmosphere located between 30 and 45 kilometers above the Earth's surface where the stratospheric ozone is the most densely concentrated; filters uv rays
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rare earth elements
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seventeen chemical elements that commonly occur together but are difficult to separate. they are used to make high tech electronics and weapons systems.
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solid waste
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non-liquid, non-soluble materials ranging from the municipal garbage to sewage sludge; agricultural refuse; and mining residues
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radioactive waste
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hazardous waste emitting radiation from nuclear power plants, nuclear weapons factories, and nuclear equipment in hospitals and industry
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soil erosion
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the wearing away of the land surface by wind and moving water
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toxic waste
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hazardous waste causing danger from chemicals and infectious organisms
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Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer
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the first international convention aimed at the addressing the issue of ozone depletion. held in 1985, the vienna convention was the predecessor to the Montreal Protocol
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