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34 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Development
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The construction of buildings, roads, bridges, dams, and other structures
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Litter
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The layer of dead leaves and grass on top of the soil.
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Topsoil
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An upper layer of soil consisting of rock fragments, nutrients, water, air, and decaying plant and animal matter.
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Subsoil
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The layer of soil below topsoil that has less plant and animal matter than topsoil.
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Bedrock
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Rock that makes up Earth’s crust.
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Erosion
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The process by which water, wind, or ice moves particles of rock or soil
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Nutrient depletion
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The situation that arises when more soil nutrients are used than the decomposers can supply.
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Fertilizer
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A substance that provides nutrients to help crops grow better.
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Desertification
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The advance of desert-like conditions into areas that previously were fertile.
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Drought
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A period of less rain than normal.
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Land Reclamation
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The process of restoring land to a more natural state
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Municipal Solid Waste
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Waste produced in homes, businesses, and schools.
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Incineration
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The burning of solid waste
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Leachate
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Polluted liquid produced by water passing through buried wastes in a landfill.
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Sanitary Landfill
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A landfill that holds nonhazardous waste such as municipal solid waste and construction debris.
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Recycling
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The process of reclaiming and reusing raw materials.
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Biodegradable
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Capable of being broken down by bacteria and other decomposers.
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Composting
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The process of helping biodegradable wastes to decompose naturally.
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Hazardous waste
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A material that can be harmful if it is not properly disposed of
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Groundwater
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Water stored in underground layers of soil and rock.
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Pollutant
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A substance that causes pollution.
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Sewage
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The water and human wastes that are washed down sinks, toilets, and showers
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Pesticide
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A chemical that kills crop-destroying organisms.
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Sediment
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Particles of rock and sand.
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Emissions
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Pollutants that are released into the air
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Photochemical Smog
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A thick, brownish haze formed when certain gases react with sunlight.
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Ozone
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A toxic form of oxygen
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Temperature Inversion
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A condition in which a layer of warm air traps polluted air close to Earth’s surface
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Acid Rain
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Precipitation that is more acidic than normal because of air pollution.
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Radon
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A colorless, odorless, radioactive gas.
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Ozone Layer
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The layer of the atmosphere that contains a higher concentration of ozone than the rest of the atmosphere.
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Chlorofluorocarbon
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Human-made gases containing chlorine and fluorine (also called CFCs).
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Greenhouse Effect
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The trapping of heat near Earth's surface by certain gases in the atmosphere.
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Global Warming
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The theory that increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will raise Earth’s average temperature
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