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32 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
litter |
the very top layer of fertile soil made of dead leaves and grass. |
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topsoil |
The crumbly, topmost layer of soil made up of clay and other minerals and humus. |
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subsoil |
The layer of soil below topsoil that has less plant and animal matter than topsoil and contains mostly clay and other minerals. |
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bedrock |
rock that makes up Earth's crust; also the solid rock layer beneath the soil
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erosion |
the process by which water, ice, wind or gravity moves weathered particles of rock and soil.
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nutrient depletion |
the situation that arises when more soil nutrients are used than the decomposers can supply.
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fertilizer |
a substance that provides nutrients to elp crops grow better.
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desertification |
The advance of desert-like conditions into areas that were previously fertile : caused by overfarming overgrazing drought and climate change
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drought |
a long period of low participation.
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land reclamation |
the process of restoring land to a more natural productive state.
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municipal solid waste |
waste produced in homes buisnesses schools and in a community
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incineration |
the burning of solid waste
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pollutant |
a substance that causes pollution |
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leachate |
polluted liquid produced by water passing through and disolving chemicals from buried wastes in a landfill. |
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sanitary landfill |
a landfill that holds nonhazardous waste such as municipalsolid waste. |
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recycling |
the process of reclaiming and reusing raw materials
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biodegradable |
capable of being broken down by bacteria and other decomposers. |
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hazardous waste |
a material that can be harmful if it is not properly disposed of. |
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emissions |
pollutants that are released into the air. |
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(photochemical) smog |
a brownish thick hazethat is a mixture of ozone and other chemicals formed when pollutants react with sunlight |
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ozone |
a colorless unstable toxic gas with a pungent odor and powerful oxidizing properties, formed from oxygen by electrical discharges or ultraviolet light. It differs from normal oxygen in having three atoms in its molecule. |
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temperature inversion |
a condition in which a layer of warm air traps polluted air close to earth's surface. |
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acid rain |
rain or another form of precipitation that is more acidic than normalcaused by the release of molecules of sulfer dixoide and nitrogen oxygen into the air. |
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radon |
a colorless odarless radioactive gas |
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ozone layer |
the layer of the upper atmosphere that contains a higher concentration of ozone than the rest of the atmosphere. |
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chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) |
human-made gases containing chlorine and fluorine that are the main cause of oxone depletion. |
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pesticide |
a chemical that kills insects and other crop-destroying organisms. |
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sewage |
the water and human wastes that are washed down sinks toliets and showers. |
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sediment |
small solid pieces of material that come from rocks or the remains of organisms ; earth materials deposited by erosion. |
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greenhouse gas |
gases in the atmosphere that trap energy. |
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fossil fuel |
coal oil or natural gas that forms over millions of years from the remains of ancient organisms; burned to release energy |
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global warming |
a gradual increase in the average temperature, thought to be caused by in increase in greenhouse gases from human activities. |