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Atmosphere, Weather, Air Quality

Barometric pressure                 Isobars                          Fujita Scale          

Condensation                          Wind                             Nor’easter

Tornado                                  Vortex                           Hurricane

Latitude                                   Longitude                      Storm surge                    

Convection cell                        El Nino-Southern Oscillation                       

Tropical depression                 Typhoon/Monsoon                       

Eye, Eye wall                           Saffir/Simpson                Stratosphere              

Marine climate                         Orographic effect (Chinooks)                       

Troposphere                            Jet stream                       Turbulence

Ozone, ozone layer                  Anthropogenic                Combustion

Fossil fuels                               Acid rain                        Spectrum

UV radiation                            CFC’s                           Montreal Protocol

Clean Air Act                           Dissemination                 Hydroxl radical( OH-)

Photochemical smog                 Temperature inversions                       

Auto emissions standards          Precipitators                  PM-10

Open burning                            Stack emissions            Aerosols                     

Suspended particulate matter     Scrubbers                     Lead

Volatile organic compounds       Sulfur oxides                Electrostatic

Nitrogen oxides                         Carbon monoxide        Microwave 

Catalytic converter                    Command and control  Decibel                    

Criteria pollutants                      Radon and Asbestos     Smog                 

Sick Building Syndrome            Petroxyacyl nitrates       Ozone, troposphere

Legionnaires Disease                Electrostatic precipitator        

  Ecosystems, Biomes, Populations

Biomass                                          Species                        Ecosystems

Self-regulating                                 Producers                    Consumers

Energy cycle                                    Food web                    Food chain

Chlorophyll                                      Estuaries                      Chemical energy

Potential energy                               Kinetic energy             Nitrogen cycle

Carbon cycle                                   Phosphorous cycle       Photosynthesis

Fermentation                                    Spontaneous                Respiration

Trophic levels                                   Niches                         Self-regulating

Community                                      Population                    Primary producers

Secondary producers                       Herbivores                    Carnivores

Consumers –primary/secondary       Decomposers               Detritus feeders        

Omnivores                                       Abiotic factors             Biotic factors

Biomes                                            Conifer                        Evergreen

Deciduous forest                              Adapted                      Coral reefs

Dynamic state of equilibrium             Flucuations                  Population dieback

Population explosion                        Genetic diversity          Population crash

Carrying capacity                              Habitat                       Exponential curve

J-curve                                             S-curve                      Species

Optimal                                            Catastrophic               Fertility

Mortality                                           Migration                   Fragmentation

Biodiversity                                      Exotic species             Isolated

Extinction                                         Sport hunting             Commercial harvesting

Commercial breeding                       Gene pools                CITES Treaty

Endangered                                      Breeding                   Zebra mussel

Ballast                                              Heterotrophs            Introduced species

Nest Parasitism                                Autotroph                 Energy pyramid

Keystone species                             Commensalism          Parasitism

Mutualism                                        Symbiosis                  Zoo

Succession-primary/secondary         Subsistence hunters    Predation

Natural selection                              Mass extinction          Seed banks

Kudzu

Human Population Dynamics

Famine                                    Fertility rate                Family planning

Birth control                            “Baby boom”              Histogram

Demographics                          Plague                       Demographic transition

Total fertility rate                      Age/sex pyramids       Demographic stages

K and r strategies                     Zero population growth (ZPG)                       

RU-486                                   Urbanization             Birth, death , growth rates    

Survivorship curves

Global Changes

Greenhouse effect                      Hydrocarbons            Photosynthesis

Refracted                                   Reflected                   Scattered

Aerosol                                      Climate                     Albedo

Carbon cycle                              Carbon sinks            Global nitrogen cycle

Regional consequences               Anaerobic                 Urban heat islands

Kyoto Conference                      Phytoplankton           Anomilies

Upwelling                                   Acid rain                   Ozone depletion

Water

Zone of saturation                      Groundwater             Aquifer- artesian/confined

Artesian wells                           Karst                          Hard water`

Gray, black water                      Brackish water          Potable water  

Ogallala Aquifer                         Desalinization            Drought

Tributary                                   Aqueduct                   Drought cycle

Recharge zones                         Evapotranspiration      Reverse osmosis

Distillation                                 Flood control devices   Condensation

Percolation                                Sublimation                Runoff

Subsoil                                      Porosity                     Capillary water

Zone of aeration                        Caprock                     Infiltration

Sink hole                                   Watershed/basin         Consumptive

Water table                                Reservoir/aqueduct    Permafrost

Storm water                               Residence time          Overdrawn

Offset                                        Channelization            TVA                                

Xeroscaping                              Spillways                   Meander

Aswan High Dam                       Three Gorges Dam   Mono Lake

Lake effect snow                        Aral Sea                   Flood plain

Salt water intrusion                     Subsidence               Center pivot irrigation

Drip irrigation                            Water table                Groundwater

Hydrologic cycle                        Fish ladder                 Drainage basin

Land, Soil and Food

Desertification                            Topsoil                      Erosion

Contour plowing                        Fertilization                Strip farming

Siltation                                     Salinization                 Drip irrigation

Wilderness corridors                 Urbanization               Shelter belts

Deforestation                             Monoculture              Clear cutting

Slash and burn agriculture           Clay, silt, sand            Laterite

Compost                                    Humus                       Mulch

Casting                                      Soil profile                  Loam              

Parent material                           Leaching                    Acid mine drainage

Tailings                                       Smelting                    Aquaculture

Drift netting                                 Purse seining             Green revolution

GRAS list                                   Food additives          Genetic engineering

Free range                                  Organic agriculture    Maize

Subsistence agriculture                Preservatives             Vegetarian types

Irradiating food      

Environmental Quality

Contaminants                              Soluble                    Concentration

Relative                                      Residue                   Oxidation

Absorption                                 Distillation                Disinfection

Feces                                         Ammonia                 Phosphate

Nitrates                                      Bacteria                   Chlorine

Underutilized                              Heavy metals           Resistant

Point, non point sources              Tertiary                   DDT

Pathogenic organisms                  Hemoglobin            Pesticide

Dose threshold level                    Bhopal, India          LD-50

Bioaccumulation                          Carcinogenic          Toxic        

Acute, chronic                             Teratogens             Half life

Mutagens                                    Hazardous chemicals

Thermal pollution                        Coliform bacteria    Routinely monitored

Mutate                                         Pathogenic             Algae              

Discharges                                   Dissolved oxygen (DO)                       

Cultural euthrophication                Nutient                   Bioremediation

Biological oxygen demand(BOD)  Eutrophication        Chlorine/fluorine

Cryptosporidium                           Agent orange         Bt gene

Broad spectrum pesticides            Carbamates            Dioxins

Fungicides                                    Herbicides              Persistance

Organophosphates                       Pathogens               Pheromones

Pesticide treadmill                        Rodenticides          2,4-D

2,4,5-T                                       Sterile male technique   

Waste

Municipal sewage                   Activated sludge   Love Canal

Waste lagoons                        Landfills               Secure landfills

Incinerator                              Ash                      Leachate

Impervious                             Clay                    Waste stream

Intermittent                             Proximity              Tipping fee

Biodegradable                        Mutagenic, corrosive                    

National Priority List (NPL)    Organic matter      Transparent

CERCLA(Superfund) Act of 1980                     

Primary sewage treatment        Secondary sewage treatment

Tertiary sewage treatment         Endocrine blockers                                      

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)        NIMBY                    

Optimum amount of pollution     Unfunded mandates       Risk management

Demand curve                           Gross domestic product

Combined sewer system            Soil remediation             Trickle filters 

Biodegradable                           Fly ash                          Toxic waste

Sanitary landfill                          Source reduction                                       

Energy

Entropy                                  Thermodynamics            Heat tax

Alternative/renewable energy  Conventional energy       Energy crisis

Petrochemicals                       OPEC                            Synfuels

Oil glut                                   Energy reserves              Fuel cells

Proven reserves                     Photovoltaic Cells           Biomass

Estimated reserves                 Home energy audit         Alaska pipeline

Salt domes                            Watt, kilowatt                Tax incentive

Coal liquefaction                    Cogeneration                Eutectic fluid

Fuelwood                              Dung                             Distillation/ cracking

Hydrocarbons                       Containment building     Viscous

Diesel                                   Gasoline                        Kerosene

Friction                                 U-238                         Yucca Mt. Nevada

Breeder reactor                    Depository                    Stabilize

Enriched uranium                  Plutonium                      Moderators

Control rods                         Low level waste            High level waste

Spent fuel                             Casks                           Seismic activity

Leukemia                              Sterilization                   REM

Parent                                   Daughter                      Nucleus

Radioactive decay                 Chernobyl                    Three Mile Island

Isotopes/ neutrons                 Half-life/ Stability          Radioactive waste

Strip mining                           Open pit mining            Shaft mining

Black lung disease                 Heat exchanger            Steam generator

Melt down                             Cooling water              Lignite

Anthracite                              Bituminous                   Peat

Tar sands                               Oil shale                      Gas hydrates

Methane                                Ethanol                        Resource recovery

Gasification                            Entombed                    Dismantle

Tidal power                           Refineries                    Joule/BTU

Hydropower                          First Law of Thermodynamics

Dissipate                                Passive solar heating

Steam turbine                        Law of Conservation of Matter

Reactor core                          Solar collectors           Biogas  

Roof overhangs                      Insulation                    Gasohol

Geothermal                            Fission                        Fusion

Conservation/efficiency           Differential heating       Wind power

James Bay Project                  Deuterium                    Tritium           

BTU, Quad, Calorie               Cooling systems           Chain reactions

Sustainable development         Fuel rods                     Cooling towers

Airborne particulates               Thermal Pollution         Operating efficiency

Mitigate                                  Industrial Revolution     Arab oil embargo

Depletion                                Blackouts                    Insolation

Greenhouse effect                   Infra red radiation       Terrestrial reradiation

Utility companies                     Incentive programs      Finite resources

Global warming                       Public utility                  Tidal power/tsunamis

Fuel assembly                         General Mining Law of 1872   Wind farms

Ocean Thermal Electric Conversions                            Exxon Valdez

Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act      Regulatory Policies Act of 1978

Coal gasification                 Fluidized bed combustion     Prudhoe Bay                 

Choices for the Future

Ecoturism                           Utilitarian                        Gaia

Conservationists                  Biosphere                       Aesthetic values      
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