Environmental Science Unit 02 Vocabulary

Biosphere

• The regions of the surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere of the Earth occupied by living organisms.

• The layer of gases surrounding the Earth.

• The solid outer part of the Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.

• The total amount of water on Earth, including oceans, rivers, and lakes.

Leaching

• The process of extracting substances from a solid by dissolving them in a liquid.

• The process of filtering solid particles from a liquid.

• The process of evaporating liquid to leave solid residues.

• The process of mixing two solids to create a compound.

Watershed

• An area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas.

• A type of aquatic ecosystem characterized by stagnant water.

• A geographical area where all water drains into a single body of water.

• A region defined by its high rainfall and dense vegetation.

Nitrification

• A process where ammonia is converted into nitrate by microbes.

• A chemical reaction that converts nitrate into ammonia.

• A method of nitrogen fixation in plants.

• A process of denitrification in soil.

Transpiration

• The process where plants absorb water through the roots and then give off water vapor through pores in their leaves.

• The process by which plants convert sunlight into energy.

• The method by which plants store excess water in their roots.

• The way plants release oxygen into the atmosphere.

Condensation

• The process of a liquid turning into a gas.

• The conversion of a vapor or gas to a liquid.

• The freezing of a liquid into a solid.

• The evaporation of a liquid into a gas.

Recharge Zone

• An area where water is stored underground.

• An area in which water reaches the zone of saturation from surface infiltration.

• A region where water evaporates into the atmosphere.

• A place where groundwater is extracted for use.

Transform Plate Boundary

• A type of fault whose relative motion is predominantly horizontal.

• A boundary where tectonic plates move away from each other.

• A region where tectonic plates collide and create mountains.

• A type of fault that causes volcanic activity.

Water Cycle

• The process of photosynthesis in plants.

• The cycle of processes by which water circulates between the Earth's oceans, atmosphere, and land.

• The movement of tectonic plates beneath the Earth's surface.

• The process of evaporation and condensation of minerals in rocks.

Assimilation

• The process of breaking down food into smaller components.

• The absorption and digestion of food or nutrients by the body or any biological system.

• The elimination of waste products from the body.

• The synthesis of new molecules from simpler ones.