Chapter 16 Flashcards
Aerobic bacteria
Bacteria able to decompose organic matter in the presence of oxygen.
Aerosol
A moisture-coated microscopic airborne particle up to 0.01 millimeter in diameter that is a site for many atmospheric chemical reactions.
Anaerobic bacteria
Bacteria able to decompose organic matter in the absence of oxygen.
Aquifer
A soil layer in which groundwater may flow. Photochemical smog Airborne pollution consisting of
Atmospheric pressure
The pressure exerted on any object immersed in the atmosphere.
Biochemical oxygen demand
A measure of the amount of oxygen consumed by aerobic bacteria in water.
Eutrophication
The process whereby inorganic wastes in water fertilize algae and plants growing in the water and the resulting overgrowth reduces the dissolved oxygen concentration of the water.
Greenhouse effect
The process by which visible light from the Sun is absorbed by the Earth - which then emits infrared energy that cannot escape and thus warms the atmosphere.
Hydrologic cycle
The natural circulation of water throughout our planet.
Industrial smog
Visible airborne pollution containing large amounts of particulates and sulfur dioxide and produced largely from the combustion of coal and oil.
Leachate
A solution formed by water that has percolated through a solid-waste disposal site and picked up water-soluble substances.
Nonpoint source
A pollution source in which the pollutants originate at different and often nonspecific locations.
Particulate
An airborne particle having a diameter greater than 0.01 millimeter.
Stratosphere
The atmospheric layer that lies just above the troposphere and contains the ozone layer.
Troposphere
The atmospheric layer closest to the Earth’s sur- face - containing 90 percent of the atmosphere’s mass and essentially all water vapor and clouds.
