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Geography - Core > Patterns in environmental quality and sustainability > Flashcards

Patterns in environmental quality and sustainability Flashcards

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0
Q

Natural greenhouse effect

A

Property of the Earth’s atmosphere by which long wavelength heat rays from the Earth’s surface are trapped or reflected back by the atmosphere.

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1
Q

Climate change

A

Long-term sustained change in the average global climate.

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2
Q

Enhanced greenhouse effect

A

This results from human activities which increase the concentration of naturally occurring greenhouse gases and leads to global warming and climate change.

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3
Q

Global warming

A

Increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s near-surface air in the 20th and 21th centuries and its projected continuation.

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4
Q

Tipping point

A

Point at which the damage caused to global systems by climate change becomes irreversible.

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5
Q

Insolation

A

Heat energy from the sun consisting of the visible spectrum together with ultraviolet and infrared radiations.

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6
Q

Energy balance

A

Balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing terrestrial(ziemski) radiation.

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7
Q

Solar constant

A

Amount of solar energy received per unit area, per unit time on a surface at right-angles to the sun’s beam(snop) at the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere.

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8
Q

Sensible heat

A

Heat energy that causes a change in temperature of a substance but does not contribute to a change in state.

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9
Q

Conduction

A

Transfer of heat by contact.

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10
Q

Convection

A

Transfer of heat by the movement of a gas/liquid.

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11
Q

Latent heat

A

Quantity of heat absorbed or released by a substance undergoing a change of state, such as water vapour condensing into water droplets.

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12
Q

Evaporation

A

Change in state from a liquid into a vapour.

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13
Q

Condensation

A

Change in state from a gas to a liquid.

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14
Q

Ground heat

A

Warming of the subsurface of the Earth.

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15
Q

Albedo

A

Proportion of solar radiation that is reflected by a particular body or surface.

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16
Q

External forcings

A

Processes both, outside and within the atmosphere that can force changes in climate.

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17
Q

Solar forcing

A

Radiative forcing caused by changes in incoming solar radiation.

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18
Q

Global dimming

A

Worldwide decline of the intensity of the sunlight reaching the Earth’s surface, caused by a particulate air pollution and natural events, example volcanic ash.

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19
Q

Global brightening

A

Increasing amount of sunlight reaching the Earth’s surface caused by an intensification of solar radiation.

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20
Q

Ice sheet

A

Thick layer of ice covering extensive regions of the world.

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21
Q

Troposphere

A

Lowest layer of the atmosphere.

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22
Q

Tropospheric ozone

A

Human produced ozone, a result of air pollution.

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23
Q

Positive feedback

A

When an increase of one phenomenon results in an increase of another.

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24
Heatwave
Prolonged period of excessively hot weather.
25
Thermal expansion
As sea and ocean temperatures increase, the water molecules near the surface move further apart, so the water volume increases and the sea level rises.
26
Low-carbon economy
When significant measures have been taken to reduce carbon emissions in all sectors of the economy.
27
Community energy
Energy produced close to the point of consumption.
28
Soil degradation
Physical loss(erosion) and the reduction in quality of topsoil associated with nutrient decline and contamination.
29
Soil profile
Vertical variations that occur in the characteristics of a soil from the surface to the underlying rock.
30
Universal soil loss equation
Mathematical model used to describe soil erosion processes.
31
Deforestation
Process of destroying a forest and replacing it with something else, especially by an agriculture systems.
32
Overgrazing
Grazing of natural pastures(pastwiska) at stocking intensities above the livestock carrying capacity.
33
Acidification
Change in chemical composition of soil, which may trigger(pociągać) the circulation of toxic metals.
34
Salinisation
Condition in which the salt content of soil accumulates over time to above normal levels. Occurs when water containing high salt concentration evaporates from fields irrigated with standing water.
35
Soil aggregates
Soil particles(cząsteczki) that are closely bound together.
36
Desertification
Gradual transformation of habitable land into desert.
37
Dust storms
Severe windstorm that sweeps clouds of dust across an extensive area(arid regions).
38
Soil buffering capacity
Capacity of soil to absorb contaminants(środki zanieczyszczające).
39
Carbon farming
Involves using the plants grown on a farm to 'harvest' carbon from the atmosphere and return it to the soil.
40
Soil structure
Shape and arrangement of aggregates gives soil a characteristic structure.
41
Perennial crops
Crops that do not die off once harvested(annual crops), existing for years before reseeding may be required.
42
Afforestation
Planting seeds or trees to make a forest on land that has not been a forest recently or never before.
43
Reforestation
Re-establishing a forest after its removal.
44
Sustainable agriculture
Agricultural systems emphasising biological relationships and natural processes, which maintain soil fertility thus allowing current levels of farm production to continue indefinitely(nieokreślenie).
45
Groundwater
Water below the surface which is not combined chemically with any minerals present.
46
Aquifer
Permeable rock that holds water and permits its passage.
47
Water-stressed area
Place where water supply is below 1700 cubic metres per person per year.
48
Water-scarce area
Place where water supply falls below 1000 cubic metres per person a year.
49
'Green' water
Part of total precipitation that is absorbed by soil and plants, then released back into the air.
50
'Blue' water
Precipitation that collects in rivers, lakes, wetlands and as a groundwater. Available for human use before it evaporates or reaches the ocean.
51
Potable water
Water free from impurities, pollution and bacteria, thus safe to drink.
52
Evapotranspiration
Combined processes of evaporation, sublimation and transpiration of the water from the Earth's surface into the atmosphere.
53
Physical water scarcity
When a physical access to water is limited. When demand outstrips region's ability to provide the water for a population.
54
Economic water scarcity
When a population does not have the necessary monetary(pieniężny) means to utilise an adequate source of water.
55
'Grey' water
Water that has been already used for one purpose, but can be reused for another.
56
Water table
Top of the water-saturated part of a permeable rock. High rainfalls - water table may extend into the soil and reach the ground's surface.
57
Virtual water
Amount of water used to produce food or any other item, thus 'embedded' in the item.
58
Water footprint
Person's water footprint is the volume of fresh water the individual uses directly and in the production of the goods/services that person consumes.
59
Desalinisation
Conversion of salt water into fresh water by the extraction of dissolved solids(ciał stałych).
60
Biodiversity
Diversity of plant and animal life in a particular habitat or in the world as a whole.
61
Ecosystem
Dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism communities and their non-living environment interacting as a functional unit.
62
Biotic
Living components of an ecosystem.
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Abiotic
Non-living components of an ecosystem.
64
Endemism
State in which species are restricted to a single region.
65
Biodiversity hotspot
Area with particularly high level of biodiversity.
66
Tropical rainforest
Rainforest near the equator, characterised by high temperature, rainfall, biodiversity and poor soil.
67
Biome
Naturally occurring organic community of plants and animals.
68
River system
All streams and channels draining(spływać) a river basin(misa) comprising(składać) a main river and its tributaries(dopływy).
69
Latosol
Major soil type of the humid and high temperature tropics with a shallow A horizon(top layer of soil profile) but a thick B horizon(layer below top layer) comprising clay, sand and sesquioxides(półtoratlenki) of iron and aluminium, which endow(wyposaża) it with red or yellow colour. Much of the silica(krzemionka) leached from latosols and they tend to be low fertility.
70
Igapo forest
Part of the rainforest which grows near the rivers on land that is flooded for at least part of the year.
71
Carbon sink
Environmental reservoir(zbiornik) that absorbs and stores more carbon than it releases, thereby offsetting(kompensuje) greenhouse gas emissions.
72
Recolonise
Re-establishment of organisms into habitats that they previously occupied.
73
Environmental sustainability
Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
74
Business-as-usual
Scenario for future patterns of production and consumption which assumes that there will be no major changes in attitudes and priorities.
75
Green technology
New technologies that aim to conserve the natural environment and resources.
76
Destination footprint
Environmental impact caused by an individual tourist on holiday in a particular destination.
77
Ecotourism
Specialised form of tourism, where people experience relatively untouched natural environments and ensure that their presence does not further damage to these environments.
78
Environmental impact assessment
Document required by law detailing all the impacts on the environment of a project above a certain size.
79
Pro-poor strategies
Development schemes, which focus on the reduction of poverty and narrowing the income gap between poor and the population as a whole. Environmental sustainability - recently, central to such approaches.
80
Communal conservancies
Legally recognised, common property resource management organisations in Namibia's communal lands.
81
Scaling-up process
Expanding effective programmes to reach larger numbers of people in a broader geographical area.

Geography - Core (4 decks)

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