Human Impact Glossary

Glossary Human Impact on the Environment acid rain

Wet acid deposition; falling of rain (or snow) rich in sulfur and nitrogen oxides.

chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)

A compound of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon; is contributing to ozone thinning.

deforestation

Removal of all the trees from a large tract of land (e.g., Amazon River Basin).

desalinization

Removing salt from seawater.

desertification

The conversion of grassland or irrigated or rain-fed cropland to a desert like condition.

dry acid deposition

Airborne oxides of sulfur, nitrogen fall to Earth during dry weather.

fossil fuel

Coal, petroleum, or natural gas; a nonrenewable energy source that formed long ago from remains of swamp forests.

fusion power

Release of energy from fuel (e.g., heated gas of H isotopes) that implodes when compressed to extremely high densities.

green revolution

In developing countries, use of improved crop strains, modern agricultural equipment and practices to raise crop yields.

industrial smog

Polluted, gray-colored air in industrialized cities during cold, wet winters.

meltdown

Accidental overheating of the core in a nuclear power plant.

ozone thinning

A pronounced and seasonal thinning of the atmosphere's ozone layer.

PAN (peroxyacyl nitrate)

An oxidant in photochemical smog.

photochemical smog

Polluted, brown, smelly air that forms in warm weather in large cities that have many gas-burning vehicles.

pollutant

Natural or synthetic substance with which an ecosystem has no prior evolutionary experience, in terms of kinds or amounts; it accumulates to disruptive or harmful levels.

salinization

Salt buildup in soil through poor drainage, evaporation, and heavy irrigation.

shifting cultivation

Cutting and burning trees in a plot of land, followed by tilling ashes into soil. Once called slash-and-burn agriculture.

solar-hydrogen energy

Sunlight energy captured, converted to H2 as a fuel source.

thermal inversion

A layer of dense, cool air trapped beneath a layer of warm air; can hold air pollutants close to the ground.

wastewater treatment

Processing of liquid wastes to remove sludge, organic matter, etc.

water table

Upper limit at which ground in a specified region is fully saturated with water.

wind farm

Collection of turbines used to convert mechanical energy into electricity