1 A chemical reaction that absorbs heat from its surroundings. 2 Animals that can independently generate and maintain their body temperature. Contrast exothermic. …
A pesticide that is toxic to freshwater and marine aquatic life, and can affect human health via domestic water supplies. …
Technologies that reduce emissions of pollutants after they have formed, such as scrubbers on smokestacks and catalytic converters on vehicle exhausts. …
The study of how energy is transferred and used in a system, such as an ecosystem. …
Usable power, or the capacity to do work, measured by the capability to do work (potential energy) or the conversion of this capability into motion (kinetic energy). …
The balance between the total energy that enters, leaves, and accumulates within a system (such as an ecosystem). Based on the first law of thermodynamics, which says that energy may be transformed, but not created or destroyed. …
A description of the overall energy balance for a system (such as an ecosystem), and of the components within it. …
Saving energy by eliminating wasteful use, making more efficient use of it, or reducing total use. …
The amount of energy output (work done) relative to the amount of energy input (fuel consumed). Also known as fuel efficiency . See also energy intensity. …
Using land to grow crops that provide fuel (such as fast‐growing tree species). Also known as energy plantation . …
The movement and loss of energy through a community or ecosystem, via the food web. …
A measure of energy flow, expressed as the amount of energy that moves through a given area in a unit of time. …
The amount of energy used per unit of activity, such as litres of fuel per passenger‐mile, or energy consumption per pound/dollar of gross domestic product. Also known as fuel intensity . …
The process of extracting useful energy from waste, such as the heat produced by incineration or by harnessing methane gas from landfills. …
Any material that is used to produce energy, including fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas), nuclear (fission and fusion), and renewables (solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, hydroelectric). …
The form in which energy is available, such as chemical energy, electrical energy, heat energy, kinetic energy, and potential energy. …
Legal methods that are used to obtain compliance with environmental laws, rules, regulations, or agreements and/or deal with violations. …
The application of science to the design, creation, and function of machines and structures. …
Within ice, usually inside a glacier or ice sheet. Contrast subglacial, supraglacial. …
A meltwaterriver that flows inside a glacier or ice sheet. …
The increase in the strength of the natural greenhouse effect that is caused by human activities, particularly the emission into the atmosphere of large amounts of greenhouse gases. See also global warming. …
A broad intellectual movement in 18th‐century Europe that advocated the use of reason in the re‐evaluation of accepted ideas. Also known as the Age of Reason . See also Transcendentalism. …
A form of agroforestry in which useful woody species (such as fruits, bamboos, and rattans) are sown or planted before or when cultivation ceases, so that products are available for household use or market. See also bush fallow, fallow. …
The process of increasing concentration, such as the addition of nutrients from sewage effluent or agricultural runoff to surface water (which causes eutrophication) or the process of increasing the proportion of uranium‐235 in nuclear fuel. …
Bacteria that originate in the intestines of warm‐blooded animals. …
A recently developed order of soil, that has no (or only poorly developed) soil horizons. It often forms in recent floodplains, under recent volcanic ash and as wind‐blown sand. …
1 To set in motion (for example, particles of sediment). 2 To trap particles, gases, or liquid droplets in moving fluids, either mechanically (through turbulence) or chemically (through a reaction). …
A measure of the availability of a system's energy to do work. A well‐ordered and efficiently‐functioning system has a low level of entropy. …
1 All of the external abiotic and biotic factors, conditions, and influences that affect the life, development, and survival of an organism or a community. 2 The natural world in which we live. …
The public body (statutory agency) that is responsible for protecting and improving the environment in England and Wales. …
An approach to accounting that includes measures of the environmental impacts and resource use of economic activities, as well as financial measures. Also known as natural resource accounting . …
Any form of activity by environmentalists that is designed to raise public awareness of environmental issues. Extreme forms of activism include monkey‐wrenching and EarthFirst, and more common forms include lobbying and joining pressure groups. Also known as activism . See grassroots activism. …
Assessment of the predictable long‐ and short‐term environmental effects of a proposed action, and of reasonable alternatives to that action. See also environmental assessment, environmental impact assessment. …
An environmental analysis that is required in the USA under the National Environmental Policy Act, which analyses a proposed federal action for the possibility of significant environmental impacts. If the environmental impacts are likely to be significant, the federal agency must then prepare a more detailed environmental impact statement. See also Finding of No Significant Impact. …
A formal independent evaluation (audit) of compliance (by a company, plant, or agency) with environmental regulations, standards, and policies, or an assessment of the management of any impact on the environment. For example, pollution prevention initiatives require an audit to determine where wastes may be reduced or eliminated or where energy can be conserved. …
A method of environmental assessment that analyses the life cycle of a product or process. …
Any alteration to the environment or to an environmental system. …
A term that is used to describe the sum of the environmental problems that we face today. Key contemporary environmental problems include the greenhouse effect and global warming, the hole in the ozone layer, acid rain, and tropical forest clearance. New dimensions to the environmental crisis include emerging threats and the global nature, rapid build‐up, and persistence of the problems. Whilst …
A leading US‐based non‐profit organization that was founded in 1967 as the Environmental Defense Fund, and seeks innovative, equitable, and cost‐effective solutions to serious environmental problems through a combination of science, economics, and law. It is committed to protecting the environmental rights of all people, including future generations, and includes the right to clean air, cl…
Depletion or destruction of a potentially renewable resource such as air, water, soil, forest, or wildlife, by using it at a rate faster than it can be naturally renewed. See also sustainable yield. …
The view that was popular at the start of the 20th century, but is now regarded as too simplistic, that the most important control on human activities is the environment. …
A branch of economics that takes into account the current and future monetary costs and benefits of environmental systems, human welfare, and biodiversity. See also cost?benefit analysis, ecological economics, externality. …
Formal and informal activities that are designed to promote people's understanding of, appreciation of, and care for the natural environment. …
The extent to which all groups of people in a region or country (regardless of race, ethnicity, economic status, or income) receive equal treatment and protection under environmental statues, regulations, and practices. Unlike environmental racism, equity also considers the disproportionate burden of risk that any group of people (defined by gender, age, income, or race) is exposed to. Also known …
A search for moral values and ethical principles in human relations with the natural world. See also ethics, land ethcs, stewardship. …
The destiny of a chemical or biological pollutant after it has been released into the environment. …
A continuum of environmental conditions, such as the progressive change in climate with increasing latitude. …
Any group of people who voluntarily join together to pursue an environmental objective. Examples include the Worldwide Fund for Nature and EarthFirst. …
The patchiness of the environment, from the scale of an individual plant to the pattern of vegetation across a region. …
The history of natural and induced environmental change in a particular area. …
Any impact or effect (positive or negative) that an activity has on an environmental system, environmental quality, or natural resources. Also known as an environmental effect . …
A formal assessment of the environmental impacts that are likely to arise from major activities such as new legislation or a new policy, programme, or project. The results of the assessment are reported in the environmental impact statement. EIA was first introduced in the USA in 1969 and has since been widely applied. It is being adopted in one form or another in an increasing number of countri…
A detailed written statement that describes the results of an environmental impact assessment of a proposed large‐scale project, which usually includes a description of the project and of the environment that would be affected, an assessment of the important effects of the project on environment, a justification of the project, and a non‐technical summary. An EIS is required for all major fede…
A measurement or statistic that provides evidence of environmental quality, such as which threshold concentrations of different air pollutants are relevant to human health and to environmental stability, how best to measure the biodiversity of species of wildlife within natural habitats, and how to express land use change in the most useful ways. See also bioindicator, Corine, exposure indicator. …
The use of computers and statistical methods in the classification, storage, retrieval, and analysis of environmental information. See also informatics. …
See Appendix 1 for a list of useful online sources of information and data on particular environmental issues. …
The storage and analysis of environmental data using a computer, which might include use of geographical information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and simulation, which make it much easier to simulate how the environment works and how it might respond to different management scenarios. Such analyses rely heavily on powerful computers that are used to store and manipulate databases and to run com…
1 The beliefs behind an organized social movement of people who share a concern about solving problems of environmental pollution and natural resources. Environmental concern is reflected in a number of different ways, including membership of environmental pressure groups and campaigning organizations (such as Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace), sympathy for and engagement with environmental pol…
A person who works or engages in activities that are designed to protect the environment from destruction or pollution. …
Attaching labels to products which advise consumers about environmental aspects of the production, use, or disposal of that product, such as the extent to which it is biodegradable, can be recycled, produces damaging ozone, is organic, is toxic, and is based on renewable materials. See also eco‐label. …
The average rate at which temperature decreases with increasing altitude in the troposphere. …
The body of official legal rules, decisions, and actions that relate to environmental quality, natural resources, and ecological sustainability. …
The level of understanding that an individual, group, or population has of ecological principles and the inter‐relationships between people and environment. …
An area of land, designated by the UK government under EU regulations, where landowners and tenants are eligible to claim for subsidies for certain types of management that will benefit landscape or wildlife features within the ESA. See also management agreement. …
The deliberate management and control of the environment and of natural resources systems, designed to ensure the long‐term sustainability of development efforts. …
A method or tool for systematically addressing environmental issues within an organization, which includes concrete objectives, plans of action, and responsibility for dealing with environmental matters. See also Eco‐Management and Audit Scheme. …
Technologies, procedures, and protocols for collecting, analysing, interpreting, and reporting environmental information, including the use of continuous monitoring,remote sensing and satellites, geographical information systems, and environmental informatics. Great improvements have been made since the early 1990s in harmonizing practices and standards between countries, so that it is now becomin…
An environmental monitoring system developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). …
A political movement that focuses on protecting the environment, reducing environmental damage (such as pollution), and reducing unsustainable use of natural resources. See also environmentalism. …
Any route through the environment along which pollutants can move, such as air, water, and soil. …
All planning activities that have the objective of preserving or enhancing environmental values or resources. …
1 The official rules and regulations relating to the environment that are adopted, implemented, and enforced by a government agency. 2 A statement by an organization of its intentions and principles with respect to environmental performance, which provides a framework for action and for the setting of environmental objectives and targets. …
Practices and procedures that are designed to avoid, minimize, eliminate, or reverse damage to the environment and to environmental systems. See also ecological modernization, environmental impact, sustainable development. …
The federal agency in the USA that was created in 1970 and is responsible for efforts to protect human health and to control air and water pollution, radiation and pesticide hazards, ecological research, and the disposal of solid waste. …
The state of the environment, generally in a particular place, defined either objectively (for example by the use of environmental indicators) or subjectively (in terms of attributes such as beauty and attractiveness). …
Intentional or unintentional racial discrimination in environmental policy‐making, enforcement of regulations and laws, and targeting of communities for the disposal of toxic waste and siting of polluting industries. See also environmental equity. …
A migrant from an area that is threatened with or damaged by a major natural hazard or disaster. Under international law, people who flee their own country to escape from persecution, armed conflict, or violence can be granted refugee status, but those forced to leave for social or environmental reasons do not qualify. …
The regime for managing the environment, either globally or at a national level, which includes environmental regulations and conventions, and the institutions through which they are managed. …
The management of activities that affect the environment, through such means as command and control and market‐based mechanisms. …
An agency (such as national or local government) that oversees and applies the legislation and regulations governing the environment. …
The release of environmental statements by businesses that usually contain information on environmental impacts, environmental management initiatives and plans for future activities. …
The cleanup and restoration of sites that have been contaminated with hazardous substances. …
Study of a company's processes and procedures, to assess compliance with environmental laws and regulations and to review its environmental policy and best practice. …
Any source of harm or danger in the environment, for example from natural hazards, pollution, or depletion of natural resources. …
The interdisciplinary study of environmental systems, how they operate, how they interact with people, and how people interact with them. …
The impact on security of the links between environmental stress and violent conflict, particularly in developing countries, caused, for example, by competition for scarce resources or exposure to serious natural hazards. …
The process of determining whether a particular plot of land has been contaminated. …
A limiting condition of environmental quality, that is often expressed in numerical terms, has legal standing, and is designed to protect human health and well‐being. …
Any form or level of environmental change which particular organisms (including humans) find it difficult to adjust to. …
The long‐term maintenance of ecosystems and other environmental systems for the benefit of future generations. See also sustainable development, sustainability. …
A system that is based on the natural environment and includes biotic and abiotic components which interact. The major environmental systems are the atmosphere (air), biosphere (living organisms), hydrosphere (water), cryosphere (ice), pedosphere (soil), and lithosphere (rock). An ecosystem is the term for a local environmental system. …
Any technology that is designed to control pollution, treat or store waste materials, or cleanup contaminated sites. Examples include wet scrubbers (air), soil washing (soil), granulated activated carbon unit (water), and filtration (air, water). Contrast alternative technology. …
Any treaty that deals with the environment or with natural resources. Appendix 2 contains a summary of international environmental treaties. …
Activities, products, or lifestyles that are designed to have a small environmental impact, such as restricting family size to a maximum of two children, using public rather than private transport, using renewable materials wherever possible, and engaging in green consumerism. Also known as green . …
The second oldest of the five major epochs of the Tertiary period, from 56 to 35 million years ago, when the climate was significantly warmer and seas extended much further than today, and the first modern mammals appeared. …
The earliest part of the Stone Age, in which the earliest signs of human culture appear. …
Transitory, episodic, lasting for only a short period of time. …
Flow in a river or stream that only occurs during and immediately after rain. Contrast intermittent flow, perennial flow. …
An annual plant with a very short lifespan (a few weeks or a very few months), which is common in desert climates. …
A stream or river that has no permanent flow, but flows only as the direct result of rainfall or snow melt. …
A wetland that fills with water in the spring but is dry by the end of the summer. …
All of the organisms that live on the surface of the bottom of a waterbody, such as the sea‐bed. See also epifauna, epiflora. …
The centre of an earthquake, located on the ground surface directly above the focus, where the most severe shock waves are usually experienced. …
The study of the incidence, distribution, and control of disease in a population. …
The outer layer of cells on plants and animals which covers and protects the underlying dermis. …
Animals that live on the floor of a waterbody, such as the sea‐bed. …
Plants that live on the floor of a waterbody, such as the sea‐bed. …
The top layer of water in a lake or reservoir, which has the warmest water and a relatively uniform temperature, and which is mixed by the wind. …
Relatively shallow water; the top 200 metres of the ocean, seas, and lakes. …
A plant which does not root in soil but uses the trunk or stem of another plant for support as it grows. It draws no nutrients from its host plant, but gets its moisture and nutrients from the air, rainwater, and organic debris. This is a form of commensalism and an example of symbiosis. …
Growing or living on the exterior of a living animal, as a non‐parasitic organism. …
A subdivision of geological time that is shorter than a period. For example, the Quaternary period is divided into the holocene epoch and pleistocene epoch. …
The state of being the same in terms of quantity, value, or status. Contrast inequality. …
An imaginary circle around the Earth that is equally distant from the North and South poles and defines the latitude 0?. …
A hot, wet tropical climate zone, with high temperatures (usually around 30?C) through the year, precipitation (at least 60?mm of rainfall) every month, and cloud cover on most days. Rainforest is the typical natural vegetation. …
A state or condition of a system that can be created in more than one way, so it is often difficult to work out cause‐and‐effect associations between the many parts of a system. …
A state of balance in a system that is produced and maintained by a variety of forces which may increase or decrease but they always cancel each other out, producing a steady state. See also chemical equilibrium. …
A community of organisms that is subject to periodic disruptions (usually by fire), that prevent it from reaching a climax stage. Also known as disclimax community . …
The boundary in a glacier between the accumulation zone and the ablation zone. …
The anticipated change in climate that would result from a change in radiative forcing. …
A species whose population exists in equilibrium with available resources, at a stable density. …
A theory in island biogeography that greater numbers of species are found on larger islands because the populations on smaller islands are more vulnerable to extinction. …
The increase in temperature that would result at some point in the future if atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases remained constant at the levels of a particular year. See also commitment. …
Either of the two days at which the Sun is directly overhead at the equator, when daylight and darkness are of equal length. This is important in defining the seasons. The vernal equinox is usually 21 March ; the autumnal equinox is usually 23 September . See also winter, spring, summer, autumn/fall. …
That which is fair, impartial, and just, and which provides equal opportunity for all. Contrast inequitable. …
Fairness arising from the equal use and allocation of resources. See also environmental equity. Contrast inequity. …
A unit of geological time that is longer than a period. Examples include the Paleozoic era, the Mesozoic era and the Cenozoic era. …
The removal from the environment of all units of an infecting agent or pathogen. …
1 A desert surface that is covered by sand dunes. 2 The work done by a force of one dyne (10?7joules) acting over a distance of one centimetre. …
To wear away by the process of erosion. For example the effect of wind, water, and movement of glaciers in moving material from the ground surface, which is then transported and deposited elsewhere. See also soil erosion. …
The ease with which a soil or rock can be eroded. …
A group of natural geological processes by which soil and rock material are loosened (weathering) or dissolved (solution) and then moved (transportation) from their original location. The processes involve transporting agents such as running water, moving ice, or blowing wind, which are active within rivers, coasts and oceans, glaciers and periglacial areas, and deserts and semi‐arid areas. Of t…
Areas of land of similar altitude that might be the remnants of the long‐term erosion of the land surface and can help in the interpretation of the denudation chronology of the area. See also cycle of erosion. …
The ability of rainfall to cause erosion, which depends on rainfall intensity and drop size, as well as the material it lands on. …
A large particle of rock that has been transported by a glacier away from its source and deposited in a region of different rock. Also known as exotic . …
1 The number or proportion of elk or other wildlife that survive the hunting season. 2 The number or proportion of fish that avoid or escape from fisheries and move offshore, where they eventually spawn. …
A long cliff or relatively steep slope that faces in one direction, separating two generally level surfaces, often produced by faulting or erosion. Also known as cuesta or scarp . …
A sinuous ridge of coarse gravel that is deposited by a meltwater stream beneath a glacier. Contrast kame. …
A chemical element that is required by all living organisms for normal growth. This includes the primary essential elements (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), secondary essential elements (sulphur, calcium, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium), and the trace elements (iron, boron, manganese, copper, zinc, iodine, cobalt, selenium, chromium, silicon, and molybdenum). …
The successful growth and reproduction of plants and/or animals in a site that provides them with favourable conditions. …
1 An extensive tract of land, particularly in the country, that is owned and retained by the owner for his/her own use. 2 All of a person's assets and liabilities; everything they own. …
The seaward flow of freshwater over a deeper layer of seawater with higher salinity, within an estuary. …
A habitat of open water within an estuary that is continuously covered by seawater. …
The wide mouth of a river where it flows into the sea, in which fresh (river) water meets and mixes with salt (sea) water, and which is tidal. …
A colourless, odourless hydrocarbon gas that is extracted mainly from natural gas and is used as a fuel. …
A colourless, flammable liquid produced by fermentation of sugars (derived from agricultural products such as corn, grain, and sugar cane) which is used as an alternative fuel and a fuel additive. It is the most widely used renewable biofuel. Also known as fuel ethanol . …
Statements of ethical principle that inform the private and social valuation of environmental resources. …
The philosophical study of moral values and rules, that inform decisions about wrong and right. See also environmental ethics. …
The study of what plants people use and how they use them. …
The study of culture (including behaviour, beliefs, and attitudes), based on observation of and interaction with living people. See also anthropology. …
A greenhouse gas emissions bubble in which members states of the European Union have accepted an aggregated emissions reduction target and arrangements that allow the target to be shared among all of the countries within the bubble. …
A legal directive from the European Union that is binding on member states but leaves the method of implementation for national governments to decide. …
The creation of high‐quality offspring. Contrast dysgenic. …
The study of hereditary improvement amongst humans by controlled selective breeding. …
Fully saline; seawater with a salinity of greater than 30 parts per thousand. …
An organism that has a distinct nucleus. This include all organisms other than viruses, bacteria, and blue‐green algae. See also prokaryote. …
The layer of water in a lake or sea (usually the top 80 metres) where sunlight is sufficient for photosynthesis to occur. Also known as photic zone or epipelagic zone . …
The administrative and executive institution of the European Union, which is responsible for initiating proposals for legislation, ensuring the implementation of treaties to which the EU is party, executing EU policies, and representing the union in trade negotiations with non‐member countries. See also Council of Ministers. …
A regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome ( 1957 ), which provided for the gradual elimination of customs duties and other interregional trade barriers between member states in Europe. In 1993 , with establishment of the European Union (EU), the EC became the customs union component of the EU. …
An economic union that was established in 1958 to promote trade in Western Europe by merging separate national markets into a single market that ensures the free movement of goods, people, capital, and services. Also known as the Common Market . Renamed European Union in 1994 . …
The body of the European Union that is responsible for supporting sustainable development and helping to achieve significant and measurable improvement in Europe's environment through the provision of timely, targeted, relevant, and reliable information to policy‐making agents and the public. …
A series of radar satellites launched by the European Space Agency during the 1990s. …
An economic association of European countries that was founded by the Treaty of Rome in 1957 and was known as the European Community before 1993 . Its goals are a single market for goods and services without any economic barriers and a common currency with one monetary authority. In May 2004 the EU had 25 member states?Austria, Belgium, Cyprus (Greek part), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, F…
The ability of an organism to live in environments with a wide range of salinity. …
The ability of an organism to live in environments with a wide range of temperature. …
A prefix denoting the ability of an organism to tolerate a wide range of changes in environmental conditions, such as eurythermal. Contrast steno‐. …
The global position and changes in the position of sea level. …
A world‐wide change in sea level. Contrast isostatic adjustment. …
Enriched in nutrients. A body of water which has a high concentration of dissolved nutrients, is very biologically productive, and has large amounts of algae, low water transparency, and low dissolved oxygen. Contrast oligotrophic. See also dystrophic, eutrophication. …
A common form of water pollution which involves the enrichment of a body of freshwater with nutrients such as nitratefertilizers (washed from the soil by rain) and phosphates (from fertilizers and detergents in municipal sewage). The pollution enriches the waterbody, and this encourages the rapid growth of aquatic plants and can cause excessive growth of algae (bloom) and vascular plants. This in …
A prolonged precautionary stay away from an area that is affected by a hazardous material or a natural hazard. …
An examination or judgement about the worth, quality, significance, amount, degree, or condition of a project or object. …
The process by which a liquid changes into a vapour with the application of heat. Contrast condensation. …
A type of fog that is produced when sufficient water vapour is added to the air by evaporation, and the moist air mixes with relatively drier air. Also known as frontal fog or mixing fog . …
An area where sewage sludge is dumped and dried by evaporation. …
A type of sedimentary rock that is formed by the precipitation of minerals dissolved in water as a result of evaporation. Examples include rock salt and gypsum. …
The process by which water vapour is released to the atmosphere from surface water, soils, and plants through the combined effects of evaporation and transpiration. …
The quality of uniformity and lack of variation. For example the degree to which all species in an area are equal in abundance and not dominated by one or a few species. Also known as equitability . …
A group of trees that are essentially the same age (usually 10?20 years). Contrast all‐aged stand, uneven‐aged stand. …
A large natural freshwatermarsh which covers nearly 13?000 square kilometres of southern Florida in the USA. The wetland was created by regular overflowing from Lake Okeechobee during the wet season, which flooded the Everglades up to one metre deep in water. Most of the area is a wilderness of swamp, savanna, and primary forest and it contains a rich diversity of wildlife, much of which is protec…
Plants, shrubs, and trees with needles or leaves that remain alive and on the tree through the winter and into the next growing season, so it remains green throughout the year. See also coniferous. Contrast deciduous. …
A model which explains how all organisms change over time, based on survival of the fittest. The model is based on gradual change in the characteristics of a population of animals or plants over successive generations, which explains how new species can be formed from more primitive forms through a series of very slow, gradual changes stretching over a long period of time. The scientific theory of…
Changes (that can be phenotypic or genetic) that occur in an organism from generation to generation through the exchange of genes. …
A classification of organisms that is based on levels of evolutionary advancement or development. …
A measured level of a particular pollutant that is higher than the ambient air quality standard. …
In land zoning, the granting of a special permit for a use which is outside of those normally approved for that type of zone. …
A measure of the surface charge of a substance that is capable of absorbing ions. See also cation exchange capacity. …
The area surrounding an operation which may threaten human health or well‐being, from which non‐essential personnel are kept out. Also known as a hot zone . …
A zone of the oceans over which a particular nation has claims or exclusive rights to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage natural resources, as defined in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. …
A zoning regulation that allows only one type of land use in a particular established zone or district. …
A weathering process in which thin layers of rock peel off from the surface, which is often caused by the heating of the rock surface during the day and cooling at night leading to alternate expansion and contraction. It can also be caused by the release of pressure when previously covered rocks are exposed, for example by weathering and erosion. …
Any non‐renewable resource (such as minerals, non‐mineral resources, and fossil fuels) that are present in fixed amounts in the environment. …
The mechanical removal of air from part of a building. …
The resistant outer shell of a spore or pollen grain that can be preserved in sediments and which can be identified in pollen analysis. …
External, arising from outside. Contrast endogenous. …
Insects in which the newly born young physically resemble the adults, and wings develop externally. Contrast endopterygota. …
A skeleton or support structure that is outside the body of the organism. Contrast endoskeleton. …
The outer part of the atmosphere that lies beyond the thermosphere, above about 350 kilometres, where the air is extremely thin, but there are still traces of some gases (particularly hydrogen) as far out as 8000 kilometres. The exosphere has no clearly defined outer limit, but instead fades off into the vacuum of space. …