Glossary

Human Impact on the

Environment
acid rain Wet acid deposition; falling of rain (or snow) rich in sulfur and nitrogen
oxides.
chlorofluorocarbon A compound of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon; is contributing to ozone
(CFC) 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
desertlike 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