Geography Terms +
(geography includes mapmakers, scientists, explorers of the earth and provides a way to look at both the physical world and the people who live in various parts this globe)
Thermodynamics by which the temperature of the air changes without adding or taking away heat: The adiabatic process is the changing of sensible air temperature without the gain or loss of heat to or from the surrounding air.
The fraction of incident light that is reflected in all directions from an uneven surface: An albedo can be caused especially by the surface of the Earth, another planet, or by a satellite. .
An albedo is expressed as aTfraction of the solar radiation that is reflected back into space.
An albedo is the ratio of the amount of light reflected from an object in all directions to the amount of incident light.
An albedo of 1.0 corresponds to a perfect reflector.
alluvial (adjective) (not comparable)
Pertaining to sediment deposited by flowing water: In his geography book, Mark read about the alluvial cones,alluvial plains, and alluvial fans, which are deposited gravel and associated sediments,
A result of stream deposits accumulating where stream channels emerge from the base of mountains and channel gradients (slopes or inclines) level out: Alluvial fans can consist of silt, gravel, sand, and boulders.
A natural surface inclination of a slope consisting of loose, well-sorted rock or mineral fragments: An angle of response is the steepest angle of very dry sand, grains, or powder that can form with the level or flat surface without descending down making it look like a natural slope.
The upfold of strata resembling an arch or peaked roof: An anticline is an upfold of layered rocks in an archlike structure.
The center of high atmospheric pressure which spins in the opposite direction of a cyclone: An anticyclone, with closed circulation, rotates clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counter clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
A places at opposite points on the globe: An antipode is a point that lies diametrically opposite to a given point on the surface of the Earth.
In class, Mrs. Smart asked the students what countries were the antipodes, of their own country of Canada, or the countries directly on the other side of the world,
The point in the orbit of a planet, comet, or other celestial body's point of orbit, at which it is farthest from the Sun: An aphelion is a specific spot on the Earth's elliptical orbit at which the Sun is farthest from the Earth.
A rock mass or layer with high porosity and high permeability that stores and transmits ground water: When the couple bought the house near the forest, they were very happy to have a well with water from an aquifer
Groundwater that risess to the surface as a result of hydrostatic pressure that forces water upward; fissure spring: In the artesian spring, or artesian well, next to his house, Sam didn't have to pump the water because it was under pressure under a body of rock known as an aquifer.
A soft layer of the upper mantle of the planet Earth under the lithosphere: The asthenosphere is a region in the upper mantle of the Earth's interior, characterized by low-density, semiplastic (or partially molten) rock material chemically similar to the overlying lithosphere.
The upper part of the asthenosphere is believed to be the zone upon which the great rigid and brittle lithospheric plates of the Earth's crust move around.
The asthenosphere is generally located between 45–155 miles (72–250 km) beneath the earth's surface, though under the oceans it is usually much nearer the surface and at mid-ocean ridges rises to within a few miles or kilometers of the ocean floor.
An envelope of gas surrounding a planet, star, or other celestial body, where the gravitational field is strong enough to restrain the gases: The thin layer of gasses surrounding the Earth is called the atmosphere and is the medium for weather and climate.
A circular coral reef enclosing a shallow lagoon: When Mary was in Australia and walking along with the other tourists, she viewed the atoll that encircled the lagoon.
The general term for extremely rapid slides and falls of snow, ice, rocks, and trees: Once in a while, the newspapers report on a massive and dangerous avalanche killing many hikers in the Alps.
