Glossary to Environmental Geology 406/506
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ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY -
GEOL 406/506
Glossary of useful Terms:
1. Abiotic: not living.
2. Absorption: the penetration of atoms, ions, or molecules into the
bulk mass of substrate.
3. Acclimation: time elapsed before onset of detectable biodegradation
of a contaminant.
4. Acid: compound with tendency to donate protons (hydrogen ions,
H+).
5. Acidic: high concentration (activity) of free protons.
6. Activity: effective concentration. Normally effective concentration
is lower than actual concentration due to dynamic interactions occurring
in the environment.
7. Adsorption: the retention of atoms, ions, or molecules on the
surface of another substance.
8. Advection: the process of transfer of fluids through a geologic
formation in response to a pressure gradient.
9. Aeration: the process of bringing air into contact with a liquid.
10. Aerobic: with oxygen.
11. Aliphatic: of or pertaining to a broad category of carbon compounds
distinguished by a straight, or branched, open chain arrangement of the
constituent carbon atoms. The carbon-carbon bonds may be either
saturated (all available sites are involved in bonds) or unsaturated.
Alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes are aliphatic hydrocarbons.
12. Anaerobic: without oxygen.
13. Anisotropic: the condition in which hydraulic properties of the
subsurface are unequal when measured in all directions.
