9781422285534

59 Series Glossary

renewable: a substance that can be made, or a process used, again and again. reserves: amounts in store, which can be used in the future. runoff: water not absorbed by the soil that flows into lakes, streams, rivers, and oceans. seismology: the study of waves, as vibrations or “shaking,” that pass through the Earth’s rocks, soils, and other structures. sequestration: storing or taking something to keep it for a time. shaft: a vertical passage that gives miners access to mine. sluice: artificial water channel that is controlled by a value or gate. slurry: a mixture of water and a solid that can’t be dissolved. smelting: the act of separating metal from rock by melting it at high temperatures subsidence: the sinking down of land resulting from natural shifts or human activities. sustainable: able to carry on for a very long time, at least the foreseeable future. synthesis: making or producing something by adding substances together. tailing: the waste product left over after ore has been extracted from rock. tectonic: relating to the structure and movement of the earth’s crust. watercourse: a channel along which water flows, such as a brook, creek, or river.

indigenous: growing or living naturally in a particular region or environment. inorganic: compound of minerals rather than living material. kerogens: a variety of substances formed when once-living things decayed and broke down, on the way to becoming natural gas or oil. leachate: liquid containing wastes. mineralogists: scientists who study minerals and how to classify, locate, and distinguish them. nonrenewable resources: natural resources that are not replenished over time; these exist in fixed, limited supplies. ore: naturally occurring mineral from which metal can be extracted. ozone: a form of oxygen containing three atoms of oxygen in a molecule. porous: allowing a liquid to seep or soak through small holes and channels. primordial: existing at the beginning of time. producer gas: a gas created (“produced”) by industrial rather than natural means. reclamation: returning something to its former state. reducing agent: a substance that decreases another substance in a chemical reaction. refine: to make something purer, or separate it into its various parts. remote sensing: detecting and gathering information from a distance, for example, when satellites in space measure air and ground temperature below.