Environment & Earth Science Vocabulary

The process of removing salt from seawater to make it drinkable or usable for irrigation.

The act or process of destroying or being destroyed.

Widespread destruction or ruin; intense emotional sorrow.

A sudden event causing great damage or loss of life; a complete failure.

To force someone or something from a usual or proper position; to replace.

The process of becoming more varied or of spreading into different areas, often used in business or ...

A nonfiction film or TV program that presents facts about real events or people.

A state of inactivity, stagnation, or listlessness. Originally referred to a calm, windless area of ...

A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water.

A sudden, violent shaking of the ground caused by movements within the Earth's crust.

Relating to the science of the relationships between organisms and their environment.

The branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physica...

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

The outer or farthest point of something; a sharp side or border.

To wipe out or make inconspicuous; to erase or obliterate.

A type of deciduous tree with tough, interlocking grain, commonly found in temperate regions.

The act of releasing or discharge of something, especially gas or radiation.

The act of intruding on or violating a boundary, right, or domain, often gradually or subtly.

To put someone or something at risk of harm or loss.

Native to or restricted to a certain place or region; commonly found among particular people or cond...

To mention a number of things one by one; to count off items in a list.

The natural world and the conditions affecting life, or the surroundings in which someone or somethi...

The process by which soil, rock, or material is worn away over time by wind, water, or other natural...

Thorough and complete in detail; covering all aspects.

To investigate or travel through an unfamiliar area to learn about it.

A person who advocates or supports a theory, idea, or cause; in mathematics, a symbol indicating how...

To explain an idea or theory in detail.

Extreme scarcity of food, often leading to widespread hunger and starvation.

Exhibiting intense emotion, heat, or passion; often used to describe enthusiasm or climate.

Joyous and celebratory in atmosphere or appearance.

A flat, floating sheet of ice in the ocean or on a large lake.

The plants of a particular region, habitat, or geological period.

A thick cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere at or near the earth's surface, red...

The most prominent, important, or leading in position or significance.

A fixed or standard method for solving a problem, or a mathematical or chemical expression.

The base or groundwork of a structure; also, an organization supporting a cause.

A large ship or aircraft designed to carry cargo.

A large, slow-moving mass of ice formed from accumulated snow, typically found in mountains or polar...

Relating to the whole world or something complete in scope.

A glass structure used for growing plants in a controlled temperature; also refers to gases that tra...

The natural environment in which an organism lives, or the typical place where something is found.

A young bird, reptile, or fish that has recently emerged from an egg.

A safe or peaceful place of refuge or shelter.

A tropical bird with a large, downward-curved beak and often a bony casque on its head.

The concentration of water vapor in the atmosphere.

A powerful tropical storm with strong winds and heavy rain, rotating around a low-pressure center.

All the water on, under, and above the Earth's surface, including oceans, lakes, rivers, and vapor.

To suggest a hypothesis as an explanation or basis for further investigation.

A large piece of floating ice that has broken off a glacier or ice shelf.

A large, typically herbivorous lizard found in tropical regions, especially in Central and South Ame...

Without limits or boundaries; infinite or boundless.

The state or quality of being immense; vastness.

Of vital importance; crucial, or a command that must be obeyed.

Aromatic substance that emits fragrant smoke when burned; can also mean to anger someone intensely.

To include or combine something as part of a whole.

A device that provides a controlled environment for the development of fragile organisms or early-st...

Incapable of producing offspring or incapable of supporting growth, especially in soil.

Having the power to affect people's opinions, behavior, or decisions.

To live in or occupy a place.

Providing useful information or education; teaching something valuable.