This glossary is provided as a tool for studying
this chapter. Keep it handy while you read, in order to find definitions
of unfamiliar words, or of familiar words that may have an unfamiliar meaning
in the context of this chapter.
If
you do not find the term you are looking for on this page, try the complete
glossary.
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Acid deposition: The accumulation of acids, either in precipitation
or through dry dustfall, on the land surface.
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Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): A group of substances that are compounds
of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon. They are widely used in refrigeration
and many industrial processes, and contribute to deterioration of stratospheric
ozone.
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Clean Air Act: The name given to a series of air-quality improvement
laws and their amendments passed in the United States beginning in 1963.
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Greenhouse effect: The tendency of the atmosphere to be transparent
to shortwave solar radiation but opaque to longwave terrestrial radiation,
leading to a warming of the atmosphere.
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Greenhouse gases: Substances that are transparent to shortwave (solar)
radiation but absorb longwave (terrestrial) radiation and thus contribute
to warming of the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, ozone, chlorofluorocarbons,
methane, and water vapor are important greenhouse gases.
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Landfill: A land-based disposal method, in which waste is deposited
in layers and covered with earth.
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Montreal Protocol: An agreement signed in Montreal in 1987 in which
signatory nations consented to limit production and consumption of ozone-damaging
chemicals.
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Oil: Hydrocarbons found in the earth, liquid at normal ambient temperatures.
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Stratosphere: Layer of the atmosphere between 3 and 30 mi (5 and
50 km) in altitude, characterized by increasing temperature with altitude.
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Transboundary pollution: Transport of pollutants (particularly air
pollutants) across national or state boundaries.
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