Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the surroundings. These harmful materials are chosen pollutants. Pollutants can be natural, such equally volcanic ash. They can as well exist created by man action, such as trash or runoff produced by factories. Pollutants damage the quality of air, water, and land.

Many things that are useful to people produce pollution. Cars spew pollutants from their exhaust pipes. Called-for coal to create electricity pollutes the air. Industries and homes generate garbage and sewage that can pollute the country and water. Pesticides—chemical poisons used to kill weeds and insects—seep into waterways and harm wild fauna.

All living things—from one-celled microbes to blue whales—depend on Earth's supply of air and h2o. When these resource are polluted, all forms of life are threatened.

Pollution is a global problem. Although urban areas are usually more than polluted than the countryside, pollution can spread to remote places where no people live. For example, pesticides and other chemicals accept been constitute in the Antarctic ice sheet. In the middle of the northern Pacific Ocean, a huge collection of microscopic plastic particles forms what is known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Air and water currents bear pollution. Ocean currents and migrating fish comport marine pollutants far and broad. Winds tin can pick up radioactive cloth accidentally released from a nuclear reactor and besprinkle it around the world. Smoke from a factory in one country drifts into another country.

In the past, visitors to Big Bend National Park in the U.S. state of Texas could encounter 290 kilometers (180 miles) across the vast landscape. At present, coal-burning power plants in Texas and the neighboring country of Chihuahua, Mexico have spewed so much pollution into the air that visitors to Large Bend can sometimes see simply fifty kilometers (thirty miles).

The three major types of pollution are air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution.

Air Pollution

Sometimes, air pollution is visible. A person tin see dark smoke cascade from the exhaust pipes of big trucks or factories, for example. More often, however, air pollution is invisible.

Polluted air can be unsafe, fifty-fifty if the pollutants are invisible. It can make people'southward eyes burn down and make them accept difficulty animate. Information technology tin also increase the take chances of lung cancer.

Sometimes, air pollution kills quickly. In 1984, an accident at a pesticide plant in Bhopal, Bharat, released a deadly gas into the air. At to the lowest degree 8,000 people died inside days. Hundreds of thousands more were permanently injured.

Natural disasters can also cause air pollution to increase quickly. When volcanoes erupt, they eject volcanic ash and gases into the atmosphere. Volcanic ash can discolor the sky for months. After the eruption of the Indonesian volcano of Krakatoa in 1883, ash darkened the sky around the world. The dimmer sky acquired fewer crops to be harvested as far away every bit Europe and Due north America. For years, meteorologists tracked what was known as the "equatorial fume stream." In fact, this smoke stream was a jet stream, a current of air high in Globe'south atmosphere that Krakatoa's air pollution fabricated visible.

Volcanic gases, such every bit sulfur dioxide, can kill nearby residents and make the soil infertile for years. Mount Vesuvius, a volcano in Italian republic, famously erupted in 79, killing hundreds of residents of the nearby towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Well-nigh victims of Vesuvius were not killed by lava or landslides caused by the eruption. They were choked, or asphyxiated, by deadly volcanic gases.

In 1986, a toxic cloud developed over Lake Nyos, Cameroon. Lake Nyos sits in the crater of a volcano. Though the volcano did not erupt, it did eject volcanic gases into the lake. The heated gases passed through the water of the lake and collected as a cloud that descended the slopes of the volcano and into nearby valleys. As the toxic cloud moved across the landscape, it killed birds and other organisms in their natural habitat. This air pollution also killed thousands of cattle and as many as i,700 people.

Most air pollution is not natural, however. It comes from burning fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas. When gasoline is burned to power cars and trucks, it produces carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas. The gas is harmful in loftier concentrations, or amounts. City traffic produces highly concentrated carbon monoxide.

Cars and factories produce other mutual pollutants, including nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, and hydrocarbons. These chemicals react with sunlight to produce smog, a thick fog or haze of air pollution. The smog is so thick in Linfen, Mainland china, that people tin seldom encounter the sun. Smog can exist brownish or grayish blue, depending on which pollutants are in it.

Smog makes breathing difficult, especially for children and older adults. Some cities that endure from farthermost smog issue air pollution warnings. The regime of Hong Kong, for example, will warn people not to go outside or appoint in strenuous physical activity (such every bit running or pond) when smog is very thick.

When air pollutants such every bit nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide mix with moisture, they change into acids. They then fall back to earth as acid rain. Air current often carries acid rain far from the pollution source. Pollutants produced by factories and power plants in Spain can fall as acid rain in Kingdom of norway.

Acid rain can kill all the trees in a wood. It can besides devastate lakes, streams, and other waterways. When lakes become acidic, fish can't survive. In Sweden, acid rain created thousands of "expressionless lakes," where fish no longer alive.

Acid rain also wears away marble and other kinds of stone. It has erased the words on gravestones and damaged many celebrated buildings and monuments. The Taj Mahal, in Agra, India, was in one case gleaming white. Years of exposure to acrid rain has left information technology pale.

Governments accept tried to forestall acid rain by limiting the amount of pollutants released into the air. In Europe and Due north America, they accept had some success, but acid rain remains a major problem in the developing globe, especially Asia.

Greenhouse gases are some other source of air pollution. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane occur naturally in the atmosphere. In fact, they are necessary for life on Globe. They blot sunlight reflected from Globe, preventing it from escaping into infinite. By trapping heat in the atmosphere, they go along Earth warm enough for people to alive. This is called the greenhouse effect.

But human activities such as called-for fossil fuels and destroying forests have increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This has increased the greenhouse effect, and boilerplate temperatures across the globe are rising. The decade that began in the year 2000 was the warmest on record. This increase in worldwide boilerplate temperatures, caused in part by human action, is chosen global warming.

Global warming is causing ice sheets and glaciers to melt. The melting ice is causing body of water levels to rise at a rate of 2 millimeters (0.09 inches) per yr. The rising seas will eventually flood low-lying coastal regions. Entire nations, such as the islands of Maldives, are threatened by this climate change.

Global warming besides contributes to the phenomenon of body of water acidification. Ocean acidification is the process of ocean waters absorbing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Fewer organisms can survive in warmer, less salty waters. The ocean food web is threatened every bit plants and animals such as coral fail to conform to more acidic oceans.

Scientists take predicted that global warming will cause an increase in severe storms. It will also cause more than droughts in some regions and more flooding in others.

The modify in average temperatures is already shrinking some habitats, the regions where plants and animals naturally live. Polar bears hunt seals from sea ice in the Arctic. The melting ice is forcing polar bears to travel farther to find food, and their numbers are shrinking.

People and governments tin can respond quickly and effectively to reduce air pollution. Chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are a dangerous form of air pollution that governments worked to reduce in the 1980s and 1990s. CFCs are institute in gases that cool refrigerators, in foam products, and in aerosol cans.

CFCs damage the ozone layer, a region in World'due south upper atmosphere. The ozone layer protects Earth by absorbing much of the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. When people are exposed to more ultraviolet radiation, they are more than likely to develop peel cancer, eye diseases, and other illnesses.

In the 1980s, scientists noticed that the ozone layer over Antarctica was thinning. This is ofttimes called the "ozone hole." No one lives permanently in Antarctica. But Australia, the home of more than 22 million people, lies at the edge of the hole. In the 1990s, the Australian government began an effort to warn people of the dangers of also much sun. Many countries, including the U.s.a., now severely limit the product of CFCs.

Water Pollution

Some polluted water looks muddy, smells bad, and has garbage floating in information technology. Some polluted water looks clean, only is filled with harmful chemicals you can't run into or odor.

Polluted water is dangerous for drinking and pond. Some people who beverage polluted water are exposed to hazardous chemicals that may make them ill years later. Others consume bacteria and other tiny aquatic organisms that cause affliction. The United Nations estimates that 4,000 children dice every day from drinking dirty h2o.

Sometimes, polluted water harms people indirectly. They get sick because the fish that live in polluted h2o are dangerous to eat. They have too many pollutants in their mankind.

In that location are some natural sources of water pollution. Oil and natural gas, for example, can leak into oceans and lakes from natural underground sources. These sites are called petroleum seeps. The world's largest petroleum seep is the Coal Oil Point Seep, off the coast of the U.South. state of California. The Coal Oil Point Seep releases and then much oil that tar assurance wash upward on nearby beaches. Tar assurance are minor, sticky pieces of pollution that eventually decompose in the ocean.

Homo activeness also contributes to h2o pollution. Chemicals and oils from factories are sometimes dumped or seep into waterways. These chemicals are called runoff. Chemicals in runoff can create a toxic environment for aquatic life. Runoff tin can also assist create a fertile environment for cyanobacteria, also chosen blue-light-green algae. Cyanobacteria reproduce apace, creating a harmful algal flower (HAB). Harmful algal blooms forbid organisms such every bit plants and fish from living in the ocean. They are associated with "expressionless zones" in the world'southward lakes and rivers, places where piddling life exists beneath surface water.

Mining and drilling tin can also contribute to water pollution. Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a major contributor to pollution of rivers and streams near coal mines. Acid helps miners remove coal from the surrounding rocks. The acrid is done into streams and rivers, where it reacts with rocks and sand. It releases chemical sulfur from the rocks and sand, creating a river rich in sulfuric acrid. Sulfuric acid is toxic to plants, fish, and other aquatic organisms. Sulfuric acid is also toxic to people, making rivers polluted by AMD dangerous sources of water for drinking and hygiene.

Oil spills are another source of water pollution. In April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, causing oil to gush from the ocean floor. In the following months, hundreds of millions of gallons of oil spewed into the gulf waters. The spill produced big plumes of oil nether the bounding main and an oil slick on the surface as large as 24,000 square kilometers (9,100 square miles). The oil slick coated wetlands in the U.Due south. states of Louisiana and Mississippi, killing marsh plants and aquatic organisms such as crabs and fish. Birds, such as pelicans, became coated in oil and were unable to wing or access food. More than than two million animals died as a outcome of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Buried chemical waste can also pollute water supplies. For many years, people disposed of chemical wastes carelessly, non realizing its dangers. In the 1970s, people living in the Dear Canal area in Niagara Falls, New York, suffered from extremely high rates of cancer and birth defects. It was discovered that a chemic waste matter dump had poisoned the area's h2o. In 1978, 800 families living in Dear Canal had to abandon their homes.

If non disposed of properly, radioactive waste from nuclear power plants can escape into the environment. Nuclear waste can damage living things and pollute the water.

Sewage that has not been properly treated is a common source of water pollution. Many cities around the world accept poor sewage systems and sewage treatment plants. Delhi, the majuscule of India, is home to more than 21 meg people. More than than half the sewage and other waste material produced in the metropolis are dumped into the Yamuna River. This pollution makes the river dangerous to use as a source of water for drinking or hygiene. It as well reduces the river's fishery, resulting in less food for the local community.

A major source of h2o pollution is fertilizer used in agriculture. Fertilizer is material added to soil to make plants grow larger and faster. Fertilizers usually contain large amounts of the elements nitrogen and phosphorus, which help plants grow. Rainwater washes fertilizer into streams and lakes. There, the nitrogen and phosphorus cause blue-green alga to form harmful algal blooms.

Rain washes other pollutants into streams and lakes. Information technology picks up animal waste from cattle ranches. Cars drip oil onto the street, and rain carries it into storm drains, which lead to waterways such as rivers and seas. Rain sometimes washes chemic pesticides off of plants and into streams. Pesticides tin can as well seep into groundwater, the water beneath the surface of the Earth.

Rut can pollute water. Power plants, for case, produce a huge amount of estrus. Ability plants are oft located on rivers so they can use the water as a coolant. Cool water circulates through the plant, absorbing heat. The heated water is so returned to the river. Aquatic creatures are sensitive to changes in temperature. Some fish, for example, can but live in cold water. Warmer river temperatures forbid fish eggs from hatching. Warmer river water also contributes to harmful algal blooms.

Another type of h2o pollution is elementary garbage. The Citarum River in Indonesia, for example, has so much garbage floating in information technology that y'all cannot see the water. Floating trash makes the river difficult to fish in. Aquatic animals such as fish and turtles mistake trash, such every bit plastic bags, for food. Plastic bags and twine can kill many sea creatures. Chemical pollutants in trash can also pollute the water, making it toxic for fish and people who utilize the river equally a source of drinking water. The fish that are caught in a polluted river frequently accept high levels of chemic toxins in their mankind. People absorb these toxins every bit they swallow the fish.

Garbage too fouls the ocean. Many plastic bottles and other pieces of trash are thrown overboard from boats. The wind blows trash out to sea. Ocean currents carry plastics and other floating trash to certain places on the globe, where it cannot escape. The largest of these areas, called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is in a remote office of the Pacific Ocean. According to some estimates, this garbage patch is the size of Texas. The trash is a threat to fish and seabirds, which error the plastic for food. Many of the plastics are covered with chemical pollutants.

Country Pollution

Many of the same pollutants that foul the water also damage the country. Mining sometimes leaves the soil contaminated with unsafe chemicals.

Pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural fields are blown by the wind. They can harm plants, animals, and sometimes people. Some fruits and vegetables absorb the pesticides that assistance them abound. When people consume the fruits and vegetables, the pesticides enter their bodies. Some pesticides can cause cancer and other diseases.

A pesticide called DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) was once normally used to kill insects, peculiarly mosquitoes. In many parts of the world, mosquitoes deport a disease called malaria, which kills a million people every year. Swiss chemist Paul Hermann Muller was awarded the Nobel Prize for his understanding of how Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane tin command insects and other pests. DDT is responsible for reducing malaria in places such every bit Taiwan and Sri Lanka.

In 1962, American biologist Rachel Carson wrote a volume called Silent Spring, which discussed the dangers of Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane. She argued that information technology could contribute to cancer in humans. She also explained how it was destroying bird eggs, which caused the number of bald eagles, chocolate-brown pelicans, and ospreys to drib. In 1972, the Usa banned the apply of Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane. Many other countries besides banned information technology. Merely DDT didn't disappear entirely. Today, many governments support the employ of Ddt because it remains the nearly constructive way to combat malaria.

Trash is some other form of state pollution. Around the world, paper, cans, glass jars, plastic products, and junked cars and appliances mar the mural. Litter makes it hard for plants and other producers in the food web to create nutrients. Animals tin can die if they mistakenly eat plastic.

Garbage often contains unsafe pollutants such equally oils, chemicals, and ink. These pollutants tin leech into the soil and harm plants, animals, and people.

Inefficient garbage collection systems contribute to land pollution. Oft, the garbage is picked upwards and brought to a dump, or landfill. Garbage is buried in landfills. Sometimes, communities produce so much garbage that their landfills are filling up. They are running out of places to dump their trash.

A massive landfill near Quezon City, Philippines, was the site of a state pollution tragedy in 2000. Hundreds of people lived on the slopes of the Quezon Urban center landfill. These people made their living from recycling and selling items found in the landfill. Notwithstanding, the landfill was non secure. Heavy rains caused a trash landslide, killing 218 people.

Sometimes, landfills are not completely sealed off from the land around them. Pollutants from the landfill leak into the globe in which they are buried. Plants that abound in the earth may be contaminated, and the herbivores that eat the plants also go contaminated. Then do the predators that consume the herbivores. This process, where a chemical builds upwardly in each level of the nutrient web, is called bioaccumulation.

Pollutants leaked from landfills also leak into local groundwater supplies. There, the aquatic nutrient web (from microscopic algae to fish to predators such as sharks or eagles) can suffer from bioaccumulation of toxic chemicals.

Some communities practice not have adequate garbage collection systems, and trash lines the side of roads. In other places, garbage washes up on beaches. Kamilo Beach, in the U.S. state of Hawaii, is littered with plastic bags and bottles carried in by the tide. The trash is unsafe to ocean life and reduces economic activity in the area. Tourism is Hawaii's largest industry. Polluted beaches discourage tourists from investing in the area'south hotels, restaurants, and recreational activities.

Some cities incinerate, or burn, their garbage. Incinerating trash gets rid of information technology, only it can release dangerous heavy metals and chemicals into the air. So while trash incinerators can help with the problem of country pollution, they sometimes add to the problem of air pollution.

Reducing Pollution

Effectually the world, people and governments are making efforts to combat pollution. Recycling, for instance, is becoming more common. In recycling, trash is candy so its useful materials can be used again. Glass, aluminum cans, and many types of plastic can be melted and reused. Newspaper tin can be broken down and turned into new paper.

Recycling reduces the corporeality of garbage that ends up in landfills, incinerators, and waterways. Republic of austria and Switzerland have the highest recycling rates. These nations recycle between 50 and threescore pct of their garbage. The The states recycles about 30 percent of its garbage.

Governments can combat pollution by passing laws that limit the amount and types of chemicals factories and agribusinesses are allowed to use. The smoke from coal-burning power plants can be filtered. People and businesses that illegally dump pollutants into the land, h2o, and air tin be fined for millions of dollars. Some government programs, such as the Superfund program in the United states of america, can force polluters to clean upwards the sites they polluted.

International agreements can also reduce pollution. The Kyoto Protocol, a Un understanding to limit the emission of greenhouse gases, has been signed by 191 countries. The United States, the earth'southward second-largest producer of greenhouse gases, did not sign the agreement. Other countries, such as Communist china, the world'southward largest producer of greenhouse gases, have non met their goals.

Even so, many gains take been made. In 1969, the Cuyahoga River, in the U.S. state of Ohio, was then clogged with oil and trash that it caught on fire. The fire helped spur the Clean H2o Act of 1972. This police limited what pollutants could be released into water and ready standards for how clean h2o should be. Today, the Cuyahoga River is much cleaner. Fish have returned to regions of the river where they once could non survive.

Just even equally some rivers are becoming cleaner, others are becoming more polluted. Equally countries around the world become wealthier, some forms of pollution increment. Countries with growing economies ordinarily need more power plants, which produce more pollutants.

Reducing pollution requires ecology, political, and economic leadership. Developed nations must work to reduce and recycle their materials, while developing nations must work to strengthen their economies without destroying the environment. Developed and developing countries must work together toward the common goal of protecting the environment for future use.

pollution

Garbage in, garbage out.

Light Pollution
Light pollution is the excess corporeality of light in the dark sky. Light pollution, as well called photopollution, is almost always found in urban areas. Light pollution can disrupt ecosystems by confusing the stardom between night and day. Nocturnal animals, those that are active at nighttime, may venture out during the day, while diurnal animals, which are active during daylight hours, may remain active well into the night. Feeding and sleep patterns may be confused. Light pollution besides indicates an excess use of energy.

The night-sky movement is a campaign by people to reduce calorie-free pollution. This would reduce energy apply, allow ecosystems to function more normally, and allow scientists and stargazers to detect the temper.

Noise Pollution
Racket pollution is the constant presence of loud, disruptive noises in an area. Commonly, noise disturbance is caused past structure or nearby transportation facilities, such as airports.

Noise disturbance is unpleasant, and can be dangerous. Some songbirds, such as robins, are unable to communicate or observe food in the presence of heavy noise pollution. The sound waves produced by some racket pollutants tin disrupt the sonar used past marine animals to communicate or locate food.

How Long Does It Last?
Different materials decompose at different rates. How long does information technology take for these common types of trash to pause down?

  • Paper: two-4 weeks
  • Orange pare: 6 months
  • Milk carton: 5 years
  • Plastic bag: 15 years
  • Tin can: 100 years
  • Plastic bottle: 450 years
  • Glass bottle: 500 years
  • Styrofoam: Never

Indoor Air Pollution
The air inside your house can be polluted. Air and carpet cleaners, insect sprays, and cigarettes are all sources of indoor air pollution.

acid

Noun

chemical compound that reacts with a base to course a salt. Acids can corrode some natural materials. Acids have pH levels lower than 7.

acid mine drainage

Noun

flow of acid or acidic liquid from metal mines or coal mines.

acid rain

Noun

precipitation with high levels of nitric and sulfuric acids. Acid pelting tin can be manmade or occur naturally.

adapt

Verb

to arrange to new surroundings or a new situation.

acceptable

Adjective

suitable or skilful plenty.

aerosol can

Noun

container of liquid textile nether loftier force per unit area. When released through a pocket-size opening, the liquid becomes a spray or foam.

agribusiness

Noun

the strategy of applying profit-making practices to the operation of farms and ranches.

Noun

the art and science of cultivating country for growing crops (farming) or raising livestock (ranching).

Noun

harmful chemicals in the atmosphere.

algae

Plural Noun

(singular: alga) diverse group of aquatic organisms, the largest of which are seaweeds.

aluminum

Substantive

silvery, reflective metallic chemical element with the symbol Al.

Antarctic

Noun

region at Earth'southward extreme south, encompassed past the Antarctic Circle.

aquatic

Adjective

having to practice with h2o.

asphyxiate

Verb

to choke or suffocate.

Noun

layers of gases surrounding a planet or other angelic body.

Plural Noun

(singular: bacterium) single-celled organisms establish in every ecosystem on World.

ban

Verb

to prohibit or non allow.

Noun

narrow strip of land that lies along a body of h2o.

bioaccumulation

Substantive

procedure by which chemicals are absorbed past an organism, either from exposure to a substance with the chemical or past consumption of food containing the chemic.

biologist

Noun

scientist who studies living organisms.

birth defect

Noun

physical disorder present at birth and not developed subsequently.

bluish-green algae

Substantive

type of aquatic bacteria (non algae) that can photosynthesize low-cal to create free energy. Also called cyanobacteria and (in freshwater habitats) pond scum.

cancer

Noun

growth of abnormal cells in the body.

Noun

urban center where a region's government is located.

carbon dioxide

Substantive

greenhouse gas produced past animals during respiration and used past plants during photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide is also the byproduct of burning fossil fuels.

carbon monoxide

Noun

colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly less dumbo than air. It can be toxic to humans.

cattle

Substantive

cows and oxen.

cfc (Cfc)

Noun

chemical compound by and large used in refrigerants and flame-retardants. Some CFCs have destructive effects on the ozone layer.

circulate

Verb

to move around, ofttimes in a design.

Clean Water Deed

Noun

(1972) federal law protecting water from pollution.

Noun

gradual changes in all the interconnected weather elements on our planet.

Substantive

visible mass of tiny water droplets or ice crystals in Globe's temper.

Substantive

dark, solid fossil fuel mined from the globe.

Coal Oil Signal

Noun

place in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the U.Southward. state of California that naturally emits gases such as methane; a seep field.

Noun

edge of land forth the bounding main or other large body of water.

concentration

Noun

measure out of the amount of a substance or grouping in a specific identify.

contaminate

Verb

to poison or brand chancy.

coolant

Noun

substance, commonly a liquid or gas, that reduces the temperature of a system or piece of machinery.

Noun

tiny sea animal, some of which secrete calcium carbonate to form reefs.

Substantive

bowl-shaped depression formed by a volcanic eruption or affect of a meteorite.

Noun

agronomical produce.

Substantive

steady, anticipated flow of fluid within a larger body of that fluid.

blue-green alga

Noun

type of aquatic bacteria that can photosynthesize light to create energy. Also called blue-light-green algae (even though it is not algae) and (in freshwater habitats) pond scum.

Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane

Noun

(ddt) toxic chemic used as an insecticide but illegal for most uses in the U.South. since 1972.

expressionless lake

Noun

body of h2o where fish or other aquatic organisms no longer live beneath the surface due to natural or manmade pollution.

Noun

area of low oxygen in a torso of water.

decompose

Verb

to decay or suspension downwards.

Deepwater Horizon

Substantive

oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico that exploded in 2010.

descend

Verb

to go from a higher to a lower place.

devastate

Verb

to destroy.

developing earth

Noun

nations with low per-capita income, piffling infrastructure, and a pocket-size middle course.

discourage

Verb

to disapprove or encourage someone not to do something.

dispose

Verb

to throw abroad or get rid of.

drab

Adjective

tiresome or boring.

drill

Verb

to brand a hole using a rotating digging tool.

Noun

menstruation of greatly reduced precipitation.

Substantive

our planet, the tertiary from the Sun. The Earth is the simply place in the known universe that supports life.

economic

Describing word

having to exercise with coin.

eject

Verb

to get rid of or throw out.

electricity

Noun

ready of physical phenomena associated with the presence and flow of electrical charge.

environment

Noun

conditions that surround and influence an organism or community.

erupt

Verb

to explode or all of a sudden squirt fabric.

exhaust

Noun

gases and particles expelled from an engine.

expel

Verb

to eject or force out.

factory

Noun

one or more buildings used for the manufacture of a product.

fertilizer

Substantive

nutrient-rich chemical substance (natural or manmade) applied to soil to encourage plant growth.

fine

Verb

to punish, usually by charging an economic penalization or fee. Or, the penalisation or fee itself.

fishery

Noun

industry or occupation of harvesting fish, either in the wild or through aquaculture.

Noun

overflow of a trunk of water onto state.

Substantive

clouds at ground level.

Substantive

textile, usually of plant or brute origin, that living organisms use to obtain nutrients.

Noun

all related food chains in an ecosystem. Also called a food cycle.

forest

Noun

ecosystem filled with trees and underbrush.

fossil fuel

Noun

coal, oil, or natural gas. Fossil fuels formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals.

gasoline

Noun

liquid mixture made from oil and used to run many motor vehicles.

generate

Verb

to create or brainstorm.

Noun

mass of ice that moves slowly over country.

gleam

Verb

to polish brightly.

Noun

increment in the average temperature of the Globe's air and oceans.

government

Noun

system or social club of a nation, country, or other political unit.

gravestone

Noun

stone mark a person'south burial place, often engraved with the person's name and dates of birth and expiry.

Substantive

expanse of the North Pacific Bounding main where currents have trapped huge amounts of debris, mostly plastics.

Noun

miracle where gases allow sunlight to enter World'south atmosphere only get in difficult for heat to escape.

greenhouse gas

Noun

gas in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, methyl hydride, water vapor, and ozone, that absorbs solar oestrus reflected by the surface of the Earth, warming the temper.

Substantive

water constitute in an aquifer.

Noun

environment where an organism lives throughout the year or for shorter periods of fourth dimension.

harmful

Adjective

damaging.

harmful algal bloom (HAB)

Noun

rapid growth of algae, leaner, or other plankton that can threaten an aquatic environment by reducing the amount of oxygen in the water, blocking sunlight, or releasing toxic chemicals.

harvest

Noun

the gathering and collection of crops, including both plants and animals.

take a chance

Noun

danger or risk.

haze

Noun

group of solid and liquid particles in the air that makes information technology difficult to run into.

heavy metallic

Noun

chemical substance with a specific gravity of at least five.0.

Noun

organism that eats mainly plants and other producers.

hydrocarbon

Noun

chemical compound made entirely of the elements hydrogen and carbon.

hygiene

Substantive

science and methods of keeping clean and healthy.

Noun

thick layer of glacial ice that covers a large area of land.

incinerate

Verb

to burn up entirely.

industry

Noun

activity that produces goods and services.

inefficient

Adjective

not able to perform a task well.

infertile

Adjective

unproductive or barren.

ink

Noun

night liquid used for press or artwork.

invest

Verb

to contribute time or coin.

invisible

Describing word

unable to be seen.

Noun

torso of land surrounded past h2o.

issue

Verb

to distribute, give away, or sell.

Noun

winds speeding through the upper atmosphere.

Krakatoa

Noun

island in Indonesia, site of major volcanic eruption in 1883. Also chosen Krakatau.

Kyoto Protocol

Noun

(1997) international understanding to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Substantive

body of water surrounded by land.

landfill

Noun

site where garbage is layered with dirt and other absorbing textile to forbid contamination of the surrounding land or h2o.

country pollution

Noun

introduction of harmful materials into the surface surround.

Noun

the geographic features of a region.

Noun

the fall of rocks, soil, and other materials from a mountain, hill, or slope.

lava

Noun

molten rock, or magma, that erupts from volcanoes or fissures in the Earth's surface.

leech

Noun

carnivorous or bloodsucking worm.

Love Culvert

Noun

New York boondocks and the site of a former toxic waste matter dump.

lung

Substantive

organ in an animal that is necessary for breathing.

malaria

Substantive

infectious disease caused past a parasite carried by mosquitoes.

mar

Verb

to spoil or damage.

marble

Noun

type of metamorphic rock.

marine

Adjective

having to exercise with the ocean.

Noun

wetland surface area usually covered past a shallow layer of seawater or freshwater.

massive

Adjective

very large or heavy.

meteorologist

Noun

person who studies patterns and changes in World's atmosphere.

methyl hydride

Substantive

chemical compound that is the basic ingredient of natural gas.

microbe

Noun

tiny organism, commonly a bacterium.

microscopic

Adjective

very pocket-sized.

mine

Verb

to excerpt minerals from the Globe.

Substantive

process of extracting ore from the World.

monument

Noun

big construction representing an consequence, idea, or person.

Noun

political unit of measurement fabricated of people who share a mutual territory.

natural disaster

Substantive

an event occurring naturally that has large-scale effects on the environment and people, such as a volcano, convulsion, or hurricane.

Substantive

type of fossil fuel made upwardly mostly of the gas methane.

nitrogen

Noun

chemical element with the symbol N, whose gas class is 78% of the Earth's atmosphere.

nitrogen oxide

Noun

one of many chemical compounds fabricated of different combinations of nitrogen and oxygen.

Nobel Prize

Substantive

one of five awards established by the Swedish businessman Alfred Nobel in 1901. Nobel Prizes are awarded in physics, chemical science, medicine, literature, and peace.

Noun

substance an organism needs for energy, growth, and life.

ocean acidification

Noun

decrease in the sea'southward pH levels, acquired primarily by increased carbon dioxide. Ocean acidification threatens corals and shellfish.

oil

Substantive

fossil fuel formed from the remains of marine plants and animals. Also known as petroleum or crude oil.

oil rig

Noun

complex series of machinery and systems used to drill for oil on land.

oil slick

Noun

smooth, night coating on the surface of a body of h2o caused by an oil spill or leak.

oil spill

Noun

accidental release of petroleum products into a torso of h2o, either by an oil tanker or an offshore oil rig.

ozone hole

Noun

round blueprint, usually located near the Antarctic, of thin atmospheric ozone, which absorbs harmful ultraviolet sunlight.

Noun

layer in the temper containing the gas ozone, which absorbs most of the sun'southward ultraviolet radiation.

particle

Noun

small piece of material.

Paul Hermann Muller

Noun

(1899-1965) Swiss chemist and businessman.

pelican

Noun

large marine bird with a big bill.

permanent

Adjective

abiding or lasting forever.

pesticide

Noun

natural or manufactured substance used to kill organisms that threaten agronomics or are undesirable. Pesticides tin can be fungicides (which kill harmful fungi), insecticides (which impale harmful insects), herbicides (which impale harmful plants), or rodenticides (which kill harmful rodents.)

Noun

fossil fuel formed from the remains of ancient organisms. Also called crude oil.

petroleum seep

Noun

place where oil or natural gas from the Earth'due south interior leaks to the surface naturally.

phenomenon

Noun

an unusual act or occurrence.

phosphorus

Noun

chemical chemical element with the symbol P.

plastic

Substantive

chemic material that can be easily shaped when heated to a loftier temperature.

plumage

Noun

single, upward flow of a fluid, such as water or smoke.

poisonous substance

Noun

substance that harms health.

pollutant

Noun

chemical or other substance that harms a natural resources.

Noun

introduction of harmful materials into the environment.

ability plant

Noun

industrial facility for the generation of electric free energy.

predator

Noun

animal that hunts other animals for nutrient.

Rachel Carson

Noun

(1907-1964) American biologist and writer.

radioactive

Adjective

having unstable atomic nuclei and emitting subatomic particles and radiation.

Noun

liquid precipitation.

recycle

Verb

to make clean or process in gild to make suitable for reuse.

reduce

Verb

to lower or lessen.

Noun

whatsoever area on Earth with one or more than mutual characteristics. Regions are the basic units of geography.

remote

Describing word

distant or far away.

resource

Substantive

bachelor supply of materials, goods, or services. Resources tin can exist natural or human.

rock

Noun

natural substance composed of solid mineral thing.

Substantive

overflow of fluid from a farm or industrial mill.

sand

Noun

small, loose grains of disintegrated rocks.

sea ice

Noun

frozen ocean water.

Substantive

base of operations level for measuring elevations. Sea level is determined by measurements taken over a 19-twelvemonth cycle.

seep

Verb

to slowly period through a border.

seldom

Adverb

non very often.

sewage

Noun

liquid and solid waste matter material from homes and businesses.

sewage treatment

Noun

process of removing harmful pollutants and contaminants from water discarded by homes and businesses, and so the h2o is safe for most uses.

Silent Leap

Noun

(1962) nonfiction book by Rachel Carson that documented the consequences of a polluted environment, especially the employ of the pesticide DDT.

Noun

type of air pollution mutual in manufacturing areas or areas with high traffic.

smoke

Noun

gases given off past a burning substance.

soil

Noun

top layer of the Earth's surface where plants can abound.

spew

Verb

to eject or discharge violently.

stone

Substantive

slice of rock.

storm

Noun

astringent weather indicating a disturbed country of the atmosphere resulting from uplifted air.

storm drain

Noun

system to empty streets of excess rainwater. Tempest drains flow into local creeks, rivers, or seas.

Substantive

body of flowing water.

strenuous

Adjective

energetic or requiring a lot of activity.

sulfur

Noun

element with the symbol S.

sulfur dioxide

Noun

greenhouse gas that can cause acid rain.

sulfuric acid

Noun

toxic chemical made of hydrogen, sulfur, and oxygen.

Superfund

Noun

federal program to clean up chancy waste sites in the U.S. Besides called the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Human activity (CERCLA).

Taj Mahal

Noun

(1632) large, white mausoleum complex in Agra, India, built by Shah Jahan for his married woman Mumtaz.

tar ball

Substantive

small, sticky slice of tar emitted by a natural or manmade oil spill that floats in the ocean and often washes up on beaches.

Noun

degree of hotness or coldness measured by a thermometer with a numerical scale.

Noun

rising and fall of the sea'due south waters, caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and dominicus.

tourism

Noun

the industry (including food, hotels, and entertainment) of traveling for pleasure.

toxic

Adjective

poisonous.

traffic

Noun

movement of many things, often vehicles, in a specific area.

tree

Noun

type of large plant with a thick torso and branches.

twine

Noun

strong thread made from at to the lowest degree two strings twisted together, oftentimes made of plastic.

ultraviolet radiation

Substantive

powerful light waves that are too curt for humans to come across, only can penetrate Earth'southward atmosphere. Ultraviolet is often shortened to UV.

Un

Noun

international organisation that works for peace, security and cooperation.

Noun

adult, densely populated area where nigh inhabitants have nonagricultural jobs.

valley

Noun

depression in the Earth between hills.

vast

Adjective

huge and spread out.

visible

Adjective

able to be seen.

Substantive

fragments of lava less than two millimeters across.

volcanic gas

Substantive

gas such as h2o vapor or carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere past a volcano.

Substantive

an opening in the World's crust, through which lava, ash, and gases erupt, and as well the cone built by eruptions.

water pollution

Substantive

introduction of harmful materials into a torso of h2o.

waterway

Noun

body of water that serves equally a route for transportation.

Noun

surface area of land covered by shallow water or saturated by water.

wildlife

Noun

organisms living in a natural environment.

Substantive

motion of air (from a high pressure zone to a low pressure zone) caused past the uneven heating of the Earth by the sun.

  • Credits

    Media Credits

    The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to some other page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or grouping credited.

    Writers

    Diane Boudreau
    Melissa McDaniel
    Erin Sprout
    Andrew Turgeon

    Illustrators

    Mary Crooks, National Geographic Club
    Tim Gunther, Illustrator

    Editors

    Jeannie Evers, Emdash Editing
    Kara W

    Educator Reviewer

    Nancy Wynne

    Producer

    Caryl-Sue, National Geographic Society

    Sources

    Dunn, Margery G. (Editor). (1989, 1993). "Exploring Your World: The Adventure of Geography." Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Lodge.

    Last Updated

    Aug. xviii, 2011

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