Environmental Science Terms

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Estuary

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A kind of wetland formed where fresh water from rivers mixes with salty ocean water.

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Intertidal Zone

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An area between the highest high-tide line on land to the continental shelf exposed by the lowest low-tide line.

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Neritic Zone

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The area of the ocean that extends from the low-tide line out to the edge of the continental shelf.

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Evaporation

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The process by which molecules at the surface of a liquid absorb enough energy to change to a gas.

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Precipitation

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Any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth’s surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

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Condensation

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The change of state from a gas to a liquid.

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Nitrogen Fixation

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The process of changing free nitrogen into nitrogen compounds that plants can absorb and use.