Natural Phenomena and Environment: English Vocabulary List

a weather phenomenon with an extensive circulation of winds around a central region of high barometric pressure that is connected with calm and fine weather

"An anticyclone means calm."

"An anticyclone settled over the region, bringing clear skies and dry weather for the entire week."

a large collection of islands or the sea surrounding them

"An archipelago has many islands."

"The Malay Archipelago is a massive collection of over twenty-five thousand islands stretching between Southeast Asia and Australia"

a suspension of fine solid or liquid particles dispersed in a gas

"The aerosol spray contains chemicals that can damage the ozone layer."

"The spray can released a fine aerosol of paint particles that hung in the air for a few seconds before settling on the surface of the table."

the tiny water drops that form on cool surfaces during the night, caused by condensation

"There is morning dew."

"The delicate spiderweb glistened with tiny droplets of morning dew, catching the first rays of sunlight."

a small amount of rain, snow, etc. that moves in a quick and stormy way and lasts only for a short period of time

"A flurry of snow fell gently."

"The sudden flurry of snow only lasted a few minutes but left a thin white layer on the sidewalks and car roofs before melting in the afternoon sun."

a drastic and sudden rush of wind

"A strong gust of wind blew his hat off."

"A powerful gust knocked over the chairs and tables set up outside the seaside café."

a long pointed piece of ice formed by the freezing of dripping water from a surface such as a roof

"Long icicle hung."

"A long icicle hung from the roof of the house during the cold winter morning."

a type of light cloud that looks wispy formed at high altitudes

"Cirrus clouds high."

"Cirrus clouds are high in the sky and look like thin white feathers."

a type of cloud that is dark, grey, and large, often producing rain or snow

"Dark nimbus clouds."

"Dark nimbus clouds mean rain is coming soon according to the weather forecast."

a period during which the weather becomes warmer causing snow and ice to melt

"The spring thaw caused the river to rise."

"The spring thaw melted all the snow and made the river flow again."

a risk to human health or to the environment caused by a biological source, especially microorganisms

"The lab handles biohazard materials with extreme care and safety."

"A biohazard is any biological substance that poses a threat to human health"

the act or process of making a substance or place dirty or polluted, especially by dangerous substances

"The contamination made people sick."

"The contamination of the river with industrial waste posed a serious threat to the local ecosystem."

liquid waste or sewage discharged into rivers, lakes, or the sea

"The factory effluent polluted the river and killed all the fish."

"Effluent is liquid waste discharged from a sewage treatment plant or industrial process into a natural water body"

the point on the surface of the earth vertically above the focus of an earthquake where its effects are felt most strongly

"Earthquake epicenter located here."

"The earthquake's epicenter was determined to be in a sparsely populated region, minimizing the immediate damage."

a wall built in order to stop water, especially from the sea, from entering an area

"The Dutch built a dike to hold back the sea."

"Farmers build a dike to protect their fields from flooding during heavy rain."

a level path, typically beside the sea or a river, that is wide and open where people may walk by for pleasure

"Walk on esplanade."

"We like to walk on the esplanade by the sea during the evening every day."

the part of a river that is wide and where it meets the sea

"Fish live in the estuary."

"An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water where freshwater from a river mixes with the incoming saltwater of the ocean tide."

a steep-sided valley, often with a stream running through it

"The river cut a deep gorge."

"The hikers crossed the narrow gorge carefully."

a narrow piece of land with water on each side that connects two larger areas

"The isthmus connects two larger land areas."

"An isthmus is a narrow neck of land bordered by water on both sides"

one of the imaginary lines between the North Pole and the South Pole, drawn on maps to help pinpoint a location

"The prime meridian goes through Greenwich."

"A meridian is a line of longitude circling the Earth from pole to pole"

a muddy and wet piece of land in which it is possible to get stuck

"The hikers got stuck in a muddy morass."

"The deep morass made walking very difficult in the swampy area last week."

an area of land that is flat and higher than the land surrounding it

"The plateau is flat."

"The hikers reached a vast plateau offering panoramic views of the surrounding valleys."

a raised narrow mass of land that sticks out into the sea

"The lighthouse stood on a rocky promontory."

"We stood on the high promontory and enjoyed the beautiful view of the sea below."

a small rocky hill

"The hiker climbed the rocky tor."

"The hiker climbed to the top of the rocky tor and enjoyed the panoramic view of the valley below."

connected with or produced by the heat inside the earth

"The energy is geothermal."

"The geothermal energy comes from heat deep within the earth and it is used to generate electricity in some countries."

related to or caused by an earthquake

"There was seismic activity."

"There was seismic activity near the volcano and scientists are monitoring it closely for signs of an eruption."

relating to the movement and arrangement of the Earth's crust

"The plate is tectonic."

"The tectonic plates move slowly over millions of years and their collisions cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions."

to rain lightly in fine, small drops

"It will drizzle today."

"A gentle drizzle began to fall, coating the cobblestone streets in a shimmering, wet sheen."

to cover a stretch of land with a lot of water

"The river inundated the town."

"Heavy rainfall caused the river to inundate the surrounding farmlands, destroying the crops."

the overflow of normally dry land by rising water

"A deluge of rain flooded the streets and trapped many cars."

"The sudden deluge of rain flooded the subway system and stranded thousands of commuters who could not get home from work."

water in forms such as rain, snow, hail, or sleet that falls from the atmosphere to the Earth's surface

"The forecast says there will be heavy precipitation tomorrow."

"Precipitation is any form of water falling from the atmosphere to the ground"

a sudden, violent natural disaster that drastically alters the earth's landscape

"The earthquake was a cataclysm that changed the landscape forever."

"The volcanic eruption was a global cataclysm that affected weather patterns worldwide and caused crop failures on several different continents."

the calm area at the center of a storm, hurricane, or tornado

"The storm's eye passed."

"During the hurricane, the calm eye offered a brief respite before the storm's destructive winds returned."

a small steep waterfall, usually one of several others

"Small waterfall cascade."

"Water cascaded down the rocks into the pool below creating a soothing sound that echoed through the forest."

a structure built along a riverbank to serve as a landing place for boats or ships

"The levee protected the town from flooding."

"The river levee protects the town from flooding during the rainy season every year."

a flat, wide area of land with no or very few trees in North America

"Buffalo once roamed across the vast prairie"

"The American prairie is home to many grasses and wildflowers."

a small or slight earthquake

"We felt tremor."

"Last night we felt a small tremor that shook the windows but caused no serious damage to any buildings."

the highest point that a certain celestial body reaches, directly above an observer

"The sun is at its zenith."

"As the sun reached its zenith, the desert landscape shimmered with an intense, almost unbearable heat."

relating to or resembling twilight

"The crepuscular light was fading."

"Many nocturnal animals emerge during the crepuscular hours when the light is neither day nor night."