atmosphere — atmosphereless, adj. /at meuhs fear /, n., v., atmosphered, atmosphering. n. 1. the gaseous envelope surrounding the earth; the air. 2. this medium at a given place. 3. Astron. the gaseous envelope surrounding a heavenly body. 4. Chem. any… … Universalium
hydrosphere — /huy dreuh sfear /, n. the water on or surrounding the surface of the globe, including the water of the oceans and the water in the atmosphere. [1885 90; HYDRO 1 + SPHERE] * * * Discontinuous layer of water at or near the Earth s surface. It… … Universalium
fluid mechanics — an applied science dealing with the basic principles of gaseous and liquid matter. Cf. fluid dynamics. [1940 45] * * * Study of the effects of forces and energy on liquids and gases. One branch of the field, hydrostatics, deals with fluids at… … Universalium
electromagnetic radiation — Physics. radiation consisting of electromagnetic waves, including radio waves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, x rays, and gamma rays. [1950 55] * * * Energy propagated through free space or through a material medium in the form of… … Universalium
climate — /kluy mit/, n. 1. the composite or generally prevailing weather conditions of a region, as temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloudiness, and winds, throughout the year, averaged over a series of years. 2. a region or… … Universalium
cavitation — /kav i tay sheuhn/, n. 1. the rapid formation and collapse of vapor pockets in a flowing liquid in regions of very low pressure, a frequent cause of structural damage to propellers, pumps, etc. 2. such a pocket formed in a flowing liquid. [1890… … Universalium
Earth Sciences — ▪ 2009 Introduction Geology and Geochemistry The theme of the 33rd International Geological Congress, which was held in Norway in August 2008, was “Earth System Science: Foundation for Sustainable Development.” It was attended by nearly… … Universalium
petroleum refining — Introduction conversion of crude oil into useful products. History Distillation of kerosene and naphtha The refining of crude petroleum owes its origin to the successful drilling of the first oil well in Titusville, Pa., in 1859. Prior to… … Universalium
distillation — distillatory /di stil euh tawr ee, tohr ee/, distillative /di stil euh tiv/, adj. /dis tl ay sheuhn/, n. 1. the volatilization or evaporation and subsequent condensation of a liquid, as when water is boiled in a retort and the steam is condensed… … Universalium
oxide — oxidic /ok sid ik/, adj. /ok suyd, sid/, n. Chem. a compound in which oxygen is bonded to one or more electropositive atoms. Also, oxid /ok sid/. [1780 90; < F (now oxyde), b. oxygène and acide. See OXYGEN, ACID] * * * I Any of a large and… … Universalium
spectroscopy — spectroscopist /spek tros keuh pist/, n. /spek tros keuh pee, spek treuh skoh pee/, n. the science that deals with the use of the spectroscope and with spectrum analysis. [1865 70; SPECTRO + SCOPY] * * * Branch of analysis devoted to identifying… … Universalium