|
Waste the
unwanted by-products of human activity. Create issues for
disposal as much waste presents health dangers to people and
other organisms, as well as problems of using up space.
Waterfall
a sudden vertical or near vertical fall of water where a
river course is interrupted by a drop away in the land over
which it is flowing.
Waterlogged
see
saturated.
Water
management the attempt to provide the right quality of
water for a variety of uses in the places where it is
required. The most pressing is the need to provide fresh
water as supplies are limited and not necessarily in
sufficient quantities for growing centres of population.
Watershed
the line where
drainage basins meet and which
determines to which basin
precipitation will go.
Water table
the upper boundary of the
saturated portion of a
soil or rock.
Wave a
movement of energy. In the oceans, waves are created by the
frictional drag of wind on the surface of the water, or by
undersea disturbances. At sea, they have little effect, but
closer to coasts they develop into a horizontal movement of
water which impact on the form of the coastline.
Wave-cut
notch the undercut portion of a cliff where the base has
been eroded by wave action.
Wave-cut
platform at a coast, where wave action erodes into a
cliff, causing it to collapse and retreat, a rock platform
is left behind between the low and high water marks.
Weather
the day-to-day state of the atmosphere.
Weathering
breakdown of rock in situ by physical and chemical
processes due to the presence of water, plants and animals.
Rates vary according to additional controls of temperature,
rock type and time. (see
physical weathering and
chemical weathering).
Weber,
Alfred developed a model to explain the location of
industry according to identification of the least-cost
location. Full explanation:
http://teacherweb.ftl.pinecrest.edu/snyderd/APHG/Unit%207/weber.htm
Well a
hole dug or drilled into the ground to allow access to
groundwater.
Wetland
an area of land that is permanently
saturated up to
or very near to the surface.
Wetted
perimeter that portion of a rivers bed and sides which is
in contact with the water.
White goods
domestic appliances.
Wholesale
the buying of goods in bulk from manufacturers or suppliers,
either to be sold on in bulk or to reduce unit costs for
retail.
Wilderness
areas of land that have never experienced any meaningful
human activity.
Wilting
point the point at which water losses due to
transpiration are greater than gains through the roots.
Photosynthesis will begin to slow.
Wind the
horizontal movement of air created by differing pressures
of adjacent air masses. Air moves from high to low pressure
areas.
Wind deposition the return of wind-borne particles to the
surface.
Wind erosion the removal of particles from the surface by
wind, and the degrading processes caused when these
particles are thrown against rock.
Wind power the generation of electricity by
turbines
which are turned by wind.
Wind transport smaller rock particles may be carried by the
wind, moved by
saltation, or rolled along the
surface.
Windward -
the side of an island or ship
against which the wind is blowing.
World Bank
http://www.worldbank.org/
World Health Organisation (WHO) an office of the UN which
overseas international efforts to improve general health
conditions and to address international threats such as
pandemics.
http://www.who.int/en/
World
Trade Organisation (WTO) -
http://www.wto.org/
[A]
[B]
[C]
[D]
[E]
[F]
[G]
[H]
[I]
[J]
[K]
[L]
[M]
[N]
[O]
[P]
[Q]
[R]
[S]
[T]
[U]
[V]
[W]
[X]
[Y]
[Z] |
